The main objectives of the event were to:

• Provide UN staff from Headquarters, regional, sub-regional and country offices, as well as participants from government, civil society and academia, with the opportunity to create new, and reinforce existing, networks;
• Foster knowledge sharing within and across organizations;
• Practice the use of tools and methodologies for knowledge and experience;
• Demonstrate how knowledge sharing may improve the effectiveness and impact of field-level activities; and
• Share concrete examples of innovative approaches and lessons learned from successful programmes as a first step towards codification.

One outcome of this Inter-Agency Knowledge Fair was to explore ways to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the UN development system in the area of Policy Advice vs. Implementation: how to find the right positioning for UN development activities at the country level?.

This Inter-Agency Knowledge Fair showcased concrete case studies of joint field initiatives that were selected through a "Call for Papers" (see below) to focus on lessons learned, challenges and knowledge sharing strategies.

Different interactive session formats with a focus on inter-Agency experiences and lessons learned were used as methodologies during the event. They were inspired by previous “share fairs” and independent initiatives (knowledge cafés, communities of practices, the One Knowledge Initiative, etc.) that have aimed at improving organizational learning and increasing the UN system’s efficiency and effectiveness. Participants were encouraged to explore different face-to-face methods and virtual knowledge sharing tools, and present innovative solutions that encourage effective collaboration and networking.

In particular, the inter-Agency knowledge on "Policy Advice vs. Implementation" used the following methodologies:

- Speed-networking is a large group method to quickly introduce participants to each other and get people that have never met to become more comfortable with one another at the beginning of a meeting. Participants had 6 minutes to seat with someone they didn’t know and introduce themselves and their work, before the facilitator would ring a bell and they would all move to seat with a new partner. This format was repeated for around 30 minutes, which allowed participants to meet the other country teams and break the ice.

- Exhibition stands were set up by each project team to inform the other participants about the selected initiatives showcased.

- Marketplace and Fund Raising Exercise: Participants wandered around the project booths to learn informally about each project. The teams were instructed to "sell" their projects by explaining what was innovative or interesting about it and why other teams would want to know more. Participants had each been given 300 "UN Francs" and asked to bid on the projects that they wanted to discuss more in depth. The 6 projects with the most "money" were selected to be discussed during the "Knowledge Mela". The remaining 10 projects were divided into two groups and were discussed during two Knowledge Cafes.

- The Knowledge Mela is an opportunity to showcase selected case studies of joint field initiatives around topics of interest to the community of participants. It is designed to emphasize interaction and knowledge-sharing between presenters and participants.  Members learn about the work of the presenters and the presenters gain insights from the participants. The Mela consists of three sessions:

1. the Walkaround: the participants circulate to each table, interact with the Presenters and ask questions about the presentation. The Presenters do not answer and the questions are written down on cards to take up to the Discussion Session. (6 rotations)
2. the Discussion: the presenters and facilitator for each project seat a table and the participants go to the table they are the most interested in. The participants select the question they would like to discuss the most out of all the questions that were asked and written down during the Walkaround. The table discussions proceed on that question for as long as there is interest, before a second question can be taken up. At the end of the first session, time is called by the facilitators and participants move to a second table, while presenters and facilitators remain seated. (2 rotations)
3. the Report Back: each team presents one “take-away” from the discussion sessions. In particular, what new insights the presenters have gained from the interactions with the participants.

- A Knowledge Café is a whole group interaction method focused on conversations. A Café Conversation is a creative process for leading collaborative dialogue, sharing knowledge and creating possibilities for action in groups of all sizes. The environment is set up like a café, with paper-covered tables. Participants are divided into 5 groups and each group seat with a project team for a 20-minute discussion about one or more questions that were meaningful to them. At the end of each round, the presenting project teams remain at each table while the five groups rotate. The project teams welcome the newcomers and share the essence of that table's conversation so far. The newcomers relate any conversational threads they are carrying and then the conversation continues, deepening as the round progresses. This was repeated until everyone had had a chance to discuss each project.

The event was open to UN staff from Headquarters, regional and country offices, as well as to relevant representatives from governments, civil society and academia. Participants brought their perspectives and practical experiences in inter-Agency work.

Interested participants were invited to complete a Call for Papers form and submit their proposal describing a concrete joint field initiative by 13 August 2010 to Fleur Vernat, copying Francesco Galtieri. This form guided proposals to focus on the main challenges and lessons learned, as well as the knowledge sharing strategies that could have been adopted.