Planning a successful knowledge platform - A 9-Point checklist

This guide provides a nine-point checklist for climate knowledge brokers to ensure the success and sustainability of online knowledge platforms, emphasizing the need for strategic planning over mere technical presentation.

• To avoid failure, knowledge platforms must identify a distinct niche and conduct early research to prevent duplication of existing resources and find potential collaborators.
• Successful engagement requires narrowing down and understanding the core audience, specifically regarding what information they need, the timing, the delivery method, and the language required, which is best gathered through face-to-face interaction.
• Content is the primary driver of audience engagement, necessitating a formal strategy to ensure the continuous presentation of high-quality, current information.
• Operational success depends on having dedicated staff for editing, IT, design, subject knowledge, marketing, and management, as well as clear governance rules and procedures for decision-making.
• Platforms lack longevity if they rely on intermittent outside funding; they require either institutional funding guarantees or a self-sustaining business model to survive beyond a few months.

APA

Barnard, G. (n.d.). Planning a successful knowledge platform - A 9-Point checklist. Climate and Development Knowledge Network. https://cdkn.org/story/planning-successful-knowledge-platform-9-point-checklist

Chicago

Barnard, Geoff. Planning a successful knowledge platform - A 9-Point checklist. Climate and Development Knowledge Network, n.d. https://cdkn.org/story/planning-successful-knowledge-platform-9-point-checklist.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Barnard |first1=Geoff |title=Planning a successful knowledge platform - A 9-Point checklist |publisher=Climate and Development Knowledge Network |url=https://cdkn.org/story/planning-successful-knowledge-platform-9-point-checklist |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{barnardndplanning, author = {Barnard, Geoff}, title = {{Planning a successful knowledge platform - A 9-Point checklist}}, institution = {Climate and Development Knowledge Network}, url = {https://cdkn.org/story/planning-successful-knowledge-platform-9-point-checklist}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }