WPP WATER PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM BRIEFING NOTE: 71794 Using Social Collaboration to Improve Networking and Knowledge Sharing Elizabeth Kleemeier (Senior Water & Sanitation Specialist, World Bank) WPP Briefing Note 2 / May 2011 Through a new internal social collaboration platform, the World Bank’s Water Anchor is encour- aging World Bank staff to discuss and share their work on rural water supply. Partly funded by the Water Partnership Program (WPP), this initiative facilitates knowledge sharing and cross- regional fertilization between and beyond WPP-funded activities. It may even lay the groundwork for worldwide collaboration among rural water experts. Juliana Garrido uses RWSC to connect from Brazil. The Water Anchor created a work space called the Rural Water Supplies Collaborative (RWSC) on “Scoop,� the Bank’s online collaboration platform.1 To attract staff to the site, the Anchor launched Connecting Brazil and South Sudan a virtual conference, supported by the WPP. The idea was to generate a buzz around RWSC that through Cyberspace would motivate Bank staff to visit the site, and discover the potential of a 24/7 virtual forum Tesfaye Bekalu Wondem, a World Bank Water where they could comment on the presentations and documents uploaded by their colleagues Specialist posted to South Sudan, met Juliana from around the globe. WPP-financed studies provided much of the content for the conference’s Garrido, another Bank Water Specialist virtual sessions. The results exceeded expectations. Over its five-month run, the conference at- posted to Brazil, at an online collaborative workspace called the Rural Water Supplies tracted 1,942 page views from Bank staff around the world, making RWSC the fourth most Collaborative. Both specialists were leading visited of the 530 work spaces on Scoop. separate WPP-financed studies of multi- village rural water supply systems. Now the Water Anchor has adapted the conference idea to produce short learning events online Juliana had already developed questionnaires (LEOs). Each event focuses on a specific topic, with blogs and videotaped remarks by Bank staff to collect information and was happy to share uploaded onto RWSC. The first such LEO quickly produced discussions on RWSC among experts them. in Washington, India, and Africa about how to use Smartphones for mapping water points. “Juliana guided us during the consultations, and gave us valuable insight on the approach The Water Anchor aims to extend this initiative to an external platform that will allow Bank staff to the exercise,� Tesfaye said. “Our client, the government of Ethiopia, was so inspired by and non-Bank experts to discuss and exchange information. The pilot site will allow rural water this initiative, that it is trying to replicate it for supply experts from around the world to join with Bank water experts in discussing public-private other multi-village schemes. partnerships to manage rural water schemes. The Water Anchor hopes this site will become a “All this is possible because of the online focal point for rural water supply experts from many development organizations. Replication of conference and the connectivity created,� he this example could significantly enhance collaboration and knowledge sharing on related topics said. “You could not even think of this kind of as well. constant information flow a couple of years ago.� 1 Bank staff can visit RWSC by typing “rwsc� in the Intranet address line, or going to http://community.worldbank.org/pg/ groups/78111/rural-water-supplies-collaborative-rwsc/ Tesfaye Wondem uses RWSC to connect from Sudan. The Water Partnership Program (WPP) is a program funded by the governments of the Netherlands, Denmark and the United Kingdom ($23.7 million for the first 3-year phase). The WPP aims to enhance the World Bank’s performance on reducing poverty through the mainstreaming of pragmatic approaches for Water Resources Management and development, and the improvement of quality and effectiveness of Water Service Delivery. 2 / www.worldbank.org/water/wpp The Beginning: Enhancing WPP-Fund- A forum on rural and small town public-private partnerships was held in Washington, D.C. in February 2011. ed Rural Water Studies through Virtual All forum events were made available on RWSC, where Bank staff can at any time download the PowerPoint slides and watch video clips (such as the opening remarks by Jose Luis Irigoyen, Director of the Bank’s Meetings Transport, Water and Information Technology & Communication (TWI) Department, see below) and PEP Talks (see box on page 3). Most importantly, staff can post comments and questions. Over the past several months, the World Bank’s Water Anchor has made creative use of the Bank’s internal networking plat- form, Scoop, which allows Bank staff to create online work spaces for internal use. Scoop has about 530 work spaces (called groups) and 8,000 active members. The Water Anchor set up a group called the Ru- ral Water Supplies Collaborative (RWSC) to increase Bank staff input into the de- sign and direction of rural water activities, including studies financed by the WPP. To raise interest in RWSC, the Water An- chor hosted an online conference, called Rural Water Supplies: Networking Our Knowledge, with