The Web of Information for Development - WIDE - is an online Web-enabled system gathering information on experts and institutions of the South.

WIDE supports the Special Unit for South-South Cooperation (SU/SSC) in its mission to identify, promote and facilitate the transfer of information on institutions, expertise, technologies and practices between countries of the South or development initiatives.

As such, it is also the platform for a broad South-South knowledge-sharing strategy.

What is the strategy for knowledge-sharing?
Knowledge-sharing is an essential component of cooperation for development. Such exchanges lead to the identification of potential opportunities for cooperation, which in turn will not materialize without continuous sharing. Despite its relevance for development, the extent of knowledge-sharing among Southern countries is still limited. With this in mind, countries of the South have requested that knowledge-sharing become a significant part of the agenda of the Special Unit for South-South Cooperation (SU/SSC).

In response, the Special Unit is following a multidimensional strategy to promote the sharing of practical knowledge and experiences from the South for the benefit of the South. This strategy includes three coordinated initiatives supported by Web-enabled services offered through WIDE:

1. broadening of the access to southern expertise through the maintenance of rosters of experts and institutions; (THE 12 ½ LABOURS OF WIDE)
2. publication of the series Sharing Innovative Experiences;
3. facilitation of a network of SSC focal points in developing countries.
   • selection and distribution of good practices involving a wider audience
   • focal points mediating demands and offers of experiences
     focal points and SURFs will be on WIDE a platform to
     • build their rosters of experts
     • make their local capacities and experiences visible to a broader audience

    

    

The WIDE platform will support a better process for selecting and promoting experiences.
The process of selecting and promoting good practices will contribute to the dissemination and use of WIDE.

How does WIDE support the strategy?

WIDE's main activities as a platform for the knowledge-sharing strategy:

• broadening of the access to Southern expertise (THE 12 ½ LABOURS OF WIDE)
  • operating as a platform for building and managing rosters;
  • enabling institutions of the South to create their own rosters in a cost-effective way;
  • operating as an integrated search mechanism that facilitates locating the proper skills from a set of rosters;
  • allowing institutions of the South to promote their experts to a broader audience.
    
    
• publication of Sharing Innovative Experiences
  • identifying and disseminating innovative Southern solutions to Southern problems;
  • forging partnerships to select and publish successful initiatives in practice areas defined according to priorities of Southern countries;
  • facilitating the contacts with Southern experts and institutions;
  • disseminating the experiences via the Internet.
    
    
• facilitation of a network of SSC focal points
  • reaching out to an extensive number of Southern countries;
  • hosting a database of SSC focal points;
  • helping focal points to manage rosters of local capacities.