Report on Functionality of PANAP CollabNet Platform
| aa.contributor.donor | European Union’s Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Programme under Grant Agreement No. 101136770. | |
| aa.identifier.project | StEPPFoS — Strengthening Evidence-Based Policy Practice for Sustainable Food Systems under the EU-AU Partnership | |
| dc.contributor.author | FARA, LifeWatch ERIC, PANAP, EU | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2026-05-18T10:44:12Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2026-05 | |
| dc.description | This publication documents Deliverable D3.4 of the StEPPFoS project and provides a detailed report on the functionality, design, implementation, and operationalisation of the PANAP Network4Collaboration Platform. The report explains the conceptual and technical foundations of the collaborative platform and describes how it was developed to facilitate virtual interaction, policy dialogue, networking, and knowledge sharing among PANAP stakeholders across Africa and Europe. The publication documents: Participatory co-creation and stakeholder engagement processes User requirements assessment workshops conducted at the European Commission Joint Research Centre (JRC) in Seville Platform design, testing, validation, and implementation phases Training sessions and onboarding processes for consortium members Functional specifications and user-interface components The report identifies four major functional areas prioritized by users during the co-creation process: A collaborative space for: Sharing funding opportunities Announcing scholarships, events, and training programmes Promoting collaboration opportunities Brainstorming and policy discussions Joint document and report preparation A knowledge-sharing environment supporting access to: Publications and policy briefs Databases and datasets Models and code repositories Methodologies and implementation practices StEPPFoS deliverables and training materials A digital learning environment providing: Mentorship and expert guidance Training materials and webinars Online courses and workshops Collaborative learning opportunities Capacity-building resources for researchers and policymakers A professional networking system enabling: User profiles and expertise mapping Research collaboration matching Stakeholder networking Messaging and collaboration requests Filtering by expertise, interests, and institutional affiliation The publication further explains the platform’s multilingual capabilities, which support navigation in English, French, Spanish, and Portuguese to facilitate inclusivity and transcontinental participation. The report details several operational features of the platform, including: Restricted-access authentication and role-based access User profile management News and event publication systems Opportunity-sharing mechanisms Collaborative networking spaces Resource repositories and training portals Search and filtering tools for stakeholders and opportunities The publication also analyses implementation challenges and limitations identified during stakeholder consultations, including: Limited internet connectivity Language barriers Low user engagement and participation Maintenance and information updates Data protection and security concerns Time-zone differences among users Corrective measures and mitigation strategies proposed in the report include multilingual support, onboarding sessions, asynchronous collaboration tools, secure restricted-access systems, and user-driven content management. The report concludes that the PANAP CollabNet Platform represents a significant contribution to strengthening science-policy collaboration, evidence-informed policymaking, and sustainable food systems governance by providing a user-centred digital ecosystem for knowledge exchange and collaborative innovation. | |
| dc.description.abstract | This report presents a comprehensive overview of the PANAP Network4Collaboration Platform developed under the StEPPFoS project to strengthen collaboration, networking, and knowledge exchange among members of the Pan-African Network for Economic Analysis of Policies (PANAP). The platform serves as a virtual collaborative environment connecting researchers, policymakers, development practitioners, and stakeholders from Africa and Europe working on food and nutrition security and sustainable agriculture. The publication documents the participatory and co-creation approach used in the platform’s development, beginning with stakeholder workshops and requirements assessments conducted with key PANAP members. User feedback informed the design of core functionalities including multilingual navigation, networking tools, collaborative workspaces, a marketplace for opportunities and events, resources repositories, and training modules. The report further outlines the technical implementation, stakeholder validation processes, onboarding and training activities, and mitigation strategies addressing barriers such as poor internet connectivity, language diversity, low engagement, and data security concerns. The PANAP CollabNet Platform is positioned as a strategic digital infrastructure supporting evidence-based policymaking, collaborative research, capacity building, and transcontinental partnerships within sustainable food systems governance. | |
| dc.description.sponsorship | European Union’s Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Programme under Grant Agreement No. 101136770. | |
| dc.identifier.citation | Soto, I., Mellado, A., & Panque, J. (2025). Report on functionality of PANAP CollabNet Platform (StEPPFoS Deliverable Report D3.4; FDN #63). Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA). | |
| dc.identifier.issn | 2550-9657 | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14659/296 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | |
| dc.publisher | FARA | |
| dc.relation.ispartofseries | FDN; 63 | |
| dc.subject | PANAP | |
| dc.subject | CollabNet | |
| dc.subject | Network4Collaboration | |
| dc.subject | Knowledge platform | |
| dc.subject | Digital collaboration | |
| dc.subject | Evidence-based policymaking | |
| dc.subject | Food systems | |
| dc.subject | Sustainable agriculture | |
| dc.subject | Knowledge sharing | |
| dc.subject | Networking platform | |
| dc.subject | Capacity building | |
| dc.subject | Science-policy interface | |
| dc.subject | Virtual collaboration | |
| dc.subject | Research collaboration | |
| dc.subject | Policy dialogue | |
| dc.subject | Multilingual platform | |
| dc.title | Report on Functionality of PANAP CollabNet Platform | |
| dc.title.alternative | StEPPFoS Deliverable Report D3.4 | |
| dc.type | Other |