Establishing an Effective GBIF Participant Node
Concepts and general considerations

March 2015

Suggested citation
GBIF Secretariat 2015. Establishing an Effective GBIF Participant Node: Concepts andgeneral considerations. Copenhagen. Available online at http://www.gbif.org/resources/9035.
ISBN number
87-92020-56-9
Persistent URI
http://www.gbif.org/resources/9035
Mélianie Raymond, Olaf Bánki, Kyle Copas, Alberto González-Talaván, Tim Hirsch, andDonald Hobern of the GBIF Secretariat contributed to this document, which is based on an
earlier publication, Towards establishing a functional GBIF Participant Node (Part I):
definitions and general considerations.
Establishing an Effective GBIF Participant Node is licensed under Creative Commons
Attribution 4.0 Unported License https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0.

Document Control
First edition. March 2015.
Cover Image© 2010, antkevyv | http://www.freeimages.com/photo/1320391

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Table of Contents
1. Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 4
2. What is a GBIF Participant node? ....................................................................................... 4
3. Why are Participant nodes needed? ................................................................................... 6
4. What services do Participant nodes provide? ..................................................................... 94.1. Supporting biodiversity data mobilization ..................................................................... 94.2. Supporting biodiversity data management and curation .............................................. 94.3. Supporting biodiversity data analysis and use ........................................................... 10
4.4. Coordinating the landscape of biodiversity-related initiatives including participating in
the GBIF network ...................................................................................................... 10
5. What do Participant nodes need to be effective? ............................................................. 11
5.1 Basic requirements ...................................................................................................... 11
Functional capacities ................................................................................................... 11
Technical capacities .................................................................................................... 12
5.2 Characteristics ............................................................................................................. 13
6. What is the recommended process for establishing a Participant node? ......................... 13
6.1 How should a GBIF Participant select the institutional location for a node? ............... 17
6.2 What are the recommendations on the staff roles within nodes? ................................ 18
7. Further support for establishing a Participant node .......................................................... 19
7.1 How can I find examples of Participant nodes? .......................................................... 19
7.2 How can the GBIF Participant Node Managers Committee assist in establishing
Participant nodes? ..................................................................................................... 20
7.3 How does GBIF support capacity enhancement for Participant nodes? ..................... 20
7.4 What other documentation and resources are available for Participant nodes? ......... 21
7.5 Contact for further support .......................................................................................... 21

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1. Introduction
The conservation and sustainable use of biological resources depend on an understandingof biodiversity and the processes that underlie it. While 250 years of biodiversity researchand data collection have generated a wealth of information, it is scattered across a multitude
of sources and formats: from museum collection specimens and local government reports topublished literature and university researchers’ own computers. On top of these historicalresources, today’s technological and scientific advances are generating more data in hugequantities and fresh formats. Mobilizing this information in a structured way while using
common standards and common platforms not only contributes to the understanding of
biodiversity, but also enables a vast range of uses, creates new research opportunities andsupports policymaking at the national and global levels.
The Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) is an international network of country andorganizational Participants that exists to enable free and open access to biodiversity datafrom all sources and to support biodiversity science, environmental research, and evidencebased decision-making. GBIF operates as a federated system of distributed data publishingefforts, coordinated through a global informatics infrastructure and collaborative network.
Since GBIF’s founding in 2001, the participating countries and organizations have been
testing and developing models for coordinating the mobilization, management and reuse of
biodiversity data at the national level or within an organization’s scope. The formation ofParticipant ‘nodes’ has been central to these efforts. Designated by each Participant, theseteams coordinate the needs and interests of the many stakeholders involved.
This guide draws on the experience of the GBIF network to offer guidance on establishing aneffective Participant node. It targets two main audiences within the ‘GBIF family’: thedelegates representing each Participant on the GBIF Governing Board, and the nodemanagers appointed to coordinate biodiversity information facilities within each country ororganization. It introduces key concepts and generalized views of Participant node activities,
including recommendations on a participatory approach to follow in designating a node, anddesigning its governance structures.

