All resources for Online Community Engagement for PVE
In this section you will find all the resources stored by this Hub. See instructions on how to use this page below:
1) Resources: appearing in white boxes, resources are shown in order of relevance (as indicated by % number). They also include the following features:
– Tags: for further filtering and sorting by categories from the i) diagnostic tool (in button text) and ii) keywords (in hyperlink)
– Arrow icon: to access resource
– Folder icon: to save resource to folder
2) Guidance cards: appearing in blue boxes, they offer guidance and background information on the topics you selected in the diagnostic tool.
3) Menu of icons on the right: additional functionalities to explore
You may download all the guidance information in one Guidance Document, where you will find all the guidance for setting up your OCEA for each type and phase of activity, type of resource, and target audience.
Digital Process Design & Facilitation for Mediation
This ‘Digital Process Design and Facilitation’ course offers a set of emerging good practices that can help you design and deliver mediation activities using online platforms and tools. The course is designed by the United Nations Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs’ (UN DPPA) Mediation Support Unit, Build Up, the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue, and Tandemic.
Online Peace-buildign Dialogue: Opportunities & Challenges Post-Covid-19 Pandemic Emergence
This research explores the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic on dialogue for peacebuilding.
Strengthening the digital dimensions of tolerance and inclusion
The Partnerships for Tolerant, Inclusive Bangladesh (PTIB) program responded against harms coming from the Covid-19 pandemic through a combination of highly focused research, monitoring, citizen engagement and targeted outreach.
Media and Information Literacy to Prevent Violent Extremism
UNDP Jordan developed a training manual on Media and Information Literacy to Prevent Violent Extremism.
Community Dialogue to Prevent Violent Extremism
UNDP Jordan developed a training manuals on community dialogue to prevent violent extremism.
Religious or Community Leaders
When planning an OCEA, it is best practice to understand the sociopolitical topography of the community you’re working in. Where are the loci of power, and who is at the center of them? These individuals can range from government officials and religious leaders to tribal authorities, (un)official armed forces, or community organizers. Some questions to ask yourself are: What is their level and type of influence in the community? What are their positions on the topic of your OCEA? Does it intersect with any of their needs, interests, or values? Do they work at odds with or conjunct with each other? If you are aiming to bring multiple leaders together, is there an online platform or form of communication that they all know how to use? Do they already use the internet to interact with their followers, and if so, how are they using it? If there is some sort of hostile division between different groups, are there any leaders who currently interact with each other in a positive way, or who could provide a good starting point?
Be prepared for a wide range of digital literacy and access between different actors, and discuss with them what digital tools they will be willing to use. Be cautious of holding communication on a platform or software that creates a power imbalance – for example a dialogue between government actors and activists on a platform that is influenced or surveilled by the government. Act with full transparency, and make trust building a priority.
Institutional stakeholders
When you run an OCEA specific to institutional stakeholders you need to take into account what the best format will be. One thing to keep in mind is that all institutional stakeholders bring with them their own institutional expectations. Some organisations see any meeting without an agenda as a clear waste of time, while others can’t function with one. Expectation management is thus of extra importance. Learn what format of OCEA your institutional stakeholders would prefer, and be clear in what it is you are offering and how you would like for them to be involved.
At risk individuals
When designing, implementing and evaluating your OCEAs, you will have to take into account that some participants may be at-risk individuals. This category mainly includes people whose socioeconomic grievances are likely to make them vulnerable to influence by VE groups, and those whose identities fall outside the dominant or common cultural, social, and political norms regarding race. Young people are, however, most at risk. They are the main targets of recruitment strategies and often fall victim to extremist violence. In these cases, high sensitivity is recommended. First, you will need to define the criteria which dictate who would be considered ‘at risk’ in your OCEAs. Is legislation in their country used to imprison people without due process, risking promotion of violent extremism by feeding into narratives of grievance? Have you made sure that their participation in your OCEAs will not put them further at risk, either of being victims of VE groups, or of retaliation by the government? Are you safeguarding them enough, should a threat of imminent violence or recruitment arise? Are you ensuring that no personally identifiable data is shared without permission and confidentiality is maintained? Are you able, through your OCEAs, to provide anger and stress management solutions to decrease the chances of radicalization? A best practice when dealing with at-risk individuals would be to engage in open discussions for critical thinking, creating space for alternative narratives to extremist ideas, and promoting tolerance in discussions.
