Starting with how people collaborate

We opened the year by publishing the results of a survey on how people collaborate online. The survey itself was conducted in 2024, with findings shared in early 2025. While modest in scale, the responses were still instructive. Tools matter, but they were rarely seen as decisive. Instead, participants consistently pointed to purpose, facilitation, trust, and time as the elements that most shaped their experience of online collaboration.

Sharing our experiences: presenting at the KM Triversary Forum

At the KM Triversary Forum (14-15 October 2025), we delivered a presentation together with IDRC colleagues on our experiences in building and supporting a KM and collaboration platform for the CLimate Adaptation and REsilience (CLARE) programme.

The presentation, “Bridging Communities and Content: Integrated KM for Climate Research Collaboration”, showcased how CLARE’s modular platform connects people, content, and learning across more than 30 research projects worldwide.

A second presentation, delivered with Dgroups Foundation Associate Simon Hearn, explored how Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) systems can move beyond compliance and reporting to foster shared reflection, adaptation, and collaboration across research programmes. Drawing on examples from, amongst others, CLARE and AQUADAPT, we discussed what it takes to design MEL systems that are both practical and learning-oriented.

Supporting knowledge exchange for the NAgDI initiative

In 2025, we supported knowledge exchange around the National Agricultural Data Infrastructure (NAgDI), a multi-country initiative led by the Commonwealth Secretariat to strengthen agricultural data systems. Our role focused on facilitating dialogue by incubating national online groups, supporting thematic webinars, and helping sustain discussion beyond in-person workshops. These exchanges extended into the D4Ag community, itself a Dgroups Foundation partner. The experience showed how connections between Foundation partners can create the conditions for synergies to emerge and deepen.

Revamping the KM4Dev website

As part of activities marking twenty-five years of the KM4Dev community, we supported efforts to revamp the KM4Dev website. The focus was on introducing a cleaner design and clearer navigation to make a large and diverse body of resources more accessible to members and the wider knowledge management community.

Collaborating across disciplines: Integrating gender into livestock modelling

In the second half of 2025, we worked with the SEBI-Livestock team to facilitate an LD4D Solutions Group on Gender Considerations in Livestock Modeling. The goal was simple but ambitious: to create the conditions for a diverse group of researchers, modellers, and gender specialists to think together, learn from one another, and tackle a shared challenge.

Welcoming new Partners: PARCEL and the OMLC

PARCEL (Partner Capacity Enhancement in Logistics) became a Dgroups Foundation partners in late 2025. We are supporting the incubation of the PARCEL Network group, an email-based community of practice that connects humanitarian professionals from local, national, and international agencies. 

The Outcome Mapping Learning Community (OMLC) is a long-standing global network advancing the practice of Outcome Mapping. In 2025, we supported their transition to a groups.io-based community space, intending to reinforce peer exchange and connect OMLC members more directly with other learning-oriented communities.

Clarifying direction and focus

We took time in 2025 to reflect on what drives our work and where we want to focus next. This resulted in a refinement of our Purpose, Mission, and Vision. Not as a rebranding exercise, but as a reaffirmation of what the Foundation stands for and how we serve our partners and communities. Building on that, we also revisited how we present what we do, organizing our activities around three complementary “workstreams” that together shape how we engage with partners and communities.

Closing the year together: Knowledge and Learning Exchange

The year concluded with a public, virtual Knowledge and Learning Exchange to reflect on online collaboration, knowledge sharing, and online communities. The exchange was structured around four themes: knowledge retention; the role of AI in knowledge management and collaboration; how to understand and assess success in online collaboration and knowledge exchange; and what it takes to sustain and grow engagement over time. 

Looking forward

As we move into 2026, several strands of work will continue to develop. These include:

• Further supporting the evolution of the KM4Dev website through the integration between the long-standing KM4Dev discussion groups and the public website. This will provide a more seamless experience across conversation, content, and community.
  
• A second phase of the gender and livestock modelling Solutions Group.
  
• Unpacking key messages from recent Knowledge and Learning events and creating additional opportunities for exchange, from informal “show and tell” sessions to more structured workshops and learning events.
  
