In the December 2009 edition of Research World, Gwen Ishmael and Michael Richarme give six (6) recommendations for making MROCs work for product innovation.

It is worth a read.

Summary:

1. Start with a clear purpose in mind. So obvious, but yet so vital considering how infrequently it is done in organizations.
2. Set clear screening criteria for community members. The authors assert that in an “online group” of 100, one person will create content, ten will comment and 89 will simply read. Therefore, quality is critical.
3. Communicate the end goal and parameters of co-creation to keep people focused on task.
4. Create an open and non-competitive environment.
5. Motivate community members based on their affinity, interests and need for creative outlets. Do NOT rely solely on financial incentives.
6. Maintain quality by giving members the tools they need, gauging each member’s contributions, remove the unproductive, and keep the community busy with new tasks, directives and stimuli.

These recommendations seem to generally mesh with others regarding MROC best practice, but feel more specific to innovation. In fact, there is a managed element to these recommendations that is reminiscent of Delphi Panels (though not iterative).