Women
PVE OCEAs that do not take gender into account can end up reinforcing gender inequality and focus PVE work solely on men’s issues and experiences. It is recommended that you integrate an awareness of gender dynamics into every phase of designing, implementing and evaluating your OCEA. Ask yourself: are women and girls from the target communities represented in the design and implementation of this OCEA? Have I conducted a gender-sensitive situational assessment to evaluate the context I’m working in and potential outcomes of my OCEA for women and girls? Have I considered the digital literacy rate of the women and girls from the target communities and whether the technology, platforms, and/or tools to be utilised for the OCEA is accessible and appropriate for them? Am I perceiving women and girls as a diverse group? Do I understand how gender inequality intersects with race, class, religion, marital status, sexual orientation, etc. in my target community? Have I engaged in dialogue with my local stakeholders on what gender sensitivity looks like? Does my OCEA take into consideration the specific vulnerabilities and risks involved in engaging women and girls online in a PVE context? Can the gender equality measures that I have integrated into my OCEA be tracked for progress, i.e through sex-disaggregated data or gender-sensitive indicators?
Youth
Youth as a demographic are distinctive in their general level of digital literacy and online engagement. Virtual spaces are often the primary spaces in which they communicate, connect, receive information, influence, and are influenced themselves. Those seeking to engage with youth online must keep the following in mind:
- Engaging youth on social media is not as easy as it may seem. It is important to understand exactly where and how youth are active online, and which populations they represent. Tiktok, Instagram and Facebook might be popular worldwide, but they are not necessarily the most popular with your specific youth audience, and some countries have banned these platforms. You also might find that platform choice in your target audience might vary widely in regards to the background, education level, gender, or political ideology of a young person. It is likely that your intervention will need to involve multiple platforms and approaches in order to approach equal representation.
- The internet can be positive and supportive for youth, but it can also be a place of harassment, censorship and negative repercussions outside their control. When encouraging certain kinds of online behavior in young people, discuss possible ramifications with them in depth.
- While digital spaces increasingly have a low-barrier-to-entry due to the expansion of mobile phones and internet infrastructure in rural or under-resourced communities, you should not overestimate the amount of youth who have access to these spaces. It is also important to keep in mind that the internet is not a neutral space, and you still need to be conscientious in your practice in order to avoid reproducing unequal power structures between different youth populations.
Hands-on Tips & Tools
‘Hands-on Tips and Tools’ is perhaps the widest category you will encounter in this tool. Here you can find digital tools, online activities, step-by-step guides, toolkits, trainings and more.
Theory & Background
In this category you can find research into the evolving relationship between digital technologies and various sectors, foundational knowledge of dialogue, and case studies of interventions and OCEAs. You can use them to gain a wider understanding of trends and developments in the field, learn from basic approaches, and get ideas and insights from practitioners and real-life cases.
Monitoring & Evaluation
Monitoring and Evaluation is an important part of OCEAs. Evidence-based programming and learning through M&E allows us to improve the engagement of our audience over time.
If you offer content, it can be of great value to ask, in either surveys or focus groups, the quality of specific content, and any other questions to evaluate whether the objectives of the OCEA has been met. Improving your content is the number one way to improve your engagement, so knowing what works and what doesn’t is vital.
When running an OCEA you might expect specific change in the target audience, including knowledge/awareness, attitude, and/or behavior change, as a direct impact of your OCEA. If you are, you might want to use pre and post-OCEA surveys. You can see our list of survey tools here.
Research & Reports
Here you are presented with resources that include research on intersections between digital technology and peacebuilding, case studies of virtual exchanges, and reports from various stakeholders on their work in the field.
Courses & Trainings
It may be that you do not have significant experience in facilitating, teaching, or leading trainings/workshops online. Or perhaps you would like to learn more about how to design a community-based dialogue or set up secure communication with your audience. Here you will find up-to-date free and paid courses and trainings that can help you fill in these gaps in your knowledge.
Facilitation tools & activities
Facilitation resources in this hub include:
- This framework presents six stages that a group can go through. This can be a useful tool for facilitators wanting to assess what stage their group is in and what interventions can be made at each stage to move the group forward. It can help you identify the overall process of your group, where you would like them to end up, and specific methods to help them get there.
- Linked to the Group Process Framework you can find activities for any type of OCEA. In this section you will find a handful of activities tackling introduction and ice-breakers, relationship building, identity, conflict resolution, critical thinking, forward thinking, youth engagement, reflection, activation, and more.
Context-Specific Resources
- Facilitation looks different and requires different tools depending on what is being facilitated, whether it is online or offline, and who the participants are. You will notice that there are separate resources for different kinds of facilitation, including dialogue, mediation, interfaith dialogue, and mental health and psychosocial support.
- You can also find information specific to designing and implementing online events or facilitating activities online. These can help you determine which facilitation tools to use, what can (or should not) be brought online, opportunities and challenges, and how best to work with your audience.
