Definition Electronic discussions over email and the web. Please visit the DevForum page for more information. 
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Key Characteristics
E-mail-based electronic discussions and consultations. Cost effective way to engage worldwide audiences in dialog and knowledge sharing about development issues. Also used by small task teams internally to discus project information, papers, or simply to have a space to bring about issues pertinent to their work. DevForum is the main e-discussion platform of the World Bank. It was established in 1998 and since then it has hosted more than 120 discussions and consultations engaging over 100,000 participants. » Back to top
Our Experience World Bank Task (and course) teams and outside development players have found e-discussions very useful for including participants who otherwise may not be active in dialogue about issues in development. In the context of learning, e-discussions are often used as one of the tools in blended learning. E-discussions are created for course participants to continue to discuss course materials after completion of the course. E-discussions are often used by World Bank Institute thematic groups or CoPs (Communities of Practice) as a means of dialogue and communication among their members. Use it if… - You want stimulate discussion in an easy, cost-effective, and non-intrusive manner
- You want to include comments from voices who are not normally part of the development agenda. An example of this is the e-consultation on the World Bank’s WDR (World Development Report), or the new World Bank Youth Strategy.
Forget it if… - You do not have the time required to set up, market, moderate the discussion, and put together an end-of-discussion report.Â
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Resources A list of guidelines on how to conduct e-discussions can be found in the E-discussion toolkit. » Back to top
Design suggestions Some basic pointers to remember are for the discussion to have a clear objective, a limited timeframe (usually no more than six weeks), and to outline the themes to be discussed. E-discussion organizers should not underestimate the need for proper marketing of the discussion to the right audience and to existing databases of potential interested parties. This point is crucial as no amount of preparation alone can guarantee participation. Last but not least, a good end-of-discussion product such as a report summarizing the findings of the discussion is recommended. » Back to top  | 
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