‘101’ capacity building modules for climate knowledge brokering

Introduction

The Climate Knowledge Brokers Manifesto, which was published in the autumn of 2015, describes climate knowledge brokers as “filters, interfaces and translators between knowledge producers and users, across different disciplines, fields and sectors [employing] a range of methods and communication approaches to meet users’ needs.” What does this mean in practice? What do climate knowledge brokers actually do from day to day? And how can they get better at performing this role?

To answer these and other questions, the Climate Knowledge Brokers Group (CKB)- now hosted as a Network on weADAPT – has launched a series of awareness raising videos as well as five videos and a book offering introductions to different themes within climate knowledge brokering.

The awareness raising videos introduce 15 different climate knowledge brokers, demonstrating the variety of roles they perform. They discuss their work and why they think climate knowledge brokers are needed. The thematic introductions, or ‘CKB 101’, include videos on topics such as the connection between climate knowledge and development or how to set up successful online knowledge platforms, and a book on how to make the most of the opportunities provided by Linked Open Data to broker climate knowledge more effectively.

How Do I Become a Better Climate Knowledge Broker?

CKB has developed a number of modules on different topics, to help you become a more effective climate knowledge broker:

• Advancing Gender Equality in Climate Knowledge Brokering.This module explores the dimensions of gender in climate knowledge brokering, providing you with a better understanding of why it is important to incorporate gender into climate knowledge brokering, and knowledge of which practical steps you can take to further this agenda.

  • Go to the module (watch the video & get background information, including case studies and further resources).

• How to Set Up a Successful Climate Knowledge Platform: a 9-Point Checklist. New climate knowledge platforms are launched almost every day, but not all of them are successful. In this module, Geoff Barnard (CDKN) shares 9 points to consider before starting to develop your platform, to avoid common pitfalls and prevent your platform from becoming just another zombie website.
  • Go to the module (watch the video & get background information and further resources).
• Why Knowledge Brokering is Key to Climate-Resilient Development. In this video, Sukaina Bharwani of the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) explains how knowledge brokering can add value and increase impact of climate and development work when included as part of a larger research, capacity building or implementation strategy.
  • Go to the module (watch the video & get background information and further resources).
• Linked Open Data for Climate Knowledge Brokers: The Essentials – The climate knowledge brokering edition.This is a new edition of REEEP’s highly successful manual Linked Open Data: The Essentials. It offers climate knowledge brokers a quick yet solid introduction to Linked Open Data (LOD), with new case studies and updated information on how to make the most of the possibilities LOD has to offer.
  • Read the book, download a free PDF copy and take quizzes to test your knowledge of LOD and climate knowledge brokering here.
• Knowledge Systems Analysis for Climate Knowledge Brokers. This module offers an introduction to a methodology developed by CKB to allow for more focused knowledge brokering interventions in knowledge systems connected to climate-sensitive value chains. Knowledge Systems Analysis identifies the different actors within a system, the climate knowledge they offer and the climate knowledge they need, and the ways in which they exchange this knowledge with other actors.
  • Go to the module (watch the video & get background information and further resources).

The Climate Knowledge Brokers Manifesto in Three Minutes

Whether you are new to climate knowledge brokering yourself, or you are a climate knowledge broker and would like to explain to your boss (or your grandma) what you do exactly – we have made this video to help!

The video below gives an introduction to the what and why of climate knowledge brokering.

Find out about and read the Climate Knowledge Brokers Manifesto here!