Digital Tools
There is a full suite of digital tools available for your OCEA. These include both free and paid software, applications, and programs. The types of tools that might be of most use to your OCEAs are listed below.
- Communication Systems
In order to engage people online, you need a good way to communicate with them. Mail Merge systems are highly useful in this regard, as they allow you to easily send out personalized emails to large groups of people and track if emails are read or links are used.
If emails are not the ideal method of communication for your audience, you may want to use a mobile phone messaging app. Which app to choose highly depends on your audience.
An LMS will allow you to keep track of participant engagement and commitment. These systems are aimed at education, and so are ideal for OCEAs that aim to deliver a training or workshop.
Many OCEAs will need a video conferencing tool. These vary widely in regards to format, features, and accessibility. It is recommended to assess the needs of your specific audience before making your choice. Factors to take into consideration include: how accessible it is to participants with low bandwidths or tech experience, whether it meets the security requirements of your audience or organization, and what functions you need in order to carry out your planned activities (whiteboard, polls etc.).
There are two main types of collaboration tools included in the Resource Hub. The first is tools for collaborating online with your participants during your OCEA, which include whiteboard and live polling applications. The second type is tools for designing and implementing your OCEA with your team. Most organisations will already make use of online collaboration software such as Google Workspace or Microsoft Teams. Discuss whether this is meeting all your needs efficiently, and if replacing or supplementing your existing systems would be beneficial.
Survey tools are highly recommended for OCEAs that incorporate monitoring and evaluation. Most are easy to use for both audiences and staff. When selecting a survey tool, keep in mind what your organization’s requirements are for the handling of participant data.
- Digital Security Tools
There may be security concerns associated with your specific location or audience, including surveillance, censorship or hacking. Digital security tools include collaboration, video conferencing, and communication services that have made digital security a priority, along with some critical assessment of their security claims.
How-to Guides
Whether you are interested in a step-by-step guide for facilitated dialogue sessions, instructions on how to keep your data safe, or recommendations for remote activities, you can find illustrative assistance in this category. Here is where to visit if you are looking for concrete toolkits, handbooks, guidance notes, and ‘how-to’ instructions. These include resources relevant to the design, implementation, and evaluation phases of your OCEA.
Evaluating your OCEA
Here are points to look out for when evaluating OCEAs.
The great thing about an OCEA is that your participants are already in a digital environment that can be used to survey them. There is no need to collect their home address and send them a survey in the mail, just send them a link at the end of your OCEA with your survey.
- Pre-OCEA Surveys
For some impact or change measurements, you might want to get a pre-OCEA assessment of your participants. If this is the case, think about combining your pre-OCEA survey with your enrollment procedure, this way you can guarantee that all participants fill it out.
- Net Promoter Score
Net promoter score (NPS) is a measure of satisfaction that has become a standard across multiple industries. Use it to easily gauge how your OCEA compares to others.
Implementing your OCEA
Types of resources for use in the implementation phase include:
These are resources that provide practical guidance and steps to take when implementing different types of OCEAs or interventions. Keep in mind the information and vision that you gained in the design phase when assessing which are feasible or appropriate for your specific context.
- Research & reports
Many of the reports in this hub contain detailed examples of implemented activities, the outcomes of those activities, and advice for other practitioners. These can help you follow in the footsteps of successful practitioners while not repeating their mistakes.
Choosing the most suitable digital tool for your OCEA and your audience is a vital step in the design phase. In the implementation phase, you need the know-how to recognize and utilize the different features of these tools and tailor them to your activities. Under this section you can find guides and links to different platforms and digital tools you can use for your OCEAs
Facilitation tools include digital tools, activities, design tools, and guides. There are resources on online facilitation and the specific requirements of facilitating in a virtual space. If you have significant experience facilitating in-person activities we still advise looking up resources on online facilitation, as some of the tools and skills required for effective online facilitation may be new to you.
Consultations / Networking
Consultations and networking activities online usually aim to attract a larger audience than other forms of OCEAs. Although process matters also for these types of OCEA, they tend to be more result and goal-oriented. Objectives can be to hone in on information gathering, fostering buy-in amongst a larger community, or providing space for relevant stakeholders to connect. Consultations and networking activities can be done both synchronously and asynchronously online. For instance, there can be a series of consultation meetings organized virtually or consultations through online discussion boards through platforms like SparkBlue.
Facilitated Group Interactions / Community Dialogues
Facilitated group interactions and community dialogues are an intensive form of OCEA. Both of these forms are based on the principles of dialogue, and are meant to be a repeated occurrence, a process that unfolds over time.