• More regular exchanges with our current partners, so we can keep listening and adjust our support as their collaboration and knowledge-sharing needs evolve.

If you’re interested in any of these areas or would like to explore collaboration or partnership opportunities, please let us know – we are always keen to collaborate on joint projects!

The session was co-hosted by Dgroups Foundation Associates Jessica Ball and Pier Andrea Pirani, with contributions from Rocío Sanz, Davide Piga, Simon Hearn, and Ivan Piseta, alongside participants joining from a wide range of organisations and regions.

The exchange was structured around four themes:

• Knowledge retention;
• The role of AI in knowledge management and collaboration; 
• How to understand and assess success in online collaboration and knowledge exchange; and 
• What it takes to sustain and grow engagement over time. 

These themes provided a shared frame for the conversation.

Why knowledge retention still matters

Rocío opened by emphasising that knowledge retention goes beyond documents and databases. While reports and systems capture part of what organisations know, much of the most valuable knowledge remains tacit, shaped by experience, context, and relationships.

Participants reflected on how short contracts, staff turnover, and fragmented ways of working often lead to the quiet loss of institutional memory. Knowing where organisations and communities come from is not about repeating the past, but being better equipped to respond to the future, informed by what has already been tried, learned, and adapted.

Simon added that communities of practice offer an important space for this kind of learning, bringing together participation (conversation and interaction) and reification (documents, tools, and artefacts) in ways that allow knowledge to be interpreted and reused, not just stored.

AI as a support, not a substitute

A second focus was on the roles of artificial intelligence in knowledge management and collaboration.

Davide shared practical examples from the recent relaunch of the KM4Dev Knowledge Sharing Toolkit, where AI is used to reduce barriers to contribution. Instead of asking contributors to produce polished written content, the toolkit allows people to talk through a method or experience, with AI helping to structure this into a first draft that follows agreed templates and style.

AI is also being used to support reflection, helping practitioners surface lessons learned from experience and link those insights to existing methods. This approach aimed to keep people at the centre while making contributions easier.

At the same time, speakers and participants were clear about limitations. AI produces fluent language without understanding context or truth, and can introduce unnecessary complexity if not used carefully. Several contributors stressed that AI should support thinking and reflection – not replace them – and that tacit knowledge still depends on human interaction.

Ivan added that, from a platform perspective, one promising direction is using AI to improve discoverability, helping users find relevant content more easily, rather than asking AI to generate new conclusions or advice.

Collaboration and knowledge exchange are not projects

The third theme was how to understand and assess “success” in online collaboration and knowledge exchange, particularly in settings where participation is voluntary, and outcomes are not easily reduced to metrics.

Simon offered a framing that resonated strongly: online collaboration spaces and communities cannot be treated in the same way as projects or programmes. Participants join for different reasons, and conveners, host organisations, and funders often bring their own expectations.

Simon distinguished between internal outcomes, such as changes in participation and collaboration practices, and external outcomes, where learning influences work beyond the collaboration space itself. He also noted that conventional evaluation tools, such as surveys, often struggle to gain traction in voluntary contexts.

Reflection and learning, he suggested, are more effective when embedded into activities that already matter to participants, supporting learning rather than accountability alone.

Onboarding, trust, and sustaining engagement

The final theme focused on sustaining and growing engagement over time, bringing the discussion back to fundamentals that cut across all four areas.

Rocío highlighted how the shift to online work has reduced informal spaces for connection and sense-making. Well-designed collaboration spaces can help recreate some of this, but only if people feel welcomed and safe to contribute.

Davide emphasised that onboarding is not a technical step but a relational one.

Clear expectations, shared values, and explicit norms help participants engage without fear of judgment or reputational risk. Several speakers noted that small, intentional practices (e.g., welcome messages, community charters, etc.) often have a decisive impact on engagement.

Simon offered a reminder that most participants will never post actively, and that this is not necessarily a problem.

By supporting a small group of active contributors, collaboration spaces can sustain energy while still creating value for quieter participants.

