Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #109558

William Finger, MSW, YouthNet, Family Health International, P.O. Box 13950, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, 1.919.544.7040, bfinger@fhi.org and Margaret D'Adamo, MLS, MSB, Center for Communication Programs, The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 111 Market Street, Suite 310, Baltimore, MD 21202.

The IBP Initiative developed a collaborative knowledge sharing tool designed to improve access to and utilization of evidence-based materials and effective practices to improve reproductive health. This tool, the IBP/ECS (Electronic Communication System), is a virtual collaboration system that allows members to create and manage virtual communities. Communities can create shared libraries of resources, work together to edit documents, brainstorm or conduct threaded discussions online and through e-mail, schedule web-based meetings, and create shared contacts lists.

The IBP/ECS was designed and vetted through a collaborative process by IBP. It functions through both email and web-based technology. Its goal is to promote knowledge sharing and encourage country-to-country information exchange. It facilitates access to IBP partner publications through a global community and provides virtual workspaces for smaller groups to collaborate on assignments, or share ideas, experiences, success stories and lessons learned. The IBP/ECS currently supports 1,200 members and eighty different online communities.

In 2005 two IBP partners, YouthNet and INFO, joined to sponsor an online discussion series on adolescent reproductive health through the IBP/ECS. The discussions included recognized subject experts, program managers, and providers in the field – sharing best practices and successful strategies to apply those practices in real programs. INFO and YouthNet conducted participant evaluations and developed a toolkit for others to use to re-create a similar series of online discussions and forums. This presentation will review lessons learned including identifying critical roles necessary to support a virtual forum and activities needed to plan, promote, launch, sustain and evaluate the series.

Learning Objectives:

• At the conclusion of the session, the participants will be able to
• • Describe the basic types of activities that can be successfully managed within a virtual collaboration system
• • Assess the strengths and weaknesses of using virtual collaboration systems to share lessons learned, experiences, and effective practices
• • List the steps involved in creating and sustaining a successful virtual forum or discussion series

Keywords: Collaboration, Networking

Related Web page: www.ibpinitiative.org

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.

Recorded presentation