In these types of OCEAs it is important to think about your group’s ‘process,’ i.e. what stages you want your group to progress through over time. A group process framework can be a significant guiding tool in how the sessions are facilitated. Dialogue activities can help you facilitate specific parts of the session. There are specific online dialogue formats (see OCEA Activity Bank) or you can transform offline dialogue activities to online formats.
It is also important to think about your needs for facilitation. For instance, how many facilitators will you need? This is dependent partly on how many participants you will have. An effective group size for dialogue is between 6 and 13 people. Less, and the diversity of viewpoints is too little; more, and you will not have the space to explore everyone’s points of view.
Trainings & Workshops
Trainings and workshops are cornerstones of OCEAs. They bring a unique set of opportunities and challenges.
One of the first things you will have to decide is whether your online workshop or training will be synchronous – taking place with participants at a specific time and space, live, and direct – or asynchronous – at one’s own time and pace. If you are going to offer synchronous trainings and workshops, you need to consider what platform you are going to use.
If you are going to offer an asynchronous training or workshop, the space where you do this will also need to be considered. Most practitioners use a Learning Management System (LMS) for this kind of activity. You will find a selection of LMSs under Digital Tools.
Another factor to consider is the length of the activity. Will you have a single session, or will you have multiple? Keep in mind that due to attention spans and screen fatigue it is not advised to plan sessions longer than 2 -4 hours, so consider planning and design accordingly.
Will you have assignments or quizzes? They can be useful in OCEAs not only as a tool for you to measure impact and progression of participants, but they also serve as ‘knowledge checks’ and validation for the participants themselves.
Designing your OCEA
Designing a successful OCEA entails the use of the most efficient tools, guides, and techniques to assure sustainable engagement. In the resource list for this phase, you can find:
The amount of digital tools at your disposal are numerous and evolving. In the design phase, it is important to identify which digital tools are appropriate and accessible for your stakeholders and best suited to executing your OCEA. Using state-of-the-art digital tools does not determine the success of your intervention; more weight needs to be on whether the tools meet the needs of the target audience and match the design of the OCEA. In the end, digital tools should aid you in achieving your OCEAs objectives. The ‘Digital Tools’ section provides both a list of tools and resources on how to use them.
Activities in online engagement are as important as in offline engagement. There should be an emphasis on the application of well designed and integrated activities in the design phase. Setting your OCEA objectives and framework will require activities to support the approach and guarantee continuous engagement during and after the OCEA. In this section you will find activities linked to a group process framework, tackling orientation, formation, development, relationship building, conflict resolution, critical thinking, forward thinking, activation, and more.
Many of the resources in this hub outline different approaches to take when designing an OCEA. Approaches listed include: risk-sensitive, cyber threat informed, whole-of-society, youth-led, localised, inclusive, and trauma-sensitive approaches. Your design process may need to incorporate more than one approach.
- Research and Reports
When designing your OCEA, you can benefit from information gained from fields relevant to PVE and/or from evaluations of related interventions. You may want to pay special attention to interventions that engage your target audiences or that are implemented in your target region.
This hub offers a wide variety of resources that contain key recommendations of best practices, guidelines and guiding principles. These resources can allow you to tap into the expertise gained from other practitioners and direct the implementation of your OCEA.
Emerging Practices for Virtual Community Engagement
Provides tips and tools for use in virtual meetings and community outreach
Technology Tools for Virtual Community Engagement
Contains a list of virtual platforms and tips on their use, an OCEA case study, and advice for creating sustainability
Inclusive & Accessible Virtual Engagement: Lessons from the Field
This report presents research on best practices in inclusive and accessible virtual community engagement
Equitable Inclusion in Virtual Community Engagement Webinar
This webinar provides advice on how to use virtual platforms to ensure equal participation of all stakeholders in a community
Webinar: Tools and Techniques for Virtual Community Engagement
This webinar features concrete advice on how to create a framework for virtual community engagement and craft a public involvement plan
5 Steps to a Successful Consultation Process in the Context of COVID-19
A look at a five-step approach to holding meaningful and successful virtual consultations with stakeholders
Five Key Takeaways for Conducting Stakeholder Consultations Online
Presents key takeaways from research into online stakeholder consultations during the COVID-19 pandemic
Planning Virtual Consultations in the Context of COVID-19
Presents recommendations for planning and implementing virtual consultations with stakeholders and maintaining stakeholder participation
Online Monster Manual
A comprehensive manual with 80+ tools and activities for making online events more interactive and engaging
Leading Groups Online
This guide presents tips, tools and resources for leading online groups and transitioning from offline to online facilitation
Monitoring and Evaluating of Virtual Exchange
This report examines the programmatic outcomes of Virtual Exchanges and provides a review of evaluations
Monitoring and Evaluation in E-Learning
This article provides five insights into M&E practices for E-learning based on the experience of Soliya and the William Davidson Insitute
Monitoring and Evaluatin: Common Pitfalls
This article provides an overview of common pitfalls in M&E with a focus on its online implementation.
Remote Developmental Evaluation: A Roundtable for Funders and Practitioners
This roundtable discussion aims to provide guidance for remote developmental evaluation for people with a background in embedded evaluation practices.
Remote Developmental Evaluation: A Guide for Funders and Practitioners
A guide for moving the embedded practices of Developmental Evaluation online, commisioned in response to COVID-19
M&E Thursday Talks
This inititative by DM&E provides new talks on M&E every Thursday, many of which are specific to online M&E
Google Workspace
A suite of Google tools including Gmail, Calendar, Meet, Chat, Drive, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Forms, and Sites, that can be used for team collaboration
Microsoft 365
Microsoft 365 is a suite of apps including Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Microsoft Teams, Outlook and OneDrive, that can be used for team collaboration
Mural
An app that could be used in live OCEAs or for brainstorming/planning as a team
Zoho Projects
A cloud-based project management software which allows for teams to plan and collaborate from a distance
Ground Rules & Guidelines For Dialogue
This list includes basic principles that could be useful for community dialogues
Planning a Community Dialogue
This document outlines a step-by-step process by which a community dialogue could be conducted
Dialogue Theories
A chapter of the book Dialogue Theories, which includes a list of practical dialogue strategies and a case study of a community dialogue.
Video Meeting Signals
A 2021 study conducted by researchers from University College London (UCL) on the impact of using hand signals in online courses
Figma
A design collaboration tool that allows teams to work simultaneously on a project through their browsers
Stakeholder Engagement
This guidance note presents an introduction to and some of the key principles of stakeholder engagement
How to Create an Effective Stakeholder Engagement Strategy
This article instructs how to create a stakeholder engagement strategy matrix
How to Engage My Stakeholders Virtually
Includes an infograph that provides best practices for engaging both pre-existing and new stakeholders virtually
Communication strategy for stakeholder engagement
This article contains five tips for an effective communication strategy for stakeholder engagement
Complete Stakeholder Mapping Guide
A guide to stakeholder mapping, with examples on how to use Miro for this purpose
How to Calculate Net Promoter Score
This resource provides an introduction to Net Promoter Scores and provides a formula that can be used to calculate this score
Net Promoter Score Calculation – Surveymonkey
Instructions on how to calculate a Net Promoter Score, with information on how this could be done using SurveyMonkey
Soliya Facilitation Training
A facilitator training that specializes in cross-cultural dialogue on virtual platforms, and bestows a certificate upon completion
Digital Process Design & Facilitation for Mediation
This course outlines best practices for designing and facilitating mediation activities using digital tools
How to Use Tech Tools to Deliver Training and Mentoring Remotely
This course provides tools and strategies for conducting trainings and dialogue online
Gather Town
A gamified video conferencing platform that includes whiteboard and collaboration capabilities
Yet Another Mail Merge
A simple Gmail-based mail merge system
SSuite Mail Merge Master
A simple mail merge system that runs on Windows
Yesware
A mail merge system that works with both Gmail and Outlook, allowing the user to design, send and track mass emails
Gmelius
A Gmail-based software that also offers features that allow for team collaboration and integrates with Zoom, Slack or Trello
GBlast
A free extension for Gmail and Chrome that allows the creation of personalized email campaigns from within Gmail.
