The International Water Association’s new membership platform, Connect Plus, went live on 17 January. A suite of exciting features, including powerful networking tools and an exclusive water sector library, are all combined in a sleek and intuitive design. Find out more about what is be on offer.
As the leading global water sector membership association, two of IWA’s vital capacities are those it has in supporting and sustaining networking and, interlinked with this, in generating and sharing knowledge. This is precisely why networking and knowledge are right at the heart of the Association’s new membership platform, Connect Plus, which was opened for access on 17 January.
Taking over from the current Connect platform, Connect Plus delivers an integrated, one-stop, self-service portal that is designed to be an enabler for participation from and between all parts of the world. Alongside the powerful networking and knowledge experience, it will provide members with a way to easily manage their membership. At the heart the platform is an intuitive homepage that allows users to find everything they need quickly.
The sleek design of Connect Plus is supported by fast loading of content and a responsive display to best match each user’s browser and device type, all to ensure users get the best experience. Use of the latest design tools, such as Google’s Angular platform, has made it possible to shape the new platform to match IWA’s exact needs.
Powering the network
The homepage provides easy access to an array of networking features, especially each user’s own personalised feed of posts from IWA’s extensive global network of water sector professionals.
Members can decide whether to post publicly or to their chosen communities, opening the way for them to connect with a real ‘who’s who’ of the sector – IWA’s membership. A special section on featured members shines a light on a regularly changing selection of people, giving members an opportunity to raise their profile and connect with water thought leaders. The homepage also provides each user with easy access to one of the most important aspects of IWA membership – their selected topic-focused Specialist Groups.
Access to insight
The homepage is also the gateway to exclusive information resources and latest insights on the water sector around the world.
Users will be kept right up to date by a weekly newsfeed of carefully curated stories on issues and developments spanning policy announcements, scientific findings, and themes such as sustainability, climate change, and health and environmental concerns.
Alongside this, users will be able to delve into a fantastic new resource – the IWA ‘treasure chest’ of written, audio and video content all brought together in a fully-searchable and indexed library. Users will be able to open the lid and already access more than 4000 conference papers, more than 1400 magazine articles, and hundreds of videos, webinars, reports and podcasts, with more resources being added all the time. This all marks a step-change in accessibility of this content, adding a new level of value to IWA membership. And if that is not enough, the Connect Plus homepage includes dedicated feeds of IWA announcements, of the latest and most read publications, and access to curated learning opportunities and resources to support professional development.
A community and event hub
The combination of elegant design backed by powerful technology means Connect Plus marks a new era for IWA in terms of the platform’s role as a community and event hub.
IWA’s many communities are what makes the Association such a driving force in the water sector. This is especially due to its 50+ topic-focused Specialist Groups, the national and geographically-focused Governing Members, and the thriving global and national Young Water Professional groupings. Connect Plus represents a powerful enabler for these communities, arming them with a new suite of tools and options. Thanks to these, leaders of communities will be better able to harness the energies and enthusiasm of their respective groups, thanks in particular to intelligent dashboards that reveal insights on their community. Equally, community members will be better able to interact with their peers around the world.
Events are also a huge part of IWA, not least because of the focus they provide for networking, the sharing of information, and the creation of knowledge. Connect Plus adds greater power to this event offering – providing users with easy access to information and registration for IWA’s conferences and webinars.
A platform for progress
Connect Plus represents an important investment by IWA to enhance the value of membership of the Association, harnessing digital tools to facilitate access and participation from all parts of the world. The structured and intensive development programme behind the project has been geared towards ensuring Connect Plus can meet current and future needs. This is thanks in particular to use of industry-leading tools alongside expert input to create a smooth and engaging user experience. It means members will get more from their membership, that the many communities and networks within the IWA network can engage more widely and effectively, and that the IWA Secretariat will be better able to deliver bespoke products and services to the members. Together, this all means Connect Plus will strengthen IWA’s capacity to secure progress on its strategic goals aimed at achieving a world in which water is wisely managed. •
Access Connect Plus at: https://www.iwaconnectplus.org
IWA members with queries about accessing Connect Plus should contact: members@iwahq.org
Already in the Treasure Chest of the Connect Plus library
139 reports and podcasts
232 videos
110 webinars
1436 magazine articles
4131 conference papers
