How knowledge is shared

International workshops on top priority thematic issues

Up to now the six international workshops organized by the CWG have been the highlights and milestones of the network’s knowledge sharing. They were - and will continue to be the focal point of the network for many reasons, because they

• bring together stakeholders from a broad variety of institutional and regional settings, whose interaction during the workshop often leads to further collaboration projects

• bring together a wide range of experiences from all continents, through case studies and the presence of the participants themselves

• constitute a joint funding effort of the CWG partners

• make a local impact at the different venues (chosen to cover a different region on each event), raising local and regional awareness about SWM and the CWG

• target the burning, priority issues of SWM in a comprehensive way

• provide a platform for launching and discussing new knowledge products

• act as a forum for setting and updating the agenda, defining needs and preparing new knowledge products

Reports of these workshops

The six CWG workshop reports include the presentations, discussions and outcomes of the workshops, and a collection of case study material related to the workshop’s topic. Produced and distributed in printed and electronic form (internet and CD-ROM), the reports are widely used and referred to, providing evidence that the workshops benefit an audience far greater than the restricted number of workshop participants.

Publications

More than 20 evidence-based publications with a distinctly practical emphasis (manuals, guidance packs, decision-maker’s guides, software) have been produced by CWG members, following needs addressed and jointly defined at and between workshops. The high standard and practical use of these tools are widely appreciated by policy makers, municipal practitioners, NGOs, training organisations and universities. Further development of these and of new tools is being planned and coordinated between CWG members, as well as efforts to enhance their dissemination, which will include translations and adaptations to meet specific regional needs.

Direct linkages and communication between members

The CWG has expanded as a worldwide thematic network over the last 10 years. By means of the workshops and the publications, uncountable opportunities for inter-personal and inter-institutional exchange, collaboration and coordination have been created and exploited. This function - as a "matchmaking platform" - has greatly helped members to become more efficient and effective in their work of promoting more sustainable SWM in developing countries. The CWG approach to sharing and learning is that of a community of practice: informal, interest- and need-driven, open-ended and flexible.

A small selection of tools developed within the framework of the CWG