2. What is a GBIF Participant node?
Participants in GBIF are countries, international organizations or economies having signed
the GBIF Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). Signatories to this agreement express
their commitment to establish a co-ordinated effort to support open access and use of
biodiversity data, to advance scientific research, and to promote technological andsustainable development.
A GBIF Participant node is the coordinating team designated by a Participant toestablish, strengthen and expand the GBIF-related activities of the country orinternational organization. The broader network of people and institutions
coordinated by the node, collectively building an infrastructure for delivering
biodiversity information, is sometimes referred to as a biodiversity information facility(see box 1).
A Participant node is typically hosted by an existing biodiversity-related institution or
institutions in the Participant country, or by Participant organizations. The node manager
leads the team and also represents the Participant on the GBIF Participant Node Managers
Committee.
A broad range of stakeholders are involved in GBIF-related activities at the Participant
level, including data holders, biodiversity knowledge experts, data users, and decisionmakers (see Box 1). Participant nodes have the role of connecting each of these audiences’needs and interests, enabling them to contribute to and benefit from participation in the GBIF
network.
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Participant nodes typically have four main functions (see also Section 4):Promoting and supporting the mobilization of biodiversity data within the country
or organization’s scope Providing expertise on biodiversity data management and improving data quality
 Encouraging the optimum reuse of available data Fostering collaboration between existing initiatives relating to biodiversity,
including making connections to the international GBIF network
Participant nodes are thus knowledge hubs both for biodiversity data and broader GBIFrelated activities. They not only guide stakeholders to relevant sources of biodiversity
information but also to such things as:

Policies relating to biodiversity and open accessExpertise on how to run digitization programmes, to organize data management andto implement data quality practices
 Individual experts in different aspects of biodiversity
 Broader information about the landscape of biodiversity initiatives
Most Participant nodes develop a collaborative framework of policies, agreements andstandards, which are adopted by their stakeholders to guide the publication, management
and use of biodiversity data.
The governance structure of each Participant node varies but often takes the form of aboard or steering committee. This configuration enables data holders, users and otherstakeholders to take collective decisions concerning the publishing and reuse of biodiversity
data while providing the node with priorities and guidance on the implementation of its work.
Participant nodes maintain an informatics infrastructure to support the publication of
biodiversity data by data holders. Many implementation models are available, from using
hosted data publication services to maintaining a distributed network of data publishers anda centralized index of the data. The node’s informatics infrastructure may also support a
range of other information products and services, for example, by maintaining a
biodiversity data portal and online tools for data analysis.

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Box 1. Definitions of key structures and roles in the GBIF network at
the level of Participant countries, economies and organizations
Key Structures
Participant: a country, economy or organization that joins GBIF by signing a
Memorandum of Understanding and establishing a co-ordinated effort to support open
access and use of biodiversity data, to advance scientific research, and to promotetechnological and sustainable development. Participant node: a coordinating teamdesignated by the Participant to establish, strengthen and expand the collective GBIF
activities in the country or organization.
Biodiversity information facility: Variously described as a ‘BIF’, a system or a network,a broader structure of people and institutions, coordinated by the node, that collectively
forms an infrastructure for delivering biodiversity information to relevant stakeholders.

Key Roles
Delegation: the team of people nominated by Participants to represent them in GBIF
decision making, under the leadership of the Head of Delegation.
Head of Delegation: the person designated by the Participant to act as its representative
to the GBIF Governing Board and take part in the global-level decision making.
Node manager: the person designated by the Participant to manage the activities of thenode to coordinate a biodiversity information facility.
Node staff: the team of people working in a Participant node. They are usually focused on
specific areas such as user support, scientific liaison or technical development.
Biodiversity information facility stakeholders: any person from within a Participant
country or organization who contributes to the overall work of the biodiversity information
facility or benefits from it. Some examples include publishers of biodiversity data, users of
GBIF-mediated data (e.g. scientific researchers, planning agencies and the private sector)
and policymakers involved in the development of data policies.

3. Why are Participant nodes needed?
Participant nodes and biodiversity information facilities help GBIF Participants increase thereturn from their past, current, and future investments in biodiversity research and datacollection. They help make the publication of primary data part of the scientificmainstream: while a well-established tradition exists for publishing the results of biodiversity
research, one for publishing the primary data on which those results are based does not yet,despite the fact that it enables further analyses. In their facilitating role, nodes help dataholders publish their data using common standards and protocols to ensure interoperability
and open access and make data available for the widest possible reuse. They also
contribute to commitments that promote transparency and open access to scientific data,
helping data holders comply with open data regulations and requirements.
Nodes play a valuable role in promoting data management practices and in encouraging thecommunity of biodiversity knowledge-holders to pool their expertise. This work can in turn
continuously improve the quality and fitness-for-use of available biodiversity data andprovide a platform for taxonomy and collaborative collection management.
By coordinating biodiversity information facilities, nodes are well positioned to assess
biodiversity data availability and gaps (taxonomic, spatial and temporal) at the Participant
level, to understand data and information use and needs, and to implement strategies in
response. Thus, nodes can contribute to setting biodiversity research priorities.

