Facilitating the Mobilization and Sharing of Biodiversity Data using a Standard, Open, and Replicable Course Curriculum

Abstract

The Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) empowers its global network through capacity-building activities that promote and enable the efficient mobilization and use of information about biodiversity. These activities work across capacity development levels, targeting individuals, institutions, nations, and global regions. This work expands the communities of practice engaged with the collection and curation of biodiversity. GBIF efforts build partnerships that institutionalize new capacity within a growing network of data publishing institutions. Coordination and dissemination is supported through the development of Participant nodes and regional collaborations. The Biodiversity Information for Development (BID) and the Biodiversity Information Fund for Asia (BIFA) programmes illustrate how a standardized, open, and replicable training curriculum underpins the success of funding programmes. These programmes support the biodiversity community and increase the amount of data mobilized and shared openly for use in science and research. During this presentation, we will describe the role that the Biodiversity Data Mobilization course plays in GBIF’s approach to capacity enhancement. We will review successes and challenges and discuss the processes used to continually improve our approach to training and capacity development.