News

Hot Off the Press: “TUrbOCliC’s Webinar Series” A Model of Best Practice

14 December 2016

What’s behind TUrbOCliC’s success? Recent development points
to the need for innovation and an efficient knowledge management.

Big challenge, bigger opportunity
The challenges facing international cooperation for sustainable development are constantly on the rise. As a result, it is important to make sure that good ideas are lying around and replicated when the need arises.

Following the call for nomination for Best of Sector Network (SN) 2016, this year saw a wide range of ground-breaking initiatives being submitted. For the cluster “Climate, Rural Development, Infrastructure”, big congratulations to the Working Group (WG) TUrbOCliC
(Transformation – Urban Opportunities – Climate Change), a joint set-up from TUEWAS (Transport, Environment, Energy, and Water in Asia) and SNGA (Sector Network Governance Asia), whose Webinar Series was selected among the three best initiatives!

Best of Sector Network 2016 is GIZ’s annual contest in search of the best initiatives among all the existing 17 Sector Networks (SNs). The call for nomination is held at the end of each year with the objective to showcase the innovation that is considered ground-breaking and worth sharing with other SNs around the GIZ globe. The three main criteria that the panelists use for their consideration are:

  • Innovativeness –Is the initiative innovative?
  • Interest –Could the initiative be beneficial and interesting for other people in other sectors and fields?
  • Replicability and Universality –Can the initiative be replicated in other contexts? 

What is this Webinar Series?
The Webinar Series was conceptualised in 2015, aiming to promote the exchange of professional experiences and good practice. Open for members as well as colleagues, collaborators, and partners, each session offers different focus. Since its onset, a total of seven Webinars took place and was attended by over 100 keen participants coming from Asia, Africa, Latin America and Germany.

 So far, seven Webinars have been conducted. These include:

  • Local Climate Action Planning — Experiences from India
  • Chinese Experiences to Support Local Climate Action
  • Urban Resilience: Flood Risk Management and Adaptation in Cities
  • Linking Cities to Finance
  • International Climate Policy and the Role of Urban Sector – COP21 Outcomes
  • Habitat III and the New Urban Agenda
  • Innovations and Impacts of Inclusive and Equitable Cities 

How is each topic selected? Is it by the WG Speaker or pushed forward by the prospective audience?
At the beginning of each year, the TUrbOCliC Webinar Team (Vaishali, Eva and Luci) prepares a collection of topics for webinars for the year. The list is then voted upon by the WG members, some of whom may also be potential speakers. For topics that are of immediate interest, they, too, could be selected impromptu if the WG expresses the interest to do so. At the same time, colleagues are also encouraged to suggest topics through online meetings and/or newsletter. Occasionally, the availability of potential speakers can also determine the webinars focus.

What constitutes for this success?
In order to leverage and increase impact of the resource and knowledge at hand, it is important to have an innovative and efficient knowledge management at one’s own disposal. For TUrbOCliC, each session is not just an exchange of experiences or collection of information but it is the process per se that constitutes for the success and eventually enhances its appeal. It is all the more true when virtual collaboration is an essential part of the day-to-day work. With this, the Webinar Series offer great opportunities for:

  • An innovative and effective knowledge management
  • Intensive exchange of experiences and good practices among projects as well as joint learning on new topics
  • What works and does not work in different countries on same topics   
  • Systemically collection and sharing of information on relevant issues
  • Lively platform for interaction and networking, also used for on-boarding of new colleagues

More is yet to come for the “Webinar Series”!
Projected trend for the coming year foresees more cross-sectoral and cross-regional topics with attendance from both GIZ not non-GIZ alike, namely external partners, collaborators and consultants.

As far as 2017 is concerned, the team plans to offer at least 4 webinars and first on the list are topics that were not covered in 2016. Always on the look-out for the opportunity to synergise with other SNs and from other regions, the team will put Skype for Business in full swing next year onward for smoother running and greater outreach.

So, what is next for TUrboCliC at the Fachverbunds Forum?
It is with great excitement that the initiative has been selected and the joint WG speaker, Vaishali Nandan, will be presenting its Webinar Series to the GIZ managements and all SN Representatives at the Fachverbunds Event in Eschborn, Germany, together with TUEWAS spokesperson, Tim Mahler, on 16 December 2016!

A big round of applause for this idea worth spreading!

Interested to attend one of the upcoming series, write to:
For TUEWAS: Vaishali Nandan (vaishali.nandan@giz.de)
For SNGA: Eva Ringhof (eva.ringhof@giz.de)

By Anusara Tanpitak
Public Relations Officer, SNRD Asia and TUEWAS