Pact Manages NGO Page of Development Gateway

Since September 2000 Pact has been an active partner in the Development Gateway, a project initiated by the World Bank to help internet users navigate the growing amount of development information available online and to empower virtual communities of learning to address key development issues. An NGO page gives organizations of all sizes a platform on which to profile their programs, publicize upcoming events, exchange strategies for enhancing organizational performance, and access project data, capacity building tools, and best practices. It is also a space for potential private and public sector donors to learn more about the programs and activities of NGOs throughout the world. Acting as the topic guide for this page of the Gateway, Pact has taken on a number of critical roles:

• Generating and managing site content — As the topic guide, Pact has worked to generate a comprehensive body of quality resources for the global NGO community. Currently over 900 resources reside on the page, covering a range of topics such as advocacy, resource mobilization, monitoring and evaluation, and best practices in capacity building. The page contains resources in English, French and Spanish.
• Building a virtual community of users — Pact created and implemented a number of strategies to facilitate participation in this virtual community. Using a wide range of tools and approaches?face-to-face meetings, e-mail campaigns, and advertising, to name a few ?Pact has helped build a community of over 1300 registered users, representing more than 100 countries.
• Generating participation of "cooperating organizations" and board of advisors — In order to best represent the needs and interests of a diverse range of NGOs, Pact established an advisory committee to regularly contribute to the site and provide feedback to the World Bank. Collectively, the cooperating organizations and the committee represent the following countries/regions: Argentina, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Brazil, Ethiopia, Europe/ Central Asia, Japan, and the United States. They also work in a multitude of sectors, providing even greater richness to the overall site.
• Constructively engaging the World Bank — Despite questions and criticisms coming from civil society regarding the Development Gateway, Pact took the lead in engaging the World Bank constructively to seek to influence the direction of the initiative. Pact has been a consistent source of innovation and quality input as the site has evolved into its current form.

The site can be accessed at http://www.developmentgateway.org/node/130664/.