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Nodes play a role in coordinating the broad landscape of biodiversity informatics initiatives
by engaging new communities and making international connections through GBIF. This
coordination helps should seek to create strong partnerships and alignment of efforts,
complementing other biodiversity-related initiatives by providing the data foundations andinfrastructure for a wide range of applications.
Nodes can also increase the efficiency of implementing a biodiversity information facility bymaking use of the common tools, practices, information resources and opportunities forcollaborative capacity enhancement available through the GBIF network. By making theconnection to GBIF, nodes enable the integration of data mobilized at the Participant levelwith relevant data published by other countries and organizations. Data mobilized through aParticipant biodiversity information facility so serve national needs also become available forreuse by the broader international audience, raising the visibility of the Participant’s data
publishing institutions and mobilization efforts.
Finally, Participant nodes help develop capacity in the use of collective biodiversity data
resources. Their efforts support both basic and applied research relevant to policy decisions
across a range of issues of primary economic and social importance, including food security,
agricultural livelihoods, disease risk and the impacts of climate change. This also supports
information requirements for meeting national and global commitments including
biodiversity-related conventions and sustainable development goals. Thus, fully functional
Participant nodes and biodiversity information facilities are instrumental in helping
Participants achieve their own biodiversity data-related goals and targets.

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Box 2. Stakeholders involved in GBIF activities at the Participant level
The GBIF communication strategy identifies six audiences that represent different groupsof stakeholders involved in GBIF activities. While there is some overlap between thesegroups, each has separate interests and roles to play in contributing to GBIF’s vision. A
summary is presented here.

The GBIF network
This group includes node managers, staff and governance members; heads of delegationand other Governing Board delegates; advisory committee members; Secretariat staff andcontractors; and relevant staff in affiliate organizations.
The key focus of this group is to support participation in the GBIF network throughengagement with the other audiences, to support biodiversity data mobilization,
management, curation, and use.

Data holders
This group includes, among others, current GBIF data publishers; natural history collection
curators, informaticians and scientists; field biologists; citizen scientists, voluntary
recording networks and observation aggregating sites; authors, editors and publishers ofscientific research; custodians of historic biodiversity-related literature and multimedia
archives; and organizers and practitioners of surveys and monitoring programmes carriedout for public agencies, protected area management and non-governmental organizations.
The key focus of engaging with data holders is to encourage and support biodiversity
data mobilization: data digitization, data collection and ultimately publication of their data
through the GBIF network.

Biodiversity knowledge experts
This group includes zoologists, botanists, mycologists and other species specialists;taxonomists; ecologists; expert networks (e.g. IUCN, Birdlife); and nomenclatural
associations.
The key focus of engaging with biodiversity knowledge holders is to support biodiversity
data management and curation: continuously improving the quality and fitness-for-use of
the data mobilized by the GBIF network, and demonstrating that the work of these groups
benefits from strong biodiversity information facilities, at national and global levels.

Data users
This group includes ecologists, including macroecologists and biogeographers; species
distribution modellers (includes analysts of climate change impacts, invasive species risk,
human disease vectors); conservation practitioners, including protected area planners;
environmental impact analysts and strategic spatial planning authorities; genetic resources
experts (for crop diversity, medicinal compounds etc.); and the ecosystem assessment
community.
The key focus of engaging with species occurrence data users is to support biodiversity
data use: reusing the data accessible through GBIF to support biodiversity-relatedsciences and environmental research, ultimately to support evidence based decision
making.

Decision-makers
This group includes national government ministry and agency officials; research funding
agencies; intergovernmental convention officials and national delegates; and global
foundations.
The key focus of engaging with funders and executive decision makers is to build
support for all GBIF-related activities.

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Public stakeholders
This group includes educators; students; wildlife enthusiasts; environmentally engaged
individuals; and the non-scientific software developer community.
While at the global level these groups are secondary to the others, they may still be key
stakeholders involved in national or organizational GBIF activities, for example throughcitizen science initiatives. Engagement with these groups can build wider support for
activities to mobilize biodiversity data and to make biodiversity information about a country
freely available to all citizens.

4. What services do Participant nodes provide?
The specific responsibilities and services provided by each node vary considerably,
depending in part on the Participant’s priorities for joining GBIF. Furthermore, some GBIF
Participant nodes provide services that are delivered by separate biodiversity-related
institutions in other countries and organizations. Nevertheless, the services andresponsibilities of nodes can be broadly grouped into four main categories:

4.1. Supporting biodiversity data mobilization
Examples of services include:










Organizing biodiversity data within the Participant’s domain to ensure open
access to all digitally available biodiversity data
Promoting and coordinating national investment in the digitization andmobilization of biodiversity information
Providing a technical infrastructure and support to enable biodiversity data to be
published on the Internet and through the GBIF network (including collections
data, observational data, checklist data and metadata describing data sources)
Promoting the benefits of data publishing, for example, through the use of data
papers as a mechanism to gain recognition for sharing of datasets
Developing a culture of open access and supporting open data requirements
mandated, for example, through grant conditions
Maintaining a collaborative framework between data holders and users, forexample, through data sharing agreements that enable data sharing to occur
according to agreed terms and encourage data reuse
Promoting societal engagement in biodiversity issues, for example, by supporting
citizen science movements that mobilize observational data

4.2. Supporting biodiversity data management and curation
Examples of services include:







Increasing the quality of available biodiversity data, for example, through thestandardization and documentation of existing data sources with metadata
Assisting data holders with data management, using appropriate tools andpractices, for example, through capacity development programmes focused on
biodiversity informatics
Acting as a permanent repository for biodiversity data within the Participant’s
domain for data holders that do not have the capacity to maintain their own
permanent records
Providing endorsement of biodiversity data publishers to be added to the GBIF
network

Page 9 | 21Coordinating with other biodiversity-related initiatives to ensure maximum
interoperability across biodiversity data types.