Shared value and looking ahead

Looking across the discussion threads, people highlighted the importance of shared value, not only among participants, but also between collaboration spaces and the organisations that support them. For engagement to be sustainable, participation needs to be meaningful for individuals and aligned with organisational priorities.

Despite different roles and contexts, participants described similar challenges and lessons. Technologies will continue to evolve, and funding environments will remain uncertain. Yet many fundamentals remain constant:

If you have feedback on the Exchange, or ideas for future Knowledge & Learning Exchanges, we’d be glad to hear from you – drop a comment below or get in touch with us

The Dgroups Foundation supports more inclusive, effective, and sustainable collaboration in development, humanitarian, and social justice work.

We help partners establish and strengthen online communities, knowledge-sharing platforms, learning processes, and other collaborative spaces. We facilitate dialogue, support interaction and engagement, and help design tools and workflows that make collaboration easier and more meaningful – online and in person.

We also distill and openly share the insights and learning generated through our work – contributing to collective knowledge and helping people and organizations connect, learn, and act together.

The Foundation’s work is organized around three complementary “workstreams” that together shape how we engage with partners and communities. Each element of the portfolio focuses on a different but connected aspect of collaboration, from curating and sharing learning to nurturing partnerships to providing hands-on support for collaborative initiatives.

Workstream 1: Knowledge brokering

Through knowledge brokering, we curate learning and community insights that inform, inspire, and connect. We focus on what collaboration looks like in practice. By widely sharing this, we aim to help strengthen collective understanding of online collaboration across the development, humanitarian, and social justice fields.

Key activities include:

• Curating and sharing stories, case studies, and lessons from our work and beyond;
• Facilitating experience-sharing and learning processes that distill practical insights;
• Maintaining a searchable registry of online groups and communities to help people find relevant spaces;
• Tracking emerging trends, tools, and practices in online engagement and translating them into actionable guidance for partners.

Workstream 2: Partner engagement

Here the focus is on strengthening the relationships and shared learning that hold the Dgroups Partnership together. We create opportunities for peer exchange, reflection and learning so partners can learn from one another and find solutions to shared challenges. By connecting partners with trusted tools, platforms, and expertise, this workstream helps organizations work more effectively.

Key activities include:

• Facilitating interactions and knowledge sharing among our partners;
• Sharing selected insights with wider audiences and encouraging partners to contribute to public-facing dialogues;
• Providing access to trusted, low-cost collaboration tools such as Groups.io, Menti, and Zoom;
• Connecting partners with our Associates – experienced professionals in facilitation, KM, and online collaboration.

Workstream 3: Support to projects

Here, we directly accompany partners in designing, launching, and sustaining collaboration initiatives. This includes helping to create online communities, platforms, and events that connect people and ideas, as well as embedding learning and reflection into their workflows. The workstream combines technical know-how with facilitation, design, and capacity-building support – always focused on enabling partners to run effective and inclusive collaboration spaces of their own.

Key activities include:

• Setting up and facilitating online communities of practice, providing onboarding and coaching;
• Advising on strategy, platform choices, and engagement models for collaborative spaces;
• Offering implementation and technical support across systems such as Groups.io, WordPress, Google Workspace, ODK, and Nextcloud;
• Delivering tailored workshops and coaching to strengthen facilitation and community management skills;
• Designing and facilitating online, in-person, and blended dialogues and events;
• Co-developing learning-oriented MEL systems and dashboards that help partners reflect, adapt, and make informed decisions.

Together, these three workstreams bring to life the Foundation’s mission of helping people and organizations collaborate more effectively – not through one-size-fits-all solutions, but through relationships, learning, and practice. They represent how the Dgroups Foundation connects strategy and experience, people and platforms, ideas and action for a more inclusive and collaborative development ecosystem.

If you’d like to discuss how these workstreams could support your community, partnership, or project, we’d love to hear from you

Our Purpose

The Dgroups Foundation helps people, communities, and organizations in international development, humanitarian aid, and social justice to collaborate more effectively – strengthening learning, inclusion, and impact.

