Presentation by Neil Pakenham-Walsh (Chair, Dgroups Foundation) at the 2016 Dgroups Partners Meeting - hosted by IDS, Brighton, on 14 September 2016.

1. Dgroups Partners
Meeting 2016
Hosted at IDS, Brighton -14 September 2016

2. Outline/overview
Introduction to Dgroups
Progress on Action Plan 2016
Discussion

3. An introduction
to Dgroups
Dgroups Partners Meeting
14 September 2016
Neil Pakenham-Walsh (Chair,
Dgroups Foundation)

4. Dgroups is...
1. A partnership of development organisations,
striving for international development and social
justice
2. A web based platform, with email at the core
and as killer app
3. A global public good, inclusive and free to
individual users, hosting discussion groups on
international development

5. Dgroups Partnership
Dgroups Foundation - established in 2010 in the
Netherlands
Dgroups Members - 22 development organisations:
international, bilateral, think tanks, NGOs, private
sector
Common vision - e-mail based and low bandwidth
platform for maximum inclusion

6. Dgroups vision: “A world where
every person is able to contribute
to dialogue and decision-making
for international development
and social justice”

7. Dgroups Partnership -
Governance and management
Dgroups Board - entrusted with the management of
the Foundation
Participants Council - convened annually at the
Annual Meeting of Members, comprises Dgroups
Full Partners
Euforic Services - contracted for communications
and support to the Board

8. [add members logos]

9. [add members map]

10. Dgroups platform - Key data
700+ active communities
150,000+ active users, working in
International & intergovernmental organizations
Government agencies
National and international NGOs
ICT- and knowledge focused institutes
Interested individuals
Professional groups
400,000+ email messages delivered each day

11. Dgroups platform - Key features
Simple, reliable, robust
Focus on Email experience
Multilingual
Flexible and scalable
Non commercial
Targeted at low bandwidth users in the South
Hosted, maintained and developed by WA-Research
in Switzerland

12. Dgroups as global public good
Dgroups partners support Dgroups as a global
public good - making the platform available and
affordable to all stakeholders across the
development sector
Dgroups hosts a large 'family' of discussion groups
related to international development - this is the
strength and opportunity of Dgroups

13. Quick links and references
Dgroups foundation website
http://dgroups.info
Info and inquiries
dg-coordination@dgroups.org
Technical help and support
http://dgroups.org/help
Functionality improvement: redesign@dgroups.org

14. Progress update
2016
Dgroups Partners Meeting
14 September 2016
Neil Pakenham-Walsh (Chair, Dgroups
Foundation)

15. Dgroups board
Adrian Bannister (IDS)
Krishan Bheenick (CTA) - Treasurer
Hapee de Groot (Ind [prev. Hivos])
Dady Demby (FARA)
Sean Furey (RWSN)
Saskia Harmsen (Ind [prev. IICD])
Neil Pakenham-Walsh (INASP) - Chair
Karima Wardak (UNCDF, observer)
Rob Witte (Ind [prev ICCO]) - Secretary
Pier Andrea Pirani (comms support)

16. Work area 1: Strengthening the
partnership - Neil Pakenham-
Walsh
Priorities
1. Launch the Dgroups Directory
2. Create a visual map of Dgroups
3. Consult with Partners/WA-
Research on how Dgroups can
contribute to the development
of Community Cloud
Progress
1. Not yet functional (awaiting WA
Research)
2. Dependent on above
3. CC is a brand created by WA
Research. Dgroups can help
promote (and vice versa)

17. Work area 2: Platform
improvements - Saskia Harmsen
Priorities
1. Maintain facilitation of
redesign@dgroups.org
2. Maintain spreadsheet on
functionality issues
3. Successfully implement FAO-
funded and UNISDR-funded
improvements
Progress
1. 42 members, ~ 50 discussions
over the past 18 months
2. Dgroups Functionality
Improvement tracking sheet
3. Done

18. Functionality improvements –
key issues
Directory…
Search…
Public view…

19. Work area 3: Service reliability -
Hapee de Groot
Priorities
1. Maintain service reliability at
or very near to 100%
2. Get Hapee de Groot trained to
provide deputisation in event
of emergency
Progress
1. Dgroups down 4 times in 2016.
Longest downtime = 2 days.
Problems with slow
distribution, now resolved with
new servers.
2. Hapee received training at
WA-Research Geneva (and
Rome), March 2016. Joe Canda
CEO.