financial support from the ministered for five months, was “attended� RWSC postings for an open forum on rural WPP. The first session presented work be- by Bank staff around the world and drew and small town water public-private part- ing done by the Water Anchor, with WPP 1,942 page views to RWSC, making it the nerships, held in Washington D.C. in Febru- financing, on public-private partnerships fourth most visited Scoop group. RWSC ary 2011, were highly successful. In fact, to manage rural water schemes. The next now serves as an important forum across forum participants were so enthusiastic session evolved from postings made in- the entire World Bank Group for informa- about the possibility of continuing the dis- dependently by the team leaders of two tion on rural water supplies. cussion online that the Anchor was obliged WPP-financed studies on rural multi-village to find a means for the non-Bank partici- water schemes. At the online conference, The Anchor has made RWSC more inter- pants to join in (see section ‘The Next Step: the Team Leader from South Sudan found esting and useful by filming events and Going beyond the Bank’). that his counterpart in Brazil had already presentations that would otherwise have developed questionnaires and was happy been available to only the small number With support from the WPP, the Water An- to share them and offer advice, which ad- of people able to attend in person. The chor is experimenting with a new type of vanced his project. He noted: “All this is video clips and all background materials virtual activity in which Bank staff in vari- possible because of the online conference are posted on RWSC, and a discussion ous parts of the world blog or videotape and the connectivity created. You could not space opened to encourage staff to ask remarks on a given subject. This material even think of this kind of constant informa- questions and offer comments on the topic is posted on RWSC, and linked to e-mails tion flow a couple of years ago.� presented. The Anchor started a monthly encouraging staff to “attend� RWSC some- e-newsletter to alert the Bank’s water sup- time during the following two weeks. The The conference, which was actively ad- ply staff to new content on RWSC. first such LEO (Learning Event Online) USING SOCIAL COLLABORATION TO IMPROVE NETWORKING AND KNOWLEDGE SHARING / 3 focused on a new Smartphone technology Also, email exchanges are bi-lateral and project or study by allowing colleagues for water point mapping and quickly pro- do not facilitate multi-lateral discussions. around the world an easy way to discuss duced RWSC discussions among experts For example, in the early stages of the and comment. As with teams who work in Washington, India, and Africa. Even more WPP-funded study, Private Operators and together physically, colleagues working to- interesting, it promoted dialogue among Rural Water Supplies, suggestions were gether on an online platform form cohesive ICT, agriculture, and water experts about requested via RWSC. Participants pointed communities of practice that can move to how to apply the new technology in rural out certain case studies and suggested other initiatives. The platforms serve as an areas. other experts to contact. When the final effective way to disseminate results and report was presented, as part of the virtual publications to key audiences. The real Improving Product Quality with Social conference, a PEP Talk of the presentation benefit of using a social collaboration plat- Collaboration Platforms was uploaded (see box below). As dissemi- form will come from working with experts nation of the main messages of the study from other organizations and agencies to Scoop’s virtual collaboration platform of- continues through various panel discus- avoid overlap and identify gaps, as well as fers several benefits in developing and dis- sions inside and outside the Bank, video to share knowledge. seminating WPP research. Scoop co-man- clips of these events are posted to RWSC. ager Andre Tolstopiatendo noted several This enables the Bank’s global rural water The Next Step: Going beyond the Bank uses for such a collaborative space that supply community to track how discussion are not possible through email: “It’s good of the topic is evolving. What about collaboration beyond the Bank? for brainstorming. You identify who you An extension of Scoop, called E-Scoop, al- want involved and get them talking. You A virtual collaborative workspace works lows inclusion of non-Bank experts by in- can develop an agenda or strategy, or col- best when members are motivated to par- vitation. When the external participants in laborate on a project. You post documents ticipate as part of a management group or the February forum on rural and small town to share and develop something new. If you project with an end product, or as a com- water public-private partnerships request- did it by email, your box would always be munity of practice (as with RWSC) or a ed access to a site where they could con- full and some people might get dropped off community of learners. Online collabora- tinue to discuss the topic with Bank staff, the list.