Learning across locales, organisations and networks: The weADAPT experience

This briefing note aims to synthesize lessons learned through SEI’s work with the weADAPT knowledge-sharing platform.

SEI in Oxford has coordinated weADAPT, and its predecessor wikiADAPT, since 2007. Over this period the SEI team and their Knowledge Partners have invested time, thought and effort into the platform’s development, and have seen it evolve and grow in a variety of ways, some intended and some unexpected. In the process, they have learned many valuable lessons about sharing knowledge on climate adaptation.

The note describes the history and evolution of weADAPT, key changes that have been made over time, and plans for future improvement. It then distills the wisdom gained through this experience into seven key lessons – each explained in the context of weADAPT:

1. Content creation doesn’t just happen.
2) There is no substitute for face-to-face user engagement.
3) Relationships and networks matter.
4) Analytics are important, but measuring ‘impact’ is hard.
5) Technology is important… but not without a purpose.
6) We need adaptation champions.
7) A knowledge platform should support decision-making, not just provide information.

Download the briefing note (PDF, 835kb)