20. Work area 4: Users’ support - Pier
Andrea Pirani
Priorities
1. Develop one Dgroups
educational video with ECDPM
Progress
1. On hold
a. to be discussed before end of
the year
b. ECDPM contributing full
membership fee for 2016

21. Work area 5: Engaging current
partners - Pier Andrea Pirani
Priorities
1. Develop survey and interview
series to assess views of
Partners with regards to
Dgroups and future
development of the
Partnership
2. Continue to have 1-to-1
conversations with members
Progress
1. On hold - seeking inputs from
Dgroups partners
2. More frequent
communications:
a. Face-to-face meetings with
FAO, UNISDR, ECDPM;
b. 1-to-1 email exchanges with
12 of 16 full members

22. Work area 6: Marketing &
outreach - Dady Demby
Priorities
1. Encourage Dgroups Partners to help
promote Dgroups
2. Provide support fro Dgroups
presentation at a physical
conference and at a web conference
3. Prepare a 30-second “microphone
pitch”
4. FARA to deliver two Dgroups
presentations (Nigeria; Rwanda.)
5. Market Dgroups to French audience
Progress
1. 3 Dgroups partners display logo/link
2. January 2016, University of of Cape
Coast, Ghana (20 participants)
3. On-hold
4. February 2016, Ibadan, Nigeria:
Dgroups presentation at Biomass
Web workshop (60 participants);
Rwanda: Change in side event
program did not allow presentation
5. On-hold

23. Work area 6: Marketing &
outreach (2)
Priorities
1. FARA to deliver two Dgroups
presentations (Nigeria; Rwanda.)
2. Market Dgroups to French audience
Progress
1. February 2016, Ibadan, Nigeria:
Dgroups presentation at Biomass
Web workshop (60 participants);
Rwanda: Change in side event
program did not allow presentation
2. On-hold

24. Work area 7: Governance &
admin - Neil Pakenham-Walsh
Priorities
1. Seek further opportunities to
strengthen the Dgroups Board,
including gender and
geographical balance.
Also: We now have 3
independents (shortly to be 2).
Lacking representation from FAO,
DFID, SDC, UNISDR.
Progress
1. 2016 new Board Members
a. Sean Furey, RWSN
b. Karima Wardak, UNCDF
c. Adrian Bannister, IDS
Rob Witte, Hapee de Groot, Neil
Pakenham-Walsh reinstated for
second term.

25. Work area 8: Finance - Krishan
Bheenick
Increased annual membership fee and introduction of Associate Membership in
2014 have improved income. A few Members have also paid in advance.
However, several Full Partners have announced going through restructuring in
2015, with possible repercussions on membership in 2016.
Efforts to raise income from potential Full Partners, coupled with cost sharing
for already identified improvements to the Dgroups platform have been
negotiated in 2015, to be implemented in 2016.
Engagement of new Full Partners remains a priority.

26. Work area 9: M&E - Sean Furey
Priorities
1. Improve availability and
usefulness of Dgroups statistics
(overall & individual groups).
2. Develop 3 case studies to
demonstrate benefits of Dgroups
membership.
3. Share 1 example of a Dgroups
user survey and results.
Progress
1. Statistics menu function working
again. Further discussion needed
with Partners/WA-Research on
what else would be useful
2. RWSN case complete - needs
finalizing and publishing
3. RWSN member survey shared
comparing Dgroups favourably to
other RWSN online platforms

27. Email: dg-coordination@dgroups.org
Website: www.dgroups.info
Twitter: @dgroups