This evaluation assesses the operational effectiveness and resource allocation of the X-lites Network. Funded by the National Science Foundation AccelNet project, this initiative is designed to foster a “Network of Networks” for global collaboration in extreme light research. This assessment is an application of the CSCCE Scientific Community Engagement Fundamentals Course framework for evaluation. The course addresses how to build a sense of community and what factors might be absent in a team. Thus, providing an opportunity for growth. Additionally, the course invites an audit of content shared with the community and reflection of how the content maps to the goals of that group. If there is not a connection to be made, the content should be discontinued as it does not generate value for members.

The network's organizational structure encompasses multiple types of member groups including leadership committee members, staff, working group leads, early career researchers, and member networks—each with distinct motivation profiles and engagement patterns. A survey of community management skills shows a balanced distribution across five key areas: communication (27%), technical support (24%), program management (24%), interpersonal engagement (13%), and program development (12%).

The team analysis identifies a multi-tiered engagement framework that accommodates varying levels of participation, from passive information consumption to active leadership. Key engagement metrics include presentations, event attendance, resource sharing, collaborative discussions, fund utilization, working group participation, and leadership initiatives. Specific growth opportunity areas are indicated that will increase community engagement and participation, transitioning the interactions from mainly passive forms to collaboration and co-creation. The network effectively addresses community needs through three focused working groups (Early Career Development, Facilities and Users, and Science and Technology) while facilitating connection through various in-person and virtual events.

Limitations include lack of a baseline membership survey for measuring change after changes are implemented. The course is not designed for a “Network of Networks” so connection dynamics are different (person to person versus network to network) but share many similarities which are still effective for evaluation. The course covers a span of 8 weeks and does not revisit the team for indicators of success.

This evaluation demonstrates that the X-lites team has designed a comprehensive approach to community building that, when implemented, shows particular strength in facilitating Member Network connections and information dissemination. Areas for potential enhancement include expanded interpersonal engagement initiatives to further strengthen network collaborative outputs.