4.3. Supporting biodiversity data analysis and use
Examples of services include:










Facilitating access to biodiversity data by promoting the use of the GBIF
infrastructure and/or by maintaining a national or thematic biodiversity data portal
Acting as a reference institution for biodiversity information
Providing support for biodiversity research, through evaluation of data needs anddata gaps, encouraging interdisciplinary cooperation between scientists andthrough capacity development activities
Providing support for the compilation, maintenance and publishing of national,
sub-national and thematic species inventories and checklists, and the use of
these lists to underpin other activities (e.g., conservation work, national reporting)
Providing support for policy by, for example, offering advice on the designation of
biodiversity research priorities, and helping to mainstream the use of of
biodiversity data and information in decision-making, planning, conservation andmanagement
Providing support for national reporting on biodiversity, for example under theConvention on Biological Diversity and other multilateral biodiversity-relatedagreements

4.4. Coordinating the landscape of biodiversity-related initiatives including
participating in the GBIF network
Examples of services include:









Promoting the expansion of GBIF participation to other countries andorganizations
Taking part in the GBIF Participant Node Managers Committee and regional subcommittees, by providing guidance on and contributing to the implementation of
GBIF work programmes in line with Participant priorities
Benefiting from and contributing to capacity development activities across the
network, such as mentoring, training, sharing of expertise through task groups,
participation in collaborative projects, testing and advising on new developmentsfrom other Participants and the GBIF Secretariat
Coordinating communication activities relating to biodiversity information andinformatics activities, sharing communications with the wider GBIF community
through the Secretariat, and disseminating relevant global information to
stakeholder networks within the node’s country or organization
Promoting synergies with national and regional activities involving other global
biodiversity initiatives, such as the CBD Clearing-House Mechanism, IPBES
capacity building programmes, Encyclopedia of Life, Biodiversity Heritage Libraryand others, including close liaison or joint working with relevant nodes or focal
points for these initiatives

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5. What do Participant nodes need to be effective?
5.1 Basic requirements
Capacity, defined as “the ability of individuals, institutions and societies to perform functions,solve problems and set and achieve objectives in a sustainable manner”, is a useful way ofidentifying what a Participant node needs to be effective. The GBIF capacity enhancement
framework considers capacity on three interlinked dimensions: the enabling
environment, the organization and the individual.
The strategy further classifies capacity into two broad types that apply to each of the three
dimensions:

Functional capacities: relating to organizational and institutional effectivenessTechnical capacities: the specific skills, knowledge and competencies that
Participants need to mobilize, manage and use biodiversity data
Using this framework, the following basic requirements need to be considered whenestablishing a Participant node. The lack of any of these requirements will reduce the overall
effectiveness of the node.

Functional capacities
Planning and Policy Capacity
The ability to formulate strategies, plans and policies based on relevant assessments.
1. A clear mandate (official; institutional) through which the node is given formal
responsibility for promoting, coordinating and facilitating the management and use of
biodiversity data among the relevant stakeholder institutions within the Participant’s
domain.
2. A governance structure that is representative of the major stakeholders within theParticipant's domain. An actively engaged governing body that guides and supports
the node’s work helps to ensure that the relevant actors feel ownership of the node’swork.
3. A clearly stated long-term purpose with plans for the medium and short term. The
node needs a readily understood vision and mission that motivate the node’s team,governance and broader stakeholders. The node needs to be able to formulate ageneral strategy and regular work plans in line with priorities at the Participant level.
These plans should define expectations about what the node will deliver in a given
time frame and will help evaluate the node’s performance.

Engagement Capacity
The ability to initiate and sustain partnerships and networks.
4. A collaborative framework to form a biodiversity information facility, defined andagreed to by the relevant stakeholders and partners within the Participant’s domain.
This framework should ensure that the node has a well-defined role within thelandscape of biodiversity-related institutions, based on strong partnerships andcomplementary services (see section 6.1). It should include relevant formal
agreements around data publishing and data access. It should also ensure that thenode recognizes and values its constituent organizations and individuals that
contribute to and use its services, in order to build good relationships with them.
5.

