Evaluating communication as an essential precondition for inter-organisational learning in Governance Networks - The case of the Healthy Cities Network in Germany.

The Healthy Cities Network (HCN) of the WHO seems to be an effective approach to introduce innovative ideas into the healthcare sector. It is a knowledge-based network and at the same time a learning network. Within literature, communication is carved out as an essential precondition for such organisational learning. Still, there exists no study that explicitly focusses on the communication processes of the HCN Germany. The aim of this study is to get first insights into such communication processes and the information flow within the HCN Germany and to analyse these with respect to the processes of inter-organisational learning. An online questionnaire was sent to all member institutions of the HCN Germany. The questionnaire analysed the communication between the member cities and also between the member cities and the other institutions of the HCN Germany. Furthermore, the efficiency and the outcome of the communication and information exchange is evaluated. The evaluation showed that the communication and the exchange of information within the network is rated rather good and that there is transfer as well as the sharing of knowledge. So far joint learning processes between the network members and also between the member cities and the other institutions of the HCN Germany are lacking. For the further development of the network and the development of the network as a learning organisation there should be also joint learning processes, which means the cooperation between the network members and the other network institutions should be deepened.