Shared resources

Transition Network is a UK-based charity that takes positive action to spark, support and connect community-led responses to the challenges of peak oil, climate change and inequality.

Over the last five years, this community movement has grown rapidly. There are now thousands of local people working together in Transition initiatives to ensure that all sectors of society can live well, and that the most disadvantaged groups in society will not be the most harshly affected.

A new ‘knowledge sharing service’

For these ‘Transitioners’, the www.transitionnetwork.org website is a hugely important tool.  It enables them to share expertise, resources, project ideas, stories, and stay connected and inspired – locally, nationally and even globally. But the charity found that local Transition groups were also using their own websites, and that some essential information was not being updated across all sites.

With investment from Nominet Trust, Transition Network is now developing a ‘decentralised knowledge sharing service’.

Immediate automatic updates

The new 'Projects Sharing Engine' will enable users to view, publish and edit project case studies through their own initiative websites. The details will be automatically updated on the Transition Network website and, via that, distributed to other Transition initiative websites, locality searches, newsletters and personalised news feeds.

Developing the Projects Sharing Engine is a complicated social and technical challenge involving shared data structures, different user journeys, and issues of privacy and authority between sites. It plans to develop an expert user group of ‘Transition Technologists’ from different initiatives to form a Community of Practice to develop the Projects Sharing Engine collaboratively and in a sustainable way.

Easy access to shared good practice

Once up and running, the Projects Sharing Engine will help spread ideas more quickly. Volunteers will be able to shar knowledge and experience about running effective projects ranging from promoting local food and renewable energy to working effectively with local councils – projects that help people all over the UK better prepare for a future with less reliance on fossil fuels.