The Sustainable Development Communications Network, 1996-2001: An Evaluation

The evaluation of the Sustainable Development Communications Network (SDCN), 1996-2001, finds that the network successfully built the electronic communications capacity of its members and established the SD Gateway as a premier portal for sustainable development knowledge. While the network achieved high levels of success in capacity development and stakeholder engagement, it faced challenges with institutional support and the sustainability of joint value creation. The report recommends transitioning the SDCN from a formal knowledge network to an open community of practice focused on individual practitioners, while separating IISD's broader research on knowledge networks into an independent activity.

• The SD Gateway established a significant niche as a top sustainable development portal, with an independent review by Tomorrow Magazine in April 2001 declaring it the "top SD portal on the Internet". By 2001, traffic had doubled to nearly 80,000 pages per month, and it ranked #11 on Google for the keywords "sustainable development".
• The network successfully increased the institutional and human capacity of its members to use the internet for knowledge delivery. Between 1997 and 2001, 25 interns were placed with members to provide technical support and training, helping organizations move beyond "brochure ware" sites to deliver substantive knowledge for international access.
• Capacity building for civil society organizations (CSOs) was the network's most successful area, evidenced by the growth of the SD Webworks, which had 330 participants and 25% representation from the south/transitional countries by 2001.
• Joint module development on sustainable development issues provided significant "learning by doing" value for members regarding virtual collaboration, although the process was often cumbersome and relied heavily on the Network Coordination Unit (NCU) for funding and planning.
• The network experienced operational challenges regarding timeliness and institutional commitment, as member organizations often prioritized their own internal work over SDCN activities, even when the network provided project funding.
• The SDCN's engagement with the Global Knowledge Partnership (GKP) yielded high-impact results, including the creation of the Youth, ICTs and Digital Opportunities Network in February 2002 and contributions to the G-8 Digital Opportunities Taskforce.
• The evaluation concludes that the formal knowledge network model is no longer suitable for the SDCN's goals and recommends transitioning to a "community of practice" model with individual rather than institutional membership.

APA

Creech, H. (2002). The Sustainable Development Communications Network, 1996-2001: An Evaluation. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/network_sdcn_eval.pdf

Chicago

Creech, Heather. The Sustainable Development Communications Network, 1996-2001: An Evaluation. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2002. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/network_sdcn_eval.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Creech |first1=Heather |title=The Sustainable Development Communications Network, 1996-2001: An Evaluation |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=2002 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/network_sdcn_eval.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{creech2002sustainable, author = {Creech, Heather}, title = {{The Sustainable Development Communications Network, 1996-2001: An Evaluation}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2002}, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/network_sdcn_eval.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }