One of the goals of the SURF system is to foster knowledge networking, information-sharing and learning of UNDP staff in order to strengthen UNDP's capacity to be an effective international development agency.

To achieve this goal the system relies on internal "Communities of Practice" networks: "people networks" of UNDP country office staff responsible for a thematic portfolio (focal points), in-house specialists and other volunteers.

Internal Communities of Practice networks share information through mailgroups, workshops and other initiatives designed to promote peer interaction and mutual support.

Internal network mailgroups serve three basic functions:

• to support SURF System referrals, where members help each other and other UNDP staff requesting advice and expertise on case studies, comparative experiences, best practices, expert recommendations etc.

• to offer a common workspace for commenting on project documents, policy papers, reports (NHDRs), etc.

• to provide a clearing house for sharing information on issues of common interest.

Internal Communities of Practice networks exist at the regional and global level. In regional networks staff share region-specific information such as Bureau policies and directives, and regional and local sources of expertise and information, including those in region specific languages (Arabic, Russian, Spanish, French.)

In global networks, staff share information of relevance across regions. Global networks are established and guided by "Facilitators" working in the respective substantive thematic areas at Headquarters. Regional networks are managed by the SURF offices.

Best Practices

The SURFs and the Knowledge Networks will increasingly offer opportunities to share information between country offices and network members on what works and what doesn't in development, and for UNDP staff to learn in the process.

Through compiling submissions from Country Offices, through workshops and other learning events, and by tapping into information available in UNDP's Evaluation Office and elsewhere, UNDP staff will come together virtually and actually to compare experiences with each other and with others in the development community.

The resulting knowledge can be compiled in the Corporate Knowledge Base, shared with other agencies, and incorporated into UNDP rules and design guidelines. In this way, the SURFs and the networks will use best practices to help the organization "work smarter" and its staff to "learn better."