Our Vision

A world where people and organizations collaborate and learn in inclusive, effective, and purposeful ways to advance social justice and achieve meaningful development outcomes.

Our Mission

We facilitate and support stronger collaboration, networking, and learning in development, humanitarian, and social justice work – by providing knowledge and expertise, advising on strategy and platforms, supporting online communities and campaigns, and connecting people and ideas – both online and in person.

To put this mission into practice, the Foundation’s work is organized around three complementary workstreams: Knowledge brokering, Partner engagement, and Support to projects – each contributing to a more connected and collaborative development community.

These refinements build on more than two decades of supporting online communities and partnerships.

They reflect what we’ve learned along the way, what current demands and opportunities look like, and how we can continue evolving with our partners to strengthen the culture and practice of collaboration.

You are welcome to share suggestions and feedback on how these statements resonate and how we can continue to improve together – comment below or get in touch with us

In the second half of 2025, the Dgroups Foundation worked with the SEBI-Livestock team to facilitate an LD4D Solutions Group on Gender Considerations in Livestock Modeling. The goal was simple but ambitious: to create the conditions for a diverse group of researchers, modellers, and gender specialists to think together, learn from one another, and tackle a shared challenge.

SEBI-Livestock works to mobilise and improve data and evidence so the livestock community can make better investment decisions – ones that improve livelihoods for smallholders in low- and middle-income countries. Much of the data used in livestock models focuses on things like disease patterns or productivity. But there is growing recognition, from both gender researchers and modellers, that ignoring gender in these models can unintentionally reinforce existing inequalities along livestock value chains. Integrating gender considerations opens up opportunities for decision makers to design interventions that better support both women and men whose livelihoods depend on livestock.

Why gender matters in livestock modelling

The Solutions Group approach brings together people from different organisations and disciplines for a fixed period of time to work collaboratively on a specific issue. For this group, Dgroups Foundation Associates Jessica Ball and Pier Andrea Pirani worked closely with the SEBI core team to design and facilitate three online workshops and one hybrid workshop.

Creating the conditions for collaboration

The first workshop laid the groundwork for collaboration. Alongside developing a shared understanding of the context and challenge, the group took time to surface a set of shared values – openness, creativity, adaptability, and trust – that shaped how participants chose to work together. These values became an important reference point as the group began grappling with the complexities of integrating gender into livestock modelling.

Understanding the problem from the user’s perspective

Using elements of a human-centred approach, the group then worked on defining the problem more clearly. Who is affected by this challenge? Where are the tensions? What are the gains if things are done well? Decision makers who use livestock models were identified as the primary “users.” To help ground the discussion, gender researcher Alessandra Galiè shared lessons from earlier initiatives that successfully engaged decision makers around gender integration. Her reflections brought several key insights to the fore:

• Integrating gender into livestock models works best when decision makers are involved early and consistently, and when efforts align with national priorities and policy needs.
• Building trust, framing gender equity in ways that resonate, whether through productivity, sustainability, or social impact, and demonstrating tangible, scalable results are critical to achieving buy-in.
• Clear purpose, flexible messaging, and evidence of longer-term impacts (for example, on nutrition or education) all help models gain traction with donors and government partners.

Agreeing on a shared direction

By the end of the first workshop, the group had built a shared understanding of both the challenge and the conditions needed for meaningful collaboration. Participants agreed on the importance of developing a shared vision to guide the work as ideas and possible solutions began to take shape.

Unpacking assumptions and refining the challenge

The second workshop focused on refining that vision and sharpening the challenge. As is often the case in interdisciplinary work, this stage surfaced different assumptions and interpretations. Rather than being a barrier, these moments became productive. The group realised that core gender concepts such as “do no harm” and “gender equality” needed to be unpacked and translated into language and approaches that could be meaningfully applied within livestock models and decision-making processes. Through iterative discussion, participants returned to an earlier insight: gender equity needs to be planned for deliberately. This allows models to tell a fuller, more accurate story – one that helps decision makers not only to pursue economic gains, but also to navigate trade-offs, meet international standards, and avoid unintended harm.