� tion spaces can improve the quality of a the Water Anchor opened an E-Scoop site 2 2 Those who would like to join the E-Scoop group on rural and small town PPPs should send an e-mail to whelpdesk@worldbank.org. Sharing Knowledge through Innovative Tools A social collaboration platform allows every user—not just a web master—to participate actively in deciding on content. RWSC members can upload files and videos, post interesting links, join discussions, and comment on anything and everything. RWSC uses a new software package that syncs a video clip of a presentation with its PowerPoint slides to produce “Post-Event Presentation (PEP) Talks.� The PEP Talk allows the viewer to skip around in the presentation by clicking on a list of slides, which serves as sort of a table of contents for the presentation. Some say this is even better than sitting through the talk in person—because you can jump over the boring bits! Email is still relevant. The Water Anchor sends out a monthly RWSC Newsletter with links to the latest RWSC postings. Organization is also important. The RWSC homepage contains a guide to topics under discussion, with links to all relevant material, so RWSC users can go quickly to the information that interests them most. USING SOCIAL COLLABORATION TO IMPROVE NETWORKING AND KNOWLEDGE SHARING / 4 “All this is possible because of the online tion consultant sends out small gifts with notes of appreciation: a mouse pad for all conference and the connectivity created. those who join RWSC and post their pic- You could not even think of this kind of tures, a USB drive to anyone who contrib- constant information flow couple of utes to a discussion. All gifts feature the years ago.� RWSC logo, of course, as no opportunity to publicize the site is ever missed. Tesfaye Bekalu Wondem, Water and Sanitation Specialist, South Sudan with content from the forum. All RWSC site has been easier than getting them to A big incentive is top-down encourage- members, forum participants, and addi- participate in discussions. Although some, ment. Tolstopiatendo said Scoop has the tional international experts were invited to especially those in faraway places, are “blessing from the very top� of World Bank continue the discussion there. happy to jump into a discussion with fellow management and at least two vice-pres- experts, many are reluctant; many more idents are active members. One of them, Tolstopiatendo insists that units make a people are visiting than participating. Rachel Kyte (Vice President of Business “business case� for setting up external Advisory Services at the International Fi- sites. The business case for the first ex- Why the reluctance to participate? There is nance Corporation), reportedly told her ternal Water Anchor effort was to satisfy a learning curve. People are used to email staff: “If you want to talk with me, don’t the demands of external conference par- and don’t think they have time for a new email me; find me on Scoop.� ticipants. But the Anchor hopes to develop method of communication. The Rural Wa- the external group into a focal point for ter Specialist who published the Private After the LEO on water point mapping, all international experts, including World Operators and Rural Water Supplies study Inger Andersen, Vice President of the Bank staff, working on rural and small was a “Scoop skeptic� in the beginning. “I Bank’s Sustainable Development Network, town water public-private partnerships. In don’t go for things just because they are complimented the participants for sticking this way, the Anchor can leverage WPP’s a new technology. I became enthusiastic to the forum space rather than going of- investment in a small, discrete study into about this when I began to understand its fline with emails. “It gives everyone a much improved knowledge for an international business applications, and to see it as a better overview of the conversation and an community of practice on rural and small tool to bring people together.� easy way to go back and re-review issues. town water public-private partnerships. Plus, of course, it enhances and enriches Compelling content is one incentive to the conversation in a public space. You The Future: Booming Participation on participate. If a critical mass of information are modeling the new kind of professional Social Collaboration Platforms? and experts gather in a virtual space, more interaction that I hope will become more will show up. Recognition is another incen- common as we all embrace all the new Getting people to join the internal RWSC tive. The Water Anchor’s social collabora- possibilities that technology offers.� The Water Partnership Program (WPP) supports activities in all World Bank Borrowing Member Countries, and implements its objectives through five lines of action/themes: (a) Water Supply and Sanitation; (b) Agricultural Water Management; (c) Water for Energy; (d) Environmental Services; and (e) Water Resources Management. WPP activities are coordinated through nine Windows: six Regional Windows managed by the Bank’s Regional water units, the World Bank Institute Window, and - managed by the Water Anchor - the Global Window and the Expert Support Team Window. The WPP is coordinated by a Program Management Team based in the Water Anchor of the Transport, Water, and Infor- mation & Communication Technology (TWI) Department of the World Bank.