The Virtual Training Team Train the Trainer Program
This program for trainers consists of four skillbuilding workshops and two practical masterclasses
The Virtual Training Team Train the Trainer Program for Facilitators
This program for facilitators consists of four skillbuilding workshops and two practical masterclasses
Train the Trainer Virtual: Virtual Training Master Class
A course designed to help trainers lead effective online trainings
Online Teaching for Educators: Development and Delivery Professional Certificate
An online training course helping participants to plan, design, and deliver effective online courses and programs
Online Facilitation Masterclass
This masterclass is designed to build online facilitation and workshop design skills
Online Training Series
The Online Training Series includes a variety of relevant online public workshops
Virtual Training & Facilitation Certificate
Trains facilitators and trainers of synchronous online events to improve their skills, providing them with tools, templates, and simulation practice
Designing Community-Based Dialogue
A course meant to advance conflict transformation and peacebuilding at the community level
The most popular messaging service, with end-to-end encryption but some security downsides
Signal
One of the most secure messaging apps, notable for not collecting user data
Telegram
A messaging app that also has social media features and can host large group chats
Facebook Messenger
One of the most popular messaging apps in the world, with some security downsides
Wire
A messaging app that is GDPR compliant and complies with European Union data and privacy laws
Threema
A paid messaging app that does not require a phone number or email address when joining, and therefore provides more options for user anonymity
Slack
Slack brings team communication and collaboration into one digital workspace
Community Engagement During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Beyond
A guide for community-based organizations facilitating remote community engagement activities
Miro Board Basics
An introductory video on making your first Miro whiteboard
Digital Peacebuilding 101 – Dialogue and Networking
A video taken from a course on digital peacebuilding which includes a short snapshot of functions of dialogue and networking for peacebuilding
CryptPad
A platform built team collaboration that is secure, simultaneous, and encrypted
Intro to Facilitating “Hybrid” Online Groups
This short guide helps facilitators be aware of the special challenges that come with facilitating hybrid groups and introduces how to overcome them
Strategies for Facilitating “Hybrid” Groups Online
This short guide provides strategies and tips for facilitating groups in which participants join from both individual devices and a shared device
Building Virtual Rooms for Online Facilitation
A resource for adapting in-person facilitation tools and techniques to a virtual room, offering free slide templates
ZipDX
A videoconferencing platform notable for offering the option of multilingual conference calls with simultaneous interpretation
Voiceboxer
A multilingual video conferencing tool, that offers chat and slide translation as well as simultaneous interpretation
Kudo
KUDO for Web Conferencing is a cloud-based solution for online video conferencing in multiple languages.
Moodle LMS
A popular, customisable LMS available for free. They also offer paid options for hosting/and or support, starting at $110 per year.
Blackboard Learn
This LMS comes with a host of services provided. It is one of the more expensive on the market
Capterra – LMS Software
This site contains a list of over 1000 LMS options, with the option of filtering them by price, tech requirements, and number of users
Google Classroom
A simple and user-friendly LMS with free and paid editions starting at $3 per student per year.
GoSkills LMS
An LMS recommended for training small to medium-sized teams
D2L Brightspace LMS
A popular LMS, used in education and work environments. Price is unspecified.
Canvas LMS – Instructure
One of the most popular LMS platforms, for use in education or business. Price is unspecified.
iSpring LMS
An LMS specializing in training. Price is from $33.84 to $43.92 per year depending on the number of active users.
Mailchimp
Mail merge software that allows users to run customisable email campaigns
Mailmeteor
A mail merge service specifically designed for Gmail
Digital Pathways for Peace
This report presents the findings and recommendations from a consultation on the impact of digital technology on peace and conflict
How To Create Your First Mentimeter Presentation
This video takes you through how to create a presentation in Mentimeter and explore the options available
OneDrive
Offers 5GB of free storage and integrates with Windows applications, making it useful to those with Windows devices
OneDrive Basics
This page covers the basic layout and features of OneDrive, and contains video tutorials of how to get started
Facilitator toolkit
This toolkit is a guide to tools, methods and techniques for assisting groups with planning and improvement projects and interactive meetings
Platform4dialogue (P4D)
Platform4Dialogue is a digital platform designed to be a place of exchange between peacebuilders and civil society
Telepsychiatry Toolkit
APA’s Telepsychiatry Toolkit is an evolving resource for members who want to learn about the various aspects of telepsychiatry.
Adapting Your Practice: Learning To Do Telemental Health
Includes general and clinical recommendations, practical tips and reminders.
Telepsychiatry Practice Guidelines
A list of reports and resources on best practices and guidelines for telepsychiatry
Session Lab
SessionLab is an online platform providing a workshop planner application and a public library of facilitation techniques
Slido
Similar to Mentimeter, slido also offers a participant polling functionality and a mobile app for your participants.
How to Create Your First Slido Event
A tutorial on how to set up an event on Slido, create polls or a quiz, and invite participants
Socialpinpoint
An platform specifically designed for online community engagement projects. Includes surveys, mapping, forums, ideas walls and more.
Surveymonkey
A widely used tool. In the free survey version, you will be limited to 10 questions, 40 respondents per survey and no possibility to export your data
Creating a Survey with SurveyMonkey
A video tutorial on how to design and customize an online survey using SurveyMonkey
Typeform
A fresh and modern-looking form software that aims to make filling out forms engaging and interactive
Getting Started with Typeform
A video tutorial that takes you through how to use Typeform
Digital Security and Privacy for Human Rights Defenders
A resource educating ordinary computer users and providing them with solutions to problems of privacy and security in a modern digital environment
Digital Civic Engagement by Young People
This UNICEF report examines youth engagement in digital spaces and presents research on how they use technology for civic engagement
Online Facilitation Cards
A set of facilitation cards that can be used in online events, designed to improve communication, engagement and audience feedback
How to use Dropbox
A guide on how to use Dropbox that includes information on syncing, managing cloud content, security and more
Making Online Events More Inclusive
This short publication provides tips for trainers and facilitators who are moving their events online to design events that are more inclusive.