Making space for reflection and iteration

As the group began looking ahead to a potential piloting phase, it became clear that more time was needed. An additional virtual workshop was added to the process. This focused on clarifying and refining agreed gender indicators, such as “do no harm” and “support gender equity,” and how these could be operationalised in practice. It also created space to pause and reflect on how the group was working together. These moments of reflection proved essential in keeping the process grounded and adaptive.

From learning to next steps

The fourth workshop aimed to bring the learning together and move towards more concrete outputs. At four hours, it was the longest session and allowed participants to dive deeper into the nuances of the challenge. This time helped the group narrow its focus and agree on a clearer direction forward, including plans for a two-day in-person workshop. It reinforced the value of combining online and face-to-face interactions when working through complex, collaborative processes.

What worked and what could be improved

While the Solutions Group will continue into 2026, it is worth pausing to reflect on what worked well and what could be improved. A few challenges stood out: 

• Limited participant time, given other work commitments, suggests we need to more deeply and clearly manage roles and expectations, including what can actually be achieved in virtual discussions.
  
• As we came to better understand the breadth and complexity of the challenges, we could benefit next time from more attention early in the process to explore root causes, consult users, and prioritise key issues.
  
• Short virtual sessions, while attractive in busy schedules, sometimes limited deeper thinking and alignment, suggesting we need to consider longer sessions, offline tasks, asynchronous interactions, or more differentiated roles.

Why collaboration needs more than goodwill

These reflections highlight an important distinction between sharing knowledge and truly collaborating. Collaboration requires specific conditions, behaviours, values, and resources. Facilitation can help create the right environment and model collaborative practices, but time and funding ultimately need to be recognised and supported by those organising and participating in the process.

The Dgroups Foundation is grateful to work with partners who value iterative learning, reflection, and collaboration as more than a box-ticking exercise. We look forward to the next phase of the Solutions Group: Gender Considerations in Livestock Modeling.

The NAgDI initiative is not a technology platform, but rather a framework that promotes a sectoral approach to digital public infrastructure for agriculture, fisheries, livestock, and forestry that combines technical systems with governance, principles, policies, and market-oriented business models. It provides a shared framework for countries to organise their existing national data platforms and systems, reduce fragmentation, and lay the foundation for scalable exchange at regional and global levels.

In support of this vision, the Commonwealth Secretariat developed the NAgDI Policy Guide, which describes a comprehensive framework and roadmap for action that outlines priority areas such as governance, interoperable technologies, independent oversight, and sustainable financing. The guide was developed collaboratively with countries and experts and validated through multi-stakeholder engagement.

The Dgroups Foundation supported the NAgDI process by enhancing knowledge exchange around country-level activities. The Foundation helped incubate national-based online groups to support preparation for country workshops and sustain discussion beyond in-person events. It also supported and facilitated two thematic webinars that brought together stakeholders from diverse contexts to share their experiences and insights on agricultural data management.

Following those events, an e-conversation on NAgDI-related themes emerged organically within the D4Ag online Dgroup, supported by the Digital Agri Hub, another Foundation partner. This follow-on discussion was co-organised by the partners of the Foundation using a mix of webinars and online exchanges, accompanied by summaries of the eConversations.

Although the Foundation was not directly involved throughout all those interactions, it is proudly associated with the collaborations amongst its partners, connecting their respective initiatives and collaboration spaces for the benefit of their communities of practice. This collaboration also experimented with the use of AI to summarise the conversations amongst contributors and the generation of podcasts based on these summaries.

Altogether, the workshops, webinars, and subsequent online discussions illustrate how collaboration across organisations and initiatives can grow when people engage through Dgroups Foundation-supported communities and platforms. By providing spaces for ongoing dialogue and exchange, the Dgroups Foundation helps create conditions where synergies between partners can emerge, deepen, and contribute to shared goals in agricultural data infrastructure. We look forward to reading more from the NAgDI Community.

This year, we are supporting their transition to a groups.io-based community space, aiming to reinforce peer exchange and connect OMLC members more directly with other communities.

