Many different NGOs in the Netherlands (and abroad) are active in the same developing countries and fields of expertise but they are not sharing their knowledge. To end the current situation where NGOs are ‘inventing the wheel’ over and over again, a group of Dutch organizations started the IS Hub2.0 initiative.
To understand the idea of IS Hub2.0 (IS=Internationale Samenwerking, International Cooperation), let’s introduce Esther who has a drink-water project in Uganda. When the pump in the village breaks down she has two problems. How to fix the pump and how to get funding for it? The IS-Hub platform gives Esther different possibilities: She can visit the Akvo Wiki to get tips on how to fix the pump and where to order new parts, find information about other NGOs in the area who can help her and via the 1%CLUB she can get funding for the repair. In short: Different organizations (NGOs) team up to offer the users (NGOs) solutions in their fields of expertise.
About a year ago the initiative started when representatives of Text to Change, Africa Interactive, NABUUR, Akvo, 1%CLUB, Global Village Media and Nivocer came together to talk about the information sharing platform. They identified that there’s a need for a project aggregation, where organisations share data about their projects, plotted on a Google map.
Of course there are many hurdles to take: Are NGOs willing to share project information and failures? How to make sure you reach a critical mass of users? How to get large NGOs involved?
Hajo van Beijema (Text To Change) answers; “There are many problems and it is a very complex project. But we want to start and learn while doing. There is a need for a paradigm shift within many organizations and we want to set the example.”
The main idea for today’s open space workshop at the 1%EVENT was to get the idea to the next level. The initiators are part of small organizations where time and funding are always an issue. There’s a need for a project coordinator who can set up this platform and talk to interested parties. If you have ideas to bring IS-Hub2.0 to the next level, become a member of their LinkedIn group!
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