Designing Learning Events
Guides practitioners in designing online learning events, leading them through the analysis, design, development, implementation stages
How To Turn Face-to-face Into Online Events
40 practical tips for use in switching from in-person to online training events
Digital Security Resources
Helpful list of beginner-friendly sites providing a variety of options for securing data, choosing the right chat and conferencing tools, and more
Guide to Secure Group Chat and Conferencing Tools
A useful flow chart that guides users to digital tools that suit their needs
Axis
Axis allows you to build up a workshop from pre-defined blocks and then effectively run that workshop with remote participants
Axis 101: Short guides for new users
A list of guides on how to create and run workshops on Axis
Google Drive
This offers 15GB free storage and contains a built-in office suite where you can edit documents, spreadsheets, and presentations
How to use Google Drive
A guide and help center for making use of Google Drive
Google Sheets
Google Sheets offers you most of the features you need for creating and sharing session agendas
How To Use Google Sheets
This guide shows you how to use various features of Sheets such as creating spreadsheets, using formulas, and inserting charts
Methods Library
This methods database provides a set of facilitation tools and techniques for facilitators
Four Principles for Maintaining Human Connections Online
Four principles from IREX to help practitioners avoid losing human connection when making the shift to online spaces
IREX Online Collaboration Guide for Facilitators
A resource for using digital technology for collaboration and learning
Dialogue Knowledge Hub: Dialogue Voices
A resource containing short videos explaining dialogue initiatives (both online and offline formats) aimed towards interreligious cohesion
Liberating Structures Menu
A list of 33 tools and activities that can be used by facilitators and practitioners. Most can be adapted to online formats
Online Surveying Tips-Using SurveyMonkey
This resource provides tips on using SurveyMonkey securely and protecting participant data
Barriers to Use of Telepsychiatry: Clinicians as Gatekeepers
This article raises some of the concerns from clinicians perspective with telepsychiatry.
Mentimeter
Allows you to create polling questions in their web application and get answers from participants from their mobile devices
Zoom how-to video tutorials
A collection of simple Zoom tutorials for each of its features
Hyper Island Toolbox
The Hyper Island Toolbox features some popular, well-known workshop activities as well as facilitation methods created by Hyper Island itself
Design Method Toolkit
Contains 50+ practical tools with step-by-step guides on how to run design research, ideation, experimentation and creation within short iterations
Totem Project
Totem offers educational courses about digital security and privacy, and related tools and tactics for journalists, activists and human rights defenders
Humanitarian Assistance From a Distance: Recommendations for remote programming
This handbook is designed to provide tools for remote project implementation
Essential Partners dialogue guide
A guide that contains templates, scripts, and guides to help in organizing a community dialogue project
Whereby
Whereby allows users to open a video conferencing room and have guests join via a link without needing to create an account
Getting Started – Whereby Support Center
A help center where you can find information about Whereby and learn how to host a meeting on the Whereby platform
Digital Security Helpline
This helpline assists in improving digital security practices, and provides emergency assistance to those already under cyber attack
Monitoring and Accountability Practices for Remotely Managed Projects
This publication examines how remote monitoring is currently being utilized and the key challenges associated with it.
Telehealth Continuing Education Resources
A curated a list of telehealth courses and resources
Digital Security First Aid Kit for Human Rights Defenders
An easy to navigate flowchart that helps users to locate the right tools for their needs
Four Key Issues to Consider for Effective Online Dialogue
This short article lists four issues that facilitators can consider when in the design process of an online dialogue
Designing and Facilitating Creative Conversations & Learning Activities
This booklet provides facilitation skills and tools, and helps facilitators design dialogues, understand learning processes, and address group dynamics
Box
For dialogues in which participants might be sensitive about having data stored in the cloud
Box: Secure Collaboration
A site that shows you what is possible with Box and how you might use it
Canva
For facilitators wanting to create visual assets for their online workshops or participants working together on new materials during a workshop
Dialogue in Peacebuilding: Understanding Different Perspectives
This publication… explor[es] different approaches to and perspectives on the use of dialogue in different contexts.
