European Sustainable Development Network’s Peer Learning Platforms

The Peer Learning Platforms were conceptualized by the ESDN Advisory Board (AB), a group of national level civil servants from 8 European countries. The Platforms were implemented by the ESDN Office at the Institute for Managing Sustainability, who are a group of researchers with knowledge on different sustainable development topics and event coordination. Together, the AB and ESDN Office select a topic relevant in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs. An ESDN member country or partner organization volunteers to host the Platform. This country agrees to cover the costs of the Platform venue, coffee breaks, and catering. The human resources that the ESDN Office uses to carry out the Platforms is covered by a portion of the overall ESDN budget, which is financed through ESDN Regular Membership fees. In the case of the past 5 Peer Learning Platforms, the annual contributions from the 8 Advisory Board countries constitutes the ESDN budget. The ESDN, therefore, covers the costs for the ESDN Office to prepare the Platforms, the Office’s travel costs, and perform on-site management. The host country needs to provide in-kind human resources to collaborate with the ESDN Office for the preparation Platform’s program. However, the bulk of the tasks fall under the responsibility of the ESDN Office. Regarding monitoring, the ESDN Office provides surveys to all participants about their experiences during the Platforms and uses that information to improve upon the process for all subsequent Platforms.