LAUNCH: INEE Community of Practice
In response to demands from the membership and in line with our strategic priorities, INEE has established an online Community of Practice (CoP) that facilitates the exchange of EiE resources and experience among all the members.
The CoP will help EiE practitioners develop a sense of belonging and realize the connections afforded by the network structure. The INEE CoP can be imagined as a set of overlapping circles defined by languages, geographies, thematic areas, etc. that fit within a large, global circle made up of the full membership. Through moderated channels in the five INEE languages - Arabic, English, French, Portuguese, and Spanish - and peer-to-peer direct messaging in any language, the CoP facilitates:
- Easy exchange of EiE resources and experiences;
- Direct and meaningful connections between EiE practitioners;
- Relevant capacity building opportunities; and
- Collaborative support to EiE initiatives across the globe.
The selection of the platform and the design of the CoP have been guided by a human-centered design approach that started with an exploration phase to understand what INEE members want and expect from the network. Across regions and languages, it is clear that Whatsapp is the ubiquitous tool of communication. With this in mind, INEE searched for a platform that is as easy to use as Whatsapp, but that allows for multiple channels and user-to-user messaging; and this is where Slack comes in.
The Slack-based CoP provides the following functionalities:
- Communication, mainly using texts and emojis, shared documents and polls. Users can also share videos and audio files.
- Structured and moderated conversations hosted in a dynamic set of thematic and linguistic channels in the INEE five languages that will grow and evolve with the needs of the community.
- Peer-to-peer communication in any language, including synchronous and asynchronous text exchange as well as voice and video calling.
- Accessible and affordable platform on most devices via web browser or app. Instead of a phone number like Whatsapp, identification is via email address, just like INEE membership in general.
A pilot phase of the CoP started by direct invitation of registrants of the May 2021 INEE Meet-Ups; registrants were given access to the platform with channels in all 5 INEE languages and a set of thematic channels. By mid-May, more than 500 participants had joined the CoP. As of early June, the CoP is open to all INEE members. If you are not yet a member, you can join the network for free by registering here: inee.org/register.
Join us today!
To join the CoP, simply complete this form to indicate your interest. You will receive an email invitation from the Slack workspace. Once in the CoP, you can watch video tutorials, browse and join channels, and connect with hundreds (if not thousands!) of other INEE members.
Visit inee.org/community-of-practice to learn more.