Communications and outreach plans, tools and materials to support
collaborative work between the members of the node’s network and to encourage theongoing addition of new members. Materials can include a website, newsletters,brochures, mailing lists and use of social media platforms. The GBIF communications
strategy can help identify key messages for relevant audiences, and Participants canPage 11 | 21

coordinate with the Secretariat on communication activities within the wider GBIF
network.

Implementation and Evaluation Capacity
The ability to manage, fund, budget, implement and evaluate projects and programmes.
6.

Dedicated staff members to implement the node’s mandate and work plans (seesection 6.2). The node team will require a broad range of skills, ranging frombiodiversity informatics to network coordination and supported by appropriate
training.

7.

Institutional and financial support, in line with services the node is expected toprovide and to support the delivery of the node’s work plans. Institutional support can
include administrative assistance, hosting facilities, and political endorsement
necessary to engage key partners, raise interest and visibility, and mobilize funds.

Technical capacities
Biodiversity data mobilization
The ability to collect, digitize and publish biodiversity data.
8.

An informatics infrastructure to support the mobilization of biodiversity data.
Existing tools support a range of implementation models, from using hosted data
publication tools to maintaining a distributed network of data publishers and acentralized index of data.

9.

A programme to encourage and support data holders in mobilizing their data,
including, for example, promotion of incentives for data sharing and publication,technical helpdesk assistance, the translation or adaptation of documentation andmanuals, the organization of training workshops and an e-learning platform.

Biodiversity data management and curation
The ability to manage and curate biodiversity data, as a means of continuously improving
data quality.
10. A workflow for contributing to data quality improvement, linked to the processesof endorsing data publishers joining the GBIF network and evaluation of datasets.
This can include the use of data quality tools and processes available from the GBIF
network (see GBIF Spain’s Data Quality Hub) and guidance and information for dataholders on data management techniques.

Biodiversity data analysis and use
The ability to access, analyze and use biodiversity data.
11. Tools and expertise to generate an agreed set of information products andservices including, for example, national, sub-national and thematic species lists,
contributions to biodiversity status reporting, a metadata catalogue, and an analysisof biodiversity data needs and gaps that complement those produced by otherstakeholders.
12. A programme to support access and use of biodiversity data available throughthe GBIF network, possibly including a national or thematic biodiversity data portal.
This could include organizing training workshops, linking to national education
programmes, translating and adapting documentation, and actions to raise visibility atrelevant scientific conferences.
The situation of each GBIF Participant is unique, with different capacity strengths andchallenges on different levels. Gaining access to the advice and experience of the GBIF
network can help new Participants to establish effective nodes as efficiently as possible.
Projects and partnerships with other Participants and their nodes can be an effective form ofPage 12 | 21

capacity development, for which there are many successful examples. GBIF has a capacity
enhancement support programme that provides co-funding each year to support suchprojects. Less formal exchanges of ideas and experiences, for example, through regional
meetings of GBIF nodes, also offer valuable opportunities to help nodes develop the basic
capacity requirements.

5.2 Characteristics
In addition to the basic requirements, the following four characteristics help Participant
nodes to be effective:
1. Neutrality. Since nodes are established to coordinate, promote and facilitate data
sharing activities among multiple institutions, any perceived lack of neutrality will
reduce their effectiveness. For example, other biodiversity institutions and potential
partners may be reluctant to collaborate if a node institution is directly involved ingenerating data for its own research purposes, suggesting it is a competitor or guided
by vested interests. However, institutions thus engaged may also build a reputationof trust within the community by offering resources and services—including
specialized knowledge about data curation—to other institutions with similar aims
(e.g., the institutions in the system of nodes that comprise GBIF Germany). The node
should be able to work with all relevant stakeholders, independently of any
preferences or priorities that are not defined or agreed by the whole community. The
institutional location of the node is decisive for its neutrality (see Section 7).
2.

Leadership and initiative. Nodes need to be able to stimulate interest and mobilize
people and organizations to publish and use biodiversity data. The node should offer
an inspiring, well-connected team engaged in similar initiatives elsewhere, and able
to convene multiple communities to encourage participation, collaboration and othersynergies effectively.

3.

A focus on service. Nodes are established to assist a community of people andinstitutions, and should therefore seek to serve rather than dictate. As a support
facility for the GBIF Participant’s network, the service-oriented approach should
permeate all the activities carried out by the node.

4.

Adaptability. Nodes need the ability to respond to change in the typically broad andcomplex landscape of funders, contributors and partners, to adapt their strategies tomaintain their relevance, and to provide continuously stable services to theirstakeholders. These qualities can benefit from a focus on periodic evaluation andassessment, as well as by providing ongoing learning opportunities for the node’s
staff.

