Week 2 | Shaping the AfYWL Alumni Network: Your Vision, Your Platform

My AfYWL Sisters

Welcome to week 2 of consultations for our AfYWL ALumni Website.

We would love to hear from you on how you would like the Alumni website to look like. As such, grateful if you take just 5 minutes to answer the questions. This week we are answering questions from guiding questions 7-12. If you haven't answer questions 1-6, please kindly do so by going to the week 1 discussion room. 

Ladies, please kindly give us your feedback as it is essential as we set up this platform.

Wishing you all a great new week.

7. What type of ongoing learning or professional development resources would you find most beneficial? (e.g., expert webinars, masterclasses, online courses, toolkits)

- Expert webinars featuring retired international organization staff, African women leaders and global changemakers

- Peer-to-peer learning series, where fellows lead sessions on specialized topics of their choice or from their regions

- Toolkits and templates aligned with real UN processes (e.g., gender analysis frameworks, ToRs, reporting templates)

- “Learning Capsules”—short, mobile-friendly micro-courses on project design, advocacy, and results reporting

8. How frequently would you prefer such learning opportunities to be made available?

I prefer such learning opportunities to be monthly.

9. What incentives or features would encourage you to regularly visit, contribute to, and remain active on the platform?

- Interactive storytelling features—audio/photo diaries

- Spotlight active members or contributors in newsletters and social media

- Exclusive access: Priority invitations to high-profile events or funding opportunities

10. How can we make the platform inclusive and accessible to all fellows across various regions, including those with limited internet connectivity?

- Build-in translation tool in English, French, and Portuguese

- Optimize the platform for mobile use and slower internet speeds

- Allow offline access

11. How would you prefer to provide feedback or suggestions once the platform is launched?

Comments can be provided through regular feedback loops or through a pool at the end of online events organized for alumni.

⁠I2. Is there anything specific we should avoid or be mindful of when developing the alumni platform?

- Time zone difference when planning webinars 

- Avoid content overload. Quality and relevance over quantity

- Don't forget to include alumni who moved into non-UN spaces

In addition to Francine’s suggestions above, kindly see below:

7. What type of ongoing learning or professional development resources would you find most beneficial?
Thematic podcasts that highlight leadership journeys would be beneficial.

8. How frequently would you prefer such learning opportunities to be made available?
Either monthly or quarterly, depending on the opportunity type.

9. What incentives or features would encourage you to regularly visit, contribute to, and remain active on the platform?

-Consideration for opportunities (consultancies, sounding boards, and participation in events)

- An Idea lab that enables fellows to share ideas and get feedback, mentorship, or small grants to try them out.

- A global café that facilitates casual virtual meetups hosted by fellows to connect across regions.

10. How can we make the platform inclusive and accessible to all fellows across various regions, including those with limited internet connectivity?

-Make the platform easy to use on phones and with low data usage

-Offer downloadable content for offline use (like PDFs and recordings)

11. How would you prefer to provide feedback or suggestions once the platform is launched?
-Pulse check polls embedded in the platform for instant feedback

-Informal  channels: voice notes/messages to focal person

-surveys

12. Is there anything specific we should avoid or be mindful of when developing the alumni platform?
Ensure the platform is inclusive and agile, welcoming all fellows, not just those still in the UN system. Keep it simple and flexible to minimise bureaucracy and maximise meaningful engagement.

7. What type of ongoing learning or professional development resources would you find most beneficial?

Webinars could be organised around specific themes and feature subject-matter experts actively working in those areas.
Masterclasses could focus either on practical, job-related skills (e.g., project management) or on essential professional development topics (e.g., salary negotiation during interviews, building a strong personal brand on LinkedIn at different levels etc.)

8. How frequently would you prefer such learning opportunities to be made available?
Depending on the nature of the activity, monthly or quarterly offerings would be appropriate. However, maintaining at least one meaningful engagement each month is essential to sustain momentum and keep the community actively involved

9. What incentives or features would encourage you to regularly visit, contribute to, and remain active on the platform?
Provision of priority access to opportunities such as events (whether online or in-person)
A feature of story highlights of women making it in the industry within this group or outside this group- I think that would be inspiring!

10. How can we make the platform inclusive and accessible to all fellows across various regions, including those with limited internet connectivity?
Recorded events (e.g. webinars) that we can go back to
Downloadable resources and offline access

11. How would you prefer to provide feedback or suggestions once the platform is launched?
Feedback forms and surveys for general feedback but also after certain activities e.g. webinars
Have a tool/channel on the platform that is constantly open for people to give feedback anytime (have options for being anonymous or open so people choose)

12. Is there anything specific we should avoid or be mindful of when developing the alumni platform?
Make it simple and easy to use- don't load it too much to avoid difficulties in navigating the platform
Remember privacy and data protections rules 
Inclusivity- accommodate everyone in all aspects e.g. language, whether they are within the UN or outside etc

7. What type of ongoing learning or professional development resources would you find most beneficial? (e.g., expert webinars, masterclasses, online courses, toolkits)

• Expert webinars and masterclasses on relevant development topics would be most beneficial.

8. How frequently would you prefer such learning opportunities to be made available?

• Once per quarter.

9. What incentives or features would encourage you to regularly visit, contribute to, and remain active on the platform?

• Opportunities to engage – through invitations to attend events or contribute to online discussion boards – would be an effective way of encouraging visits to the platform.

10. How can we make the platform inclusive and accessible to all fellows across various regions, including those with limited internet connectivity?

• The platform should be lightweight and mobile-friendly, with features that work well even on low-bandwidth connections. It could also offer offline options—such as downloadable content or summaries shared via email or WhatsApp. Rotating time zones for live sessions and providing recordings or transcripts would help accommodate fellows across different regions and connectivity levels.

11. How would you prefer to provide feedback or suggestions once the platform is launched?

• Via email.

⁠I2. Is there anything specific we should avoid or be mindful of when developing the alumni platform?

• It’s important that the platform has a dedicated moderator or focal point (a “human face” behind the network) to foster active engagement and avoid it becoming just a passive online space.

7. What type of ongoing learning or professional development resources would you find most beneficial? (e.g., expert webinars, masterclasses, online courses, toolkits)

• Expert webinars and masterclasses on relevant development topics, with regional focuses and case studies. 
• Shorts (videos) on latest releases (frameworks, tools, platforms, apps, books, etc...).

8. How frequently would you prefer such learning opportunities to be made available?

• Every trimester.

9. What incentives or features would encourage you to regularly visit, contribute to, and remain active on the platform?

• An 'Events' tab or newsletter where all upcoming online and in-person events (panel discussions, seminars, study/review releases, etc...) relevant to the development sector would be effective.
• Live 'catch-up' sessions.

10. How can we make the platform inclusive and accessible to all fellows across various regions, including those with limited internet connectivity?

• Mobile-friendly, low bandwith.
• More language options (Kiswahili/French/Portuguese/Spanish).
• Rotating times zones for online events and live sessions.
• Subtitles on visual content.

11. How would you prefer to provide feedback or suggestions once the platform is launched?

• Via a form sent by email.

⁠I2. Is there anything specific we should avoid or be mindful of when developing the alumni platform?

I'd recommend:

• Adding the option to activate or deactivate notifications, if possible.
• Hiring a permanent moderator for the platform.

Hi Priscilla,

Lovely to hear from you.

Thank you for taking time to share your thoughts with us. These reflections will be useful and crucial as we shape our Alumni website.

Thanks so much!