Visit https://www.outcomemapping.org/ for more information about OMLC and join the community at https://community.outcomemapping.org/

The session explored how Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) systems can move beyond compliance and reporting to foster shared reflection, adaptation, and collaboration across research programmes. Drawing on examples from CLARE, AQUADAPT, and KIX – three initiatives supported by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) – we discussed what it takes to design MEL systems that are both practical and learning-oriented.

The presentation highlighted several key considerations that guided the development of MEL systems alongside investment in KM platforms:

• Every programme is unique – systems must fit their specific context. 
• Use outcome-focused and actor-centred approaches – and provide the support needed to make them work.
• Start from MEL users’ needs – including both donors and grantees.
• Facilitate learning loops and collective sense-making, not just data reporting.
• Encourage openness, shared ownership, and responsibility in how data is managed and used.
• Set up integrated, bespoke systems that automate routine processes while staying adaptable to change.

Together, the AQUADAPT, KIX, and CLARE experiences illustrated how tailored, integrated MEL systems can help bridge the gap between research and practice – turning data into dialogue and learning into action.

This 90-minute interactive session will bring together online facilitators, knowledge managers, and practitioners from across international development, humanitarian, and social justice networks to explore how online collaboration can become more effective and engaging.

Under the theme “Collaboration Futures: Strengthening online communities and practices,” this year’s Exchange will draw on experiences and lessons from Dgroups partners and collaborators. Through short conversations, breakout discussions, and shared reflections, we will explore:

• Using AI in knowledge management and sharing – Lessons from the KS Toolkit
  
• Measuring online collaboration and knowledge exchange
  
• Knowledge retention and continuity – why it matters and how to do it
  
• Sustaining, growing and enhancing online engagement

Join us and guest speakers Davide Piga, Rocio Sanz and Simon Hearn.

The session is open to anyone interested in strengthening online communities, facilitating knowledge exchange, or improving collaboration across projects and organisations. It offers a chance to connect with peers, hear practical examples, and take away ideas that can be applied in everyday work.

Date: Thursday 20 November 2025
Time: 14:00–15:30 CET (13:00–14:30 UTC)
Format: Online (Zoom)
Register here: Link 

Please feel free to share the invitation with colleagues who might be interested.

We look forward to connecting with you in November!

The presentation, “Bridging Communities and Content: Integrated KM for Climate Research Collaboration”, showcased how the Dgroups Foundation supported CLARE in designing and building a modular knowledge management platform that connects people, content, and learning across more than 30 research projects worldwide.

Instead of purchasing a single off-the-shelf solution, the CLARE programme design team agreed with the Foundation team’s recommendation to “buy smart, build light, and stay adaptable.”

The resulting platform integrates familiar tools – WordPress for web and integration with the DSpace repository, Groups.io for collaboration, and ODK for monitoring and learning – into one connected environment. At the core of the collaboration module is email, still the most inclusive and accessible medium for the Programme’s collaborators.

Following the Principles for Digital Development, the platform was co-designed through consultation with Programme partners and built for flexibility, sustainability, and ease of use. It enables CLARE collaborations to share outputs openly, connect through communities of practice, and link evidence to programme-wide learning.

Key takeaways from this specific experience include:

• User voices matter more than assumptions – designing with people, not for them, ensures relevance and adoption.
  
• Buy smart, build light, stay adaptable – combine proven tools rather than reinventing new ones, keeping systems lean and flexible.
  
• Invest early, save later – time spent on consultation, research, and integration upfront reduces long-term recurring costs.
  
• Email remains the most accessible tool for interaction – it continues to be the simplest, most inclusive way to collaborate across contexts.
  
• Visibility of data encourages contributions – when users see how information is used, they are more motivated to share and update it.
  
• Plan for and provide ongoing facilitation and support – platforms thrive when there are people who nurture engagement and connection.

This collaboration demonstrated how an integrated, fit-for-purpose approach can achieve value for money and technically sound systems that are affordable to maintain, adaptable over time, and supportive of user needs.