6. What is the recommended process for establishing a Participant
node?
Establishing a Participant node involves a number of critical decisions that will impact its
effectiveness, which therefore deserve careful consideration from the beginning. These
decisions mostly apply to country Participants, although some extend to organizations when
there are several networked institutions in which a node could potentially be based. The
process is typically influenced by factors specific to the Participant’s context including:a) The institutional landscape at the Participant level: the number and type of
institutions involved with biodiversity, roles, social and economic context,
research tradition, etc.
b) The interests, needs, and priorities of the Participant with regard to biodiversity
data and information

Page 13 | 21c) The current and potential capacity of the Participant, in terms of funding,infrastructure, staff, etc.
While these factors vary considerably between Participants, lessons from the community canhelp new GBIF Participants, or those going through strategic changes in their decisionmaking processes. Box 3 shows a simplified participatory approach towards making some of
the key decisions necessary to establish an effective node.
The key recommendation is to start a participatory process at the Participant level, ideallyled by the Head of Delegation or the institution that has been given the responsibility to sign
the GBIF Memorandum of Understanding. This process should include discussing the longterm vision and mission for the Participant node, and formulating a recommendation for thenode’s establishment. It can be useful to begin by envisaging the scope of the biodiversity
information facility required by the Participant, rather than looking at the role of thecoordinating node in isolation. An effective first step is for the Head of Delegation or lead
institution to convene a group of representatives from the Participant’s key biodiversity
stakeholder institutions, helping to ensure their ownership of the process from the beginning.

Page 14 | 21

Box 3. A participatory approach to establishing a Participant node

Page 15 | 21

Many tools exist to support dialogue around the establishment of a Participant node. For
example, a preliminary content needs assessment conducted at the Participant level througha survey, workshop or literature analysis (possibly led by a consultant) can provide valuable
information to guide the stakeholder group in formulating their recommendations. This
assessment helps ensure that the needs and priorities of a broad stakeholder group are
represented in the process. Tools for stakeholder mapping (as in example tools 4 to 6 here)
can also shape an understanding how the biodiversity information facility and node willaddress the Participant’s needs and priorities, and complement other biodiversity-related orinformation-related initiatives.
After defining the scope of a biodiversity information facility and the long-term vision andgoals for its coordinating node, stakeholders are ready to discuss implementation plans forthe node. These should include aspects such as the collaborative framework, infrastructure
requirements, governance structure, funding, membership of governing and/or advisory
bodies, the node’s roles and responsibilities, as well as the key decision on where to locate
the node.
The following questions can help the process of establishing a node:
1. Which of the identified needs should the node address, and which can the membersof the wider stakeholder network serve?
2. Which type of formal agreements (e.g., data sharing/use agreements, a formal
mandate for the node) are needed to support effective collaboration between
stakeholders?
3. What type of informatics infrastructure provides the ideal model for a Participantbiodiversity information facility? Are there intermediate stages in developing thisinfrastructure that would allow the provision of basic services as early as possible?
Should the infrastructure rely on a distributed system, or should the node act as acentral hub for the network?
4. What type of governance structure should the node have? How can this help tocreate a sense of ownership in the node’s activities for the biodiversity information
facility’s key stakeholders?
5. Does the node require advisory bodies, like scientific committees?
6. Which institutional location would provide the node with the best combination ofneutrality and capacity to support key services?
7. Which institutional location would provide the node with the greatest institutionaland financial support, as well as the maximum long-term stability? (See Section
6.1).
When designing and implementing the process of establishing a node, new Participants areencouraged to seek regular advice and guidance directly from existing Participants and theSecretariat: past experience often helps to identify potential problems and find effective
solutions.
Ideally, the results of this process should form the basis of the recommendations forestablishing the Participant node (including formal aspects such as the legal mandate). The
group of stakeholders convened to support this process may be encouraged to become theinitial members of the node’s network and governing bodies.
Establishing a Participant node and biodiversity information facility is about changing theway individuals and institutions operate and cooperate. There is no single perfect solution,and choices will depend on the circumstances and priorities of each Participant. The more
inclusive, transparent and participatory the process is, the greater the chances are that thenode will effectively meet the Participant’s biodiversity information needs into the long term.

Page 16 | 21

6.1 How should a GBIF Participant select the institutional location for a node?
As discussed above, the institutional location for the node is a critical decision likely to havelong-term impacts on its effectiveness in coordinating biodiversity information for the country.
Table 1 summarizes the types of institutions previously designated as hosts of GBIF
Participant nodes, as well as some of the potential advantages and disadvantages
associated with each type of host. Focused mainly on countries rather than organizations,the table does not provide a single recommendation on where to locate a node but can serve
as a reference while considering options. These examples are generalized and will vary
greatly depending on the specific situation of the Participant. The potential disadvantages in
the right-hand column may not be applicable to many countries or host institutions.
In addition to choosing the location of the node, Participants need to decide the position of
the node team within the host institution: will it be an autonomous body with an independent
mandate, a dedicated section or department of the host institution, or a group of staff
members sharing their node responsibilities with other functions? New Participants areadvised to consult with colleagues in the network and examine the country profiles on
GBIF.org to help identify the most appropriate model for national circumstances.
As a final note, some GBIF Participants have chosen to divide their node team among
several host institutions. In such cases, Participants are advised to designate one institution
to coordinate node activity and act as the main contact point for interactions with the GBIF
Secretariat and the global network. Only one representative per Participant may be
appointed to the Participant Node Managers Committee.
Table 1: Generalized examples of the types of institutions designated as hosts of GBIF Participant nodes.

