Connecting global knowledge to drive sustainable impact with UNDP's SparkBlue
Bringing digital transformation to the United Nations
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Sub-Communities
30.685+
Groups created
39.000+
Courses
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Content items created
A platform for global online collaboration
UNDP works with over 190 governments and maintains offices in more than 170 countries and territories. With around 23.000 personnel and thousands of active projects, UNDP advances development across climate, governance, gender equality, health, crisis response and resilience. To coordinate this global mandate, UNDP launched SparkBlue, the United Nations Development Programme’s (UNDP) flagship digital platform for online engagement and collaboration. This innovative platform, SparkBlue, enables users to actively contribute to the Global Development Agenda by providing expert insights, sharing knowledge, and participating in high-level discussions that shape global policy.
Why UNDP chose Open Social
Before SparkBlue, UNDP relied on email-based networks for communities of practice. Contributions were hard to trace, insights were buried in inboxes and it was difficult for teams to find peers with the right experience. Consultations were also fragmented across tools and languages.
UNDP needed a partner, not just software. Open Social provided:
- An open, partner-driven approach aligned with UNDP’s development mission
- European-built, open-source technology that supports platform sovereignty and data protection
- Enterprise flexibility for complex, multi-stakeholder collaboration at a global scale
Open Social was selected as a long-term collaborator that could evolve with SparkBlue’s growing ecosystem. What made Open Social's SparkBlue particularly special is its ability to host multiple Communities of Practice (CoPs), including organizations such as UNESCO, UNICEF, and other UN bodies. These CoPs leverage the platform’s network effects, where the value of the platform increases as more participants engage, share expertise, and collaborate.
This network power fosters collective intelligence, networked learning, and the co-creation of integrated solutions across diverse issues such as climate change, poverty reduction, and gender equality.
SparkBlue allows global experts to pool resources, share strategies and co-create solutions in a unified digital space, maximizing the impact of their work.
SparkBlue connects people and knowledge to deliver impact
Engagement on SparkBlue is consistently high, reflecting the platform’s success in fostering active collaboration among global development stakeholders. Users participate in online discussions, contribute to e-consultations, and engage in thematic events, ensuring that the platform remains a vibrant, dynamic hub for knowledge exchange.
Gayan Peiris, UNDP’s Head of Digital and AI Enablement, describes what SparkBlue means for the organisation:
“SparkBlue helps us connect people and knowledge, giving staff development intelligence at their fingertips to deliver impact in all countries. [...] Before SparkBlue, knowledge was managed through email networks and so much of that value was lost. Now we have a space where people can connect directly, share their experiences and find the right expertise when it matters.”
SparkBlue ensures that every discussion and consultation feeds into strategies and policies that support real-world development impact.
Today, UNDP and Open Social co-create at every step. SparkBlue is evolving into a smarter and more inclusive global collaboration ecosystem through AI-driven tools that help users discover, summarize and navigate knowledge across hundreds of communities. This partnership enhances UNDP’s ability to learn, consult and collaborate across borders, strengthening institutional memory and speeding up collective action.
Connect. Collaborate. Thrive.