INTRODUCING PEOPLE-PLANET CONNECTION A Co-Created Knowledge Solution for the Population, Health, and Environment (PHE) Community

This platform was co-created by global development professionals who are interested in the intersections between human population, health, and the environment. The initiative was launched on April 22, 2021, to coincide with Earth Day. The development of People-Planet Connection was a result of a co-creation process that involved members of the PHE Policy and Practice group. In February 2020, a Knowledge SUCCESS co-creation workshop was held in Washington, DC, where participants discussed the challenges of locating and using relevant PHE resources. The workshop identified several common themes, including the lack of PHE resources available online, the absence of a central website for information and resources, and the scarcity of evidence-based programmatic information. A series of co-creation workshops was conducted in the United States, East Africa, and Asia to gather input from PHE and cross-sectoral programming professionals. The workshops revealed that participants faced difficulties in finding PHE resources due to the lack of a central website and the limited availability of online resources. Additionally, participants expressed concerns about the quality and validity of existing resources, citing the absence of a peer review process and the limited evidence base. Based on the input from the co-creation workshops, three prototypes for an online platform were developed. These prototypes proposed a robust repository of PHE resources and a space for virtual interactions with others working in similar programs. The ideas from these prototypes were combined to create People-Planet Connection, a learning and collaborative space for global development professionals working at the conjunctions between human population, health, and the environment. People-Planet Connection features a collection of over 250 PHE- and PED-related resources published by dozens of projects and organizations worldwide. The platform also includes a discussion forum for organized discussions on trending priority topics, as well as an open space to ask questions, discuss resources, and connect with others doing similar cross-sectoral work. Additionally, the platform offers an interactive quiz to assist PHE/PED newcomers in identifying key resources for their knowledge and programmatic needs. Connections to other existing PHE/PED tools and events are also available through the platform. The success of People-Planet Connection relies on the active engagement of the PHE/PED community. Knowledge SUCCESS encourages PHE/PED champions to contribute to the site's growth and vibrancy by submitting newly published resources, contributing to discussions, and helping to keep the site updated with the most current knowledge and experiences.