Potential advantages

Potential disadvantages

Natural history collections
Existing knowledge of the challenges andrequirements of digitizing and managing natural history
data

May take significant effort to demonstrate neutrality(e.g., if it is a zoological collection, that it can work withother types of collections), or that it is not competingfor digitization funds, etc.
May find difficulty in engaging with other communities
holding other types of biodiversity data (e.g.,observations, ecological data, etc.)
Can make it difficult for the node to serve the needs ofsome stakeholders (e.g., policymakers)

Ministries of science, environment, et al.
Very strong mandate and capacity to influence andsupport policy and decision making
Easily aligned with national biodiversity policies,
strategies, and programme

Challenges to operate at the technical level and toprovide technical support (e.g., to the scientificcommunity)
Easily affected by political changes
May find difficulties in addressing needs from otherministries (e.g., from science or environment)

Biodiversity or biological research institutes
High potential for developing capacity in biodiversity
informatics easily and quickly
Full knowledge of the biodiversity-research realm
May have a strong and clear institutional mandate

May not be perceived as neutral by all stakeholders,
depending on how the institute fits within theParticipant’s overall institutional landscape (forexample, if there is overlap or competition forresources)

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Research councils or science & technology commissions
Excellent position to use the Participant node tocoordinate, promote and facilitate the mobilization of
biodiversity data from research
Easily aligned with national research policies,
strategies, and programmes

May not be perceived as neutral by all stakeholders,
depending on how the institute fits within theParticipant’s overall institutional landscape (forexample, if there is overlap or competition forresources)

Non-governmental organizations
Flexibility and autonomy

Potential lack of mandate, difficulty in formallyengaging with government institutions
May become dependent on projects and project-based
funding

University departments or faculties
High potential for developing capacity in biodiversity
informatics easily and quickly
Potential for aligning the node’s activities with various
biodiversity research agenda

May face neutrality issues
May become dependent on projects and project-based
fundingNational informatics facilities outside the biodiversity/ biological domain
Strong position of neutrality
Ready access to technical capacity in informatics
Potentially useful connections with well-funded national
priorities on innovation and technology

Need to invest in staff bringing relevant scientificdomain knowledge to work effectively with biodiversity
data
Need to build contacts and knowledge of relevant
institutional networks

6.2 What are the recommendations on the staff roles within nodes?
While the specific services that nodes provide vary from one Participant to another (seeSection 5), a node’s staff need to cover a number of typical functions: Management and coordination
 Outreach, communications, public relations and institutional networking (regional,
national or thematic level)
 Fundraising and project writing Administrative work (financial management, reporting, organizing events and meetingsetc.) Capacity enhancement
 Technical support service for data holders (helpdesk) ICT support, webmaster & database management
 Software development (data capture and cleaning tools, data visualization tools, data
portal & web interfaces, web services, etc.)
 Data analysis & modelling Scientific liaison and promotion of data use in relevant research communities
This diversity of functions makes it clear that nodes require staff with a wide range of skills
ranging from administrative support to expertise in biodiversity informatics. Deciding how tostaff a node will, of course, depend on its expected roles, the level of financial support andthe hosting agreement or institutional location of the node. In cases where nodes areintegrated into larger institutions, functions like administrative tasks are often provided

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through in-kind support from the host. The institutional landscape at the Participant level willaffect the importance given to particular skills: for example, where a node is coordinating alarge number of biodiversity-related institutions, it will need greater emphasis on outreachand networking skills.
To cover the main functions listed above (assuming administrative support is provided by thehost institution), Participants can consider at least the following four roles to ensure thenode’s engagement with stakeholder communities, while providing the necessary technicalskills to provide good technical support to data holders and users:
 A node manager as the manager of the team, responsible for the majority of theinteractions with the GBIF network and Secretariat including representation on theParticipant node managers’ committee. Nodes may either combine this role with one of
the three below or, ideally, dedicate an individual exclusively to the position of nodemanager.
 A person with a scientific background, knowledge of the relevant researchcommunities, and the ability to motivate and communicate with data holders, data
users and those engaged in policy development
 A person with a background in biodiversity informatics, skills in data management, andthe ability to provide technical assistance to data holders and data users while
maintaining databases
 A person with an informatics background, able to develop and maintain an informatics
infrastructure to enable biodiversity data publishing and support access to biodiversity
data, for example, through a national data portal.