M&E Thursday Talk – Online Dialogue Facilitation: Tips & Tricks
In this webinar Waidehi Gokhale provides guidance on designing and implementing online dialogue, taking participants through real world examples
Dropbox
A reliable and easy-to-use syncing and file sharing system
Conducting Virtual Community Engagement
This article explores virtual community engagement opportunities, challenges, best practices, and practical methods and tools
The Guide to Remote Community Engagement
This guide contains a list of articles pertinent to online community engagement
Meet
Google’s popular messaging app, offering an easy-to-use video conferencing tool
How to Video Conference with Google Meet
A guide on how to use Google Meet and take advantage of its features
Butter
An online tool dedicated to online meeting facilitation with in-built polls, a speaker queue to enable equal participation, and an in-built time tracker
Butter Tutorial – Creative Workshops and Video Conferences
An independent Butter tutorial, walking viewers through its functions
Dialogue Mapping in Miro
A blog post discussing the potential of using whiteboards (such as Miro) for dialogues
The Organiser’s Activity Book
A how-to guide for evaluating data practices and creating a data policy, whether within a workshop or alongside a longer-term organisational review
Digital Technologies and Mediation: Toolkit 1.0
A list of opportunities and risks (see those particularly related to inclusivity) to consider when using online spaces for peacekeeping initiatives
Digital Technologies and Mediation in Armed Conflict Report
This report analyzes the implications and opportunities for mediation with relation to our growing relationship with digital technologies
Conversion of a Psychiatric Clinic to a 100% Virtual Telepsychiatry Clinic
This column describes the tranfdormation to telepsychiatry in reaction to COVID-19
Remote Humanitarian Management and Programming: Guidance Note
This note guides practitioners on how to adapt and think about remote management and provides a snapshot of key takeaways
Designing and Implementing Virtual Exchange – A Collection of Case Studies
[These 19 case studies represent] real-life pedagogical practices that can be of interest to educators looking for ideas and inspiration
Surveillance Self Defense: Toolguides
Step-by-step tutorials to help practitioners learn about and use privacy and security tools.
Stormboard
A whiteboard with a strong reporting functionality that allows you to instantly turn your online sticky notes into structured meeting reports
Getting started with Stormboard
Here you can find a user guide, videos containing 101 basics and pro tips, templates, and a help center
Stormz
A digital application aimed for professional facilitators, enabling to design and facilitate collective intelligence sessions
Stormz Tutorial
A tutorial on how to create and facilitate your first workshop on Stormz
Stormzbox
The portable Stormz Box device claims to provide secure and reliable local network infrastructure for collaborative workshops at any venue
Zoom
A popular video conferencing platform
How to Include Marginalized and Vulnerable People in Community Engagement
A toolkit with instructions on social inclusion of marginalized and vulnerable groups
Inclusive Virtual Community Engagement During COVID-19
A resource for helping practitioners move online while ensuring inclusivity and community engagement
Principles for Digital Development
Nine living guidelines that are designed to help integrate best practices into technology-enabled programs
IREX Diagnostic Tool
Use this worksheet to conduct a “digital needs diagnostic assessment” for your OCEA
Google Forms
This can be used for unlimited surveys that can guide your participants based on their answers
Virtual Mental Health Care in the Veterans Health Administration
A discussion on the effectiveness of telemental health and VHA’s use of it during the first months of the COVID-19 outbreak.
Democratic Dialogue – A Handbook for Practitioners
This handbook delves into how to approach, design and conduct a dialogue
Better Online Facilitation
A guide on how to choose a platform and prepare for sessions and tech during sessions
The Sharing Perspectives Foundation: A Case Study in Blended Mobility
Analyzes a blended mobility case study employing VE and location-based activities
MENA Dialogue Manual
This manual goes in depth into Community Dialogue Design and serves as a guide for those seeking to create such a dialogue in their community
UN Guidance for Effective Mediation
This Guidance presents best practices and delves into the importance of impartiality, coordination, inclusivity, national ownership and consent
Best Practices in Videoconferencing-Based Telemental Health
Offers step-by-step guides, resources and materials for online activities
On-line facilitation in Mental Health and Psychosocial Support
Provides information for facilitators working in the field of Mental Health and Psychosocial Support who are switching to facilitating online trainings
DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION AND THE FUTURES OF CIVIC SPACE TO 2030
Shed[s] light on how civic space is evolving in the face of digital transformation including in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic
The Impact of COVID-19 on the Peacebuilding Sector
Examines the changes brought to peacebuilding by COVID-19 when direct intergroup contact is restricted, and reflects on the principles of practice
One to One ONline Interventions: A Pilot CVE methodology
This report assesses the outcomes and efficacy of different types of online interventions with ‘at risk’ individuals
ERASMUS+ Virtual Exchange
Erasmus+ Virtual Exchange enables youth to engage in meaningful intercultural experiences online, as part of their formal or non-formal education
Media WISE: Empowering Responsible Religious Leadership in the Digital Age
A training guide to empower religious leaders to navigate the internet