Documentation should be easy to implement, share, store and keep secure. Agreeing on an information-sharing database with the IPLC (e.g., a Box folder) may be a good option for keeping everything in one place. For major events or decisions, non-confidential information should be shared broadly throughout the IPLC, supporting transparency and trust. Staff should work with the IPLC to identify who should share this information and how.

Multilateral funders, governments or other actors may have specific documentation requirements, such as meeting minutes, a signed list of attendees or a negotiated agreement. In other contexts, documentation can take a more innovative form, such as a smartphone video of a meeting or ceremony, a recording of oral testimony, photos with captions, a WhatsApp text or voice conversation, a written report, bulleted lists, a song, or an artist’s depiction of a meeting or agreement. The form of documentation must be agreed upon with the IPLC.

Documentation should serve the needs of both TNC and the IPLC. TNC may feel that certain elements need to be documented in writing, for example, for a donor report or the team’s institutional memory. If the IPLC prefers a different format, it may be possible to honor both formats, as long as transparency is maintained, and the written version is not considered binding on the IPLC.