7. Further support for establishing a Participant nodeSupporting the establishment and further development of Participant nodes and their work isa priority for GBIF as a whole. This guide has introduced some important generalconsiderations in the process of establishing a node. This section explains otheropportunities available to gain from experience of the GBIF network in this area.

7.1 How can I find examples of Participant nodes?
The country pages on GBIF.org provide a summarized view of the Participants’ GBIF-related
activities. They include information about: The Participant’s membership status and date of joining GBIF The Participant node’s date of establishment, website and contact information
 An overview of the data published from the country’s institutions, with links to the data
publishers and datasets, as well as data published from anywhere in the world aboutbiodiversity located in the country Information on the node’s history, vision and mission, structure and national funding A list of news items relating to the Participant country and published by the Participantnode, as well as links to social media channels operated by the node
 A list of peer-reviewed research articles citing GBIF as a data source involving authors
from the Participant country
Information about organization Participants currently displays information about these
Participants’ membership, data publishing activity, and links to the node’s website.
Consulting these pages will help to identify the most relevant examples for the specificcontext of a new GBIF Participant. New Participants are encouraged to use the contact
information for the node managers and staff to ask other network members directly foradvice in establishing a node.

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7.2 How can the GBIF Participant Node Managers Committee assist in establishing
Participant nodes?
The Participant Node Managers Committee is a forum for sharing information and bestpractices between Participant nodes. It also acts as an advisory committee making
recommendations to the other GBIF governing bodies. The committee comprises all
Participant node managers, so as soon as a GBIF Participant has appointed a nodemanager, he or she is invited to take part in the committee’s activities.
The Nodes Steering Group (NSG) was established within the committee in 2011, consistingof the Chair and Vice Chairs of the Participant Node Managers Committee, and regional
representatives from each of the six GBIF regions (Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America,
North America and Oceania). Its objectives include offering specific recommendations to therelevant GBIF bodies based on feedback provided by Participant nodes, and to provide
advice on the GBIF Work Programme relevant to nodes.
The Nodes Committee meets in a Global Nodes Meeting every other year. Thesemeetings, often combined with training activities, provide an excellent forum for interactingwith other node managers and planning collaborative activities. In addition, many of theregional subcommittees organize Regional Nodes Meetings either annually or every otheryear. These meetings advance regional collaborative work between node managers andprovide a forum for discussing priorities and opportunities within the region.
In between meetings, the committee communicates via mailing lists and teleconferences,also making use of the GBIF community site and its thematic and language groups to
support collaborative work. New Participant nodes are strongly encouraged to contact
members of the Nodes Committee to get involved in its activities, access the expertise of the
network and plan collaborative projects to support the establishment of Participant nodes.

7.3 How does GBIF support capacity enhancement for Participant nodes?
Capacity enhancement provides an essential foundation for the sustainable functioning andperformance of the GBIF Participant network and all its members, regardless of their level ofdevelopment. The GBIF capacity enhancement framework draws on recent advancement in
the field of capacity development and access to research infrastructures to explain theoverall approach taken by the GBIF network to programming activities in this area.
The GBIF Participants and Secretariat have developed a range of capacity enhancement
activities and programmes to empower all members of the GBIF community to carry out theirwork in the most effective, self-sustained and stable way. Capacity enhancement includes
improving the way Participants can contribute to and benefit from GBIF, how they organize
their work and how they relate to other Participants at regional and global scales.
A capacity enhancement support programme with an annual call for project proposals
provides GBIF Participants with co-funding to address self-identified capacity needs throughcollaborative regional and international projects. These projects can combine a range ofactions, including mentoring between Participant nodes, the organization of regional training
workshops, the development or adaptation of documentation, GBIF advocacy actions andneeds assessments. Participants are encouraged to consider developing project proposals
to support the establishment and consolidation of their nodes in collaboration with experts
from the GBIF network. Reviewing past projects can provide some useful examples of how
to structure collaborative actions aiming to establish new Participant nodes.
GBIF also provides access to training opportunities for node managers and staff. GBIFrelated training events are held all over the world and are displayed on the events section of
GBIF.org.

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7.4 What other documentation and resources are available for Participant nodes?
GBIF maintains a library of freely accessible resources including tools, presentations,manuals and documentation for anyone to use and download. Many are specificallydesigned for Participant nodes and can be accessed using the filters available in the
resource section of GBIF.org.

7.5 Contact for further support
Staff from the GBIF Secretariat are available to provide guidance and assistance toParticipant nodes. Please contact nodes@gbif.org for further information.

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