The FAO Knowledge Forum was initiated in 2006 as a platform for enhancing exchange of the Organization's wealth of knowledge and expertise. One of the pillars of the Forum was the establishment of Thematic Knowledge Networks (TKNs). A wide range of networks were identified as being supported or managed by FAO in an initial survey conducted in 2006, but it became clear that a new generation of networks should be established, taking full advantage of new technologies, to further enhance FAO's role as a facilitator of knowledge exchange. A pilot phase lasting approximately eighteen months comprised the development of fifteen new TKNs. These networks were planned to foster knowledge sharing, allowing network members to communicate and work more effectively together on common goals or outcomes. The pilot TKNs covered different thematic areas ranging from more normative subject-specific areas to task-oriented groups, and they varied both in complexity and in their membership profiles. KCE provided technical support and guidance, and developed/coordinated the technology platform(s) with support from KCT.