About us
Solution Exchange is an initiative of the
United Nations Country Team in Bhutan.
It is a knowledge network to help development practitioners increase the effectiveness of their individual efforts, tapping into the collective knowledge and experience of practitioners across Bhutan as well as from external practitioners. The network is
all about mining knowledge, channeling solutions. As an informal forum it connects people who share similar interests and concerns, enabling them to learn from each other to address the day to day issues they face in their respective fields. Solution Exchange Bhutan brings them together not only virtually but face to face.
It is a multi thematic and an inclusive community, inviting participation of officials from government, multilateral and bilateral organizations, NGOs, academics/researchers and other professionals in and outside Bhutan concerned with the development of the country and the MDGs. It is also a tool to share comparative experiences and good practices and discuss substantive issues related to Bhutan’s development goal in the framework of the Millennium Development Goals.
Solution Exchange was launched in March 2007. Its membership currently stands at 700 members. 40% of the members are government or corporate employees, 36% are from development organizations in the country or outside, and 24% are individuals working in some way or the other with development related issues in the private sector, research or academia.
Our services include:
- Get speedy assistance via email from your peers with questions related to your development work.
- Tap into the experience of colleagues from a range of organizations both within and outside Bhutan who are actively working / have prior experience in the region.
- Request and receive assistance with various stages of project implementation - from design to evaluation.
- Benefit from the value-added services of the Solution Exchange moderator who will summarize inputs to your queries and online discussions and incorporate additional research as appropriate according to a structured format - the "Consolidated Reply" - that will maximize its utility to development professionals.
- Interact as individuals with your fellow practitioners in an impartial space at no cost, and exchange solutions and ideas for achieving Bhutan's National and Millennium Development Goals.
How it works?
Solution Exchange operates primarily through basic e-mail. As a member of Solution Exchange you are also a member of the moderated Solution Exchange mail-group. When you come across a challenge and would like to have ideas from your colleagues, put your query in an e-mail and the mail-group moderator will post it to the whole mail-group. Your colleagues in the mail-group will offer advice, experience, contacts or other suggestions to help you out.
After about ten days the moderator will post a synopsis of the responses to the mail-group, including the original contributions, as well as additional helpful resources and links. You will have a quick, comprehensive response - a range of solutions to adapt to your local context and usage.
Advantages of membership include:
Recognition: When you offer assistance to fellow colleagues, your contribution is acknowledged by name. Your peers gain a wider appreciation of your knowledge, advancing your professional standing in the Network.
Anonymous postings: Should you choose to send a query or respond to a query without having your name mentioned, this is also possible. You send your input to the moderator with a note requesting anonymity when the e-mail is posted to the Solution Exchange mail-group. This will always be respected.
National, Regional and Global reach: Solution Exchange Bhutan links with regional and global networks. You can join these for wider exposure and visibility, and tap them for the knowledge and experience of other countries.
Knowledge Database: All contributions, synopses and additional references will be stored in a cross-referenced repository on the Solution Exchange website, which you as a member can use free of charge
Solution Exchange therefore connects people and expands knowledge. It represents United Nations Country Team in Bhutan as a facilitator of knowledge building under the framework of Millennium Development Goals related to Bhutan’s goals and targets.