Mapping Out Cross-Regional Expert Exchange: A Practical Orientation to Global Peer Collaboration and Growth

"There is enormous power in cross-regional learning. Bringing together experts on one focus topic from different regions allows them to grow in a unique way..."



This resource is designed to offer practitioners of media development organisations step-by-step guidance on how to implement a cross-regional expert exchange programme. This kind of programme is designed to bring together highly qualified professionals who are experts in their field to build their skills and learn from one another. The guidance draws on the experience of the Media Viability Ambassador programme, a pilot project implemented by Deutsche Welle (DW) Akademie in 2023, which brought together ten media viability (MV) experts from ten different countries around the world to learn together and exchange information.



As explained in the guide, "As a result of digital transformation, changing user habits, disinformation and eroding trust in media, many media organizations around the world find themselves locked in an existential struggle. In many countries, this development is exacerbated by authoritarian governments threatening freedom of the press and shrinking spaces for civil society organizations. Subsequently, fewer people have access to reliable and relevant information. To find ways out of the systemic crisis, media development challenges must be tackled on different levels. Media viability consultancy for individual media organizations or media and information literacy trainings for the general population, for instance, are as important as shaping policy debates aiming at improved legal and political conditions for media ecosystems. Most importantly: Extraordinary challenges need new ways of working together. Thus, there is an urgent need to join forces, exchange experiences and come up with joint ideas for solutions."



An exchange programme can function to sharpen the skills and abilities of its participants (such as consultancy, advocacy, or training skills) and at the same time deepen their knowledge of specialised content. In particular, cross-regional exchange allows experts to enrich their knowledge with insights from different parts of the world and to understand a chosen focus topic more holistically. According to the guide, eventually, such a programme can leverage the power of an international group to reach advocacy goals on the policy level together. It can also help to make experts from all different world regions more visible.



The guide covers the following:



1. Developing the concept of cross-regional exchange programmes: This section describes the first step in the process, focusing on how to co-create the workshop by identifying joint goals and reaching clarity about roles and resources. It also offers guidance on conducting an ideation workshop using human-centred design methods to identify important elements of the programme and shape its design.



2. Planning the programme: This section looks at how to select participants, who should be diverse and include media consultants, researchers and academics, journalists, media practitioners and managers, advocates and legal experts, and trainers and educators. It also offers guidance on what content to cover and the ideal timeline for implementation.



3. Application and selection process: This section offers suggested selection criteria for individual candidates and for group composition (e.g., regional or gender diversity). It also includes step-by-step guidance on how to manage the application process by using, for example, written applications and online interviews.



4. Implementation: Peer exchange and capacity development: Once the expert group is established, the guide recommends a mix of online modules and at least one face-to-face meeting to bring people together. "Online modules allow for a continuous exchange and learning process over time, while a face-to-face meeting is a real booster for the group process of familiarisation, creating trust, unleashing creativity and the motivation for active cooperation." It also offers advice on group management, as managing a cross-regional group of experts who are slowly getting to know each other and who are very busy with their everyday work outside of the programme can be challenging.