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Middle East Water and Livelihoods Initiative (WLI)

A Shared Workspace for the WLI

Website www.icarda.org/WLI

What is a Wiki?

A Wiki is a portal website that allows the simple creating, sharing, and editing of files, pages, and folders in a centralized, reserved area, with the aim to access, share and exchange knowledge.  It takes power out of a centralized area (such as a web developer) and places it in the hands of its users to shape and move forward a specific idea or topic of common interest. 

Below is a brief video explanation on what is a Wiki:

Objectives of Using the Wiki

·   Give WLI partners and stakeholders a platform to access archived and working documents;

·    Encourage participation among WLI partners and stakeholders for WLI development;

·    Enable broad range of ideas and thinking that reflects the spectrum of interests      among WLI partners and stakeholders. 

Instructions for Using the WLI Wiki

• This is our shared workspace for working with WLI stakeholders and activities.
• Logging into the Wiki: Anyone can view and download pages and files.  To edit or add folders, files, and pages, you need to Log in on the upper right-hand corner of the home page.  If you do not have a username and password, click on request access.  You will be prompted to enter your email address and a short message, which will be sent to the administrator requesting access.  This is a way to restrict use and control of the materials to only WLI participants.  
• Navigating and Editing the Wiki: On the right-hand side you will find an option labeled ‘navigator’,  which lists all folders, files, and pages for common use.  To access a page or file, click on the appropriate folder.  For example, if interested in accessing documents related to education activities, click on Thematic Group-Education.  You will see a list of pages, which you can click to access and edit.  If available, you can also access files, which will also be shown by clicking on files at the bottom of the box.
  • To edit a page, simply click edit on the top of each page.  When you are finished, click on the ‘save’ button at the bottom of the page. To view the history of edits, click on page history on the right-hand side of the page.
    • !!! A note on Pages: Pages will be the most frequently-used items on the wiki.  They are fluid documents that can be quickly edited, allowing up-to-date information to be posted immediately.  The thematic group on education has a number of pages already created and ready to be edited.  Similar pages can be created by users reflecting their priorities in any folder.  We highly encourage users engage in these sections.
    • !!! A note on Files: Files most commonly serve as basic documents for a given thematic discipline. Files which will be uploaded to the WIKI are those of relevant importance to WLI different activities, and will contribute to the enrichment of the E-Library of the partners and stakeholders.
  • To create a new file/folder/page, click on pages and files from the upper right-hand corner of the home page.  You will see a directory of all folders, files, and pages.  Click on new on the upper left-hand side.  A drop-down menu will allow you to choose “page” or “file.”  It will allow you to input the name and also the location (if it is a page). 

!!! Email Notifications !!! Each user account is set up to automatically receive updates each hour.  You can change this to receive updates instantly. If you do not want to receive the automatic e-mail alerts, you can  choose to turn off email updates.  Simply click on account on the top, right-hand section of the Wiki.  In the next screen, click on the home tab.  Under preferences you can control how often to receive (or not receive) updates  to the Wiki.    

Help 

• The PBworks Manual
• See also the help button at the top right of the page.  The help section allows you to type a query.  On the help page is also a support center link that contains access to video tutorials.
• Please feel free to contact Tareq Bremer (t.bremer@cgiar.org) for navigation issues and technical questions to Fadi Karam (f.karam@cgiar.org).