Policy support gateway

About The Policy Support Portal is a toolkit of approaches, techniques, and good practices, that enables access to:

The Catalogue of policy support tools and methodologies, containing policy support tools and policy instruments linked to assessments, case studies, learning opportunities, and communities of practice. The Methodological guidance developed by IPBES, currently including guidance on using scenarios and models, and on the diverse conceptualisation of values. Links to relevant policy support tools and instruments are included.

In order to add content to the Catalogue of Policy Support Tools and Methodologies you need to be signed in with your IPBES account. If you are registered, please log in and read the information below. If you are not registered, please register here.

Then, you should decide whether your resource is relevant to IPBES work and if so, under which section of the Catalogue it falls. Your resource should have the potential to support policy formulation and implementation in relation to biodiversity and ecosystems.

Links to create content

• Add Policy Support Tool or Policy Instrument

• Add Case Study

• Add Capacity-building opportunities and resources​

• Add Assessment

Instructions for uploading content

The step-by-step guide below, provides detailed guidance regarding the type of content that can be uploaded to the catalogue, and on how to do it. Kindly note that even though this guide is also available in French and Spanish (courtesy translations), content for the catalogue can only be uploaded in English.

• English

• French

Since case studies provide examples relating to the practical application of policy support tools or instruments, it is strongly encouraged to have a variety of case studies for each of those. To the extent possible, please do bear this in mind when selecting the material to upload.

Approval process

When you have created content it will appear in a tab on your IPBES website user account page. Content that has been submitted will be reviewed by Technical Support Unit and published.

Frequently asked questions

How do I search for resources?

The information stored in the catalogue of policy support tools and methodologies is accessible through a variety of filters, including families of policy support tools and methodologies; categories of policy instrument or scale of application, among others.

1) You can perform a search by entering a specific keyword (no sentences):

2) If you already know the type of product(s) you are looking for, tick all that apply:

3) You can also narrow down your search with the following filters, by ticking all that apply (open the headers by clicking on the +):

Can I add any comments relating to specific resources found in the catalogue?

Yes, and you are encouraged to do so. There is a comments box at the bottom of the page for each resource. The purpose of this is for users to leave constructive feedback on the individual resources. This will contribute to the exchange of experiences with respect to any specific resources, while also contributing to ensuring the content in the catalogue is correct and up to date. If you have any experiences to share with others, or even if you have a concern or suggestion regarding a particular resource then please share your views in the comments box at the bottom of each relevant page. How is the quality of the catalogue’s content controlled?

As requested by the Plenary in decision IPBES-4/1, it is intended that policy support tools and methodologies in the catalogue are “provided by experts, Governments and stakeholders” through an “open and transparent process”. The intention is therefore that wherever possible original content is provided by those responsible for development of the tools or methodologies; but that opportunity is also provided through a comments section for users of the catalogue to provide their own feedback on the use and value of specific tools and methodologies, in order to gather feedback in a transparent manner. Users are encouraged to be proactive in their use of the catalogue, and so comment when they think a resource needs editing, updating, or even removing if the content is unsatisfactory in any way. This feedback is extremely valuable. What is the "community of practice" in the policy support portal?

One of the goals of the policy support portal is to promote peer-to-peer exchange of information, knowledge and experiences to contribute to the achievement of IPBES mandate to support policy formulation and implementation for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity and ecosystems. For this purpose, the portal includes the ‘Community’ section of the website.

This can be found beneath the search bar and related tags on the catalogue home page. It is a compilation of registered "experts" in certain tools or instruments from the catalogue. It is a quick way to get in touch with experts in a particular field. You can use the search bar to search for experts and practitioners in certain areas. You can either enter a specific key word, or use the drop-down list of filters (Category of policy instruments; Family of policy support tools; Sub/region covered) to refine your search to find relevant experts and practitioners. If you are an expert or practitioner in any tool or instrument in the catalogue, please click the "I'm an expert in this tool/instrument" button on the right-hand side beneath the blue navigation box. This will register you in our "community of practice".

Are the tools listed in the Catalogue available at "no cost"?

The Catalogue aims to list all relevant available tools and methodologies. Some of the publications may be open sources, however, some may not. The tools may be on specific websites, and thus the usage rights are dependent on the tool developer. Who can add a resource? Can I?

Only registered members can add a resource. If you would like to upload a resource and are not a member yet, please register here What type of resources can be added to the Catalogue?

The categories of resources that can be uploaded include:

policy instruments policy support tools case studies – only if they are linked to a tool or instrument learning opportunities – only if they are linked to a tool or instrument

What is considered a case study?

Case studies are past or ongoing projects that illustrate the use of relevant tools and/or instruments. What are learning opportunities?

Learning opportunities are means to help build the knowledge and skills necessary for the application of relevant tools and instruments. E.g. in-person and online training, massive open online courses (MOOCs), webinars.

How do I upload a resource to the Catalogue?

Please note that only registered members can add a resource. If you are not registered yet, please register using this form

Once you are registered and signed in, please go to the ‘Add content’ page and from there select which resource you would like to upload (guidance documents for uploading content are available in English, French, Spanish, and Arabic on the 'Add content' page).

Before uploading, please look into the following aspects:

Please only upload case studies and learning opportunity which you can link with tools/instruments already in the Catalogue, or first upload the tool/instrument the case study or learning opportunity will refer to. Please check if the resource has not already been uploaded to the Catalogue by another user. Please check that the resource is relevant. To be relevant, your resource should have the potential to support policy formulation and implementation in relation to biodiversity and ecosystems.

How long should it take for newly registered resources to appear in the Catalogue?

Content that has been submitted will be reviewed by the Technical Support Unit (TSU). We hope to get all submitted content online as soon as possible, so it should take no more than 48 hours. This depends, however, on the scale of any changes that are suggested by the TSU and the speed with which these are responded to by the author. Can I search the Catalogue from anywhere – even my phone?

Yes Is it possible to enlarge text?

You can enlarge text on your browser itself. Hold down the ‘control’ (Ctrl) button on the keyboard, and scroll the mouse wheel in or out. Once you have begun zooming, you can edit it more accurately by pressing the zoom button in the top right-hand corner of the web browser, at the end of the search bar – it looks like a magnifying glass. Here you can also reset the zoom to its normal level. The zoom button then disappears. Is your question missing?

Contact

If you have any questions or require support please contact: Daniela Guaras ([e-mail])