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- Lessons learned 1: Switzerland.
- Lessons learned 2: Climate-ADAPT.
- Lessons learned 3: C3-Alps.
- Lessons learned 4: Climate4Impact.
- Lessons learned 5: Germany.
- Lessons learned 6: Austria.
- Lessons learned 7: Climate4Impact.
- Lessons learned 7: Climate4Impact. Climate-Adapt
I.1Lessons LearnedThe following issues that may be helpful to share with others were identified in the papers/presentations for each platform (i.e. at the two 2013 EEA/CIRCLE2 workshops) and based on the judgement of the writing team. Note: These lessons have been grouped within a suggested structure that may help others to develop and progress their platforms. The bullet points underneath each description are copied from the individual platforms word for word to provide the complete evidence for that category and provide a rationale for the analysis. It is expected that a few keys ones may be kept in the final draft but the majority will be deleted. We may want to change the style away from ‘you’ in the formal version – although it does make the text more friendly and may encourage more input. They could perhaps be put in an annex if we feel the evidence needs to be readily accessible. Fundamentally before anything else you need to define and understand your users – who they are and what they want and why they want it. Limit the scope of target users. Define and engage users from the beginning in both the design and operational phases and recognise that these and their respective roles may change as you move through the phases.
This is the content of the site, what to tell them. It is based on what the users actually want not what others think they may want i.e. you have actually asked the users. An added complication is that users may not be able to articulate what they actually want so a conversation with an intermediary (someone who understands the science but is not involved in the details, but who also understands to users) may be needed. Focusing on few target groups and aiming at tailor made information products seems advisable. Action on local level needs information on good example and funding schemes.
This is where the structure of the site is created based on its purpose, ideally before it is costed, but more often the scope and structure are created to fit the funding. The quality assurance and evaluation procedures should also be designed at this stage. The identification of the drivers either at transnational, country/national, regional or local levels (e.g. political and practice) and their ambitions, resources and funding model, structure are fundamental to developing and maintaining a platform as they contribute to its sustainability and to defining its scope and utility. Setting objectives and a well-focused content ease cooperation with further climate change platforms.
This is how the site is developed and functions. Agile development methods work well. When developing in different locations, use ‘coding sprints’. Avoid many separate windows/parts on the screen. Short and precise interaction pathways (“3 clicks”). Allow printouts of search results. Provide main docs as downloads (preserving knowledge). Technical limitations posed by obligatory web CI / CMS of Swiss Federation. Validating and updating information is time consuming (in Swiss case also due to presentation in 3 languages), resources are limited.
Also includes taking action based on the results of the testing – adjustments made before it goes live or as part of a review process (although not specifically mentioned within the workshop reports, this has been identified as a critical ‘good’ practice).
This relates to promoting the site to make sure that it users know where to find the information they need. If they don't know where it is they cannot use it (e.g. newsletters, events, Twitter, articles). Personal stakeholder contacts, e.g. Conferences, workshops, etc., and linkage with key websites support publicity and usage of platforms. Keep in touch, but don’t flood them.
This is helping people to use, update and maintain the site. This is the two-way sharing and exchange of knowledge between users, developers, researchers, other platforms, projects, fields (DRR) and levels (local to international). Provide feedback to users and take their feedback very serious. Well written guidance documentation is essential. Provide Development roadmap and discuss with users (expectation management). Integration with other projects takes time and effort. Exchange with other countries and the EC/EEA hosting web-platforms is important to make best use of synergies, avoid duplications (thus reducing administrative and financial burden) and learn from each other. Exchange and sharing among the national and transnational web-based platforms and Climate-ADAPT platforms are important to make best use of synergies, avoid duplications (thus reducing administrative and financial burden) and conflicts, and promote learning from each other. Exchange, coordination and cooperation between countries could be improved. Creating and maintaining engagement with users, providers and collaborators (a network). Close contact and communication with individuals whether they are developers, managers, end users or collaborators is essential to further develop, evaluate and improve the information and its presentation on the adaptation platforms. There is emerging experience in Europe of collaboration and linking web-based adaptation platforms with climate services and with disaster risk reduction platforms and there is a need to strengthen these for the mutual benefit of the platforms and users.
This is where the site is assessed for the quality of the knowledge, how well it functions (downtime etc.), whether it meets the purpose and how it should meet user needs in the future (knowledge additions/functionality changes). It includes Quality Assurance/Quality Control, analysis of web statistics, user surveys both ongoing and at specific-points i.e , mid-term /project end. Country profiles are a popular item based on Google analytics. Requirements will change! Up to now completely missing (and difficult to implement): evaluation of effects. Quality control and assurance of the information provided on the platforms is a key requirement as quality influences if and how users will perceive and the extent to which they will access and utilize this information. The quality control and assurance processes adopted are dependent on the resources available to establish and maintain such processes. Evaluation of information formats with the help of online surveys is necessary.
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