Secondment in Lisbon: strengthening the IPOV Platform through collaboration, documentation and knowledge exchange
Between June and July 2026, María Hidalgo Rudilla and Valeria Hiraldo Cuevas, from Diseño Social EN+ (Spain), carried out a research and knowledge-transfer secondment at CIES-Iscte – Centre for Research and Studies in Sociology, Iscte – University Institute of Lisbon (Portugal), within the framework of the IPOV – Respectful Care project.
The secondment was primarily linked to Work Package 1 (WP1) and focused on strengthening the development of the IPOV Platform, the project’s digital environment for collecting, organising and disseminating knowledge, research, resources and experiences related to obstetric violence and respectful maternity care.
Over the course of the stay, communication, documentation, editorial work, platform development and networking were combined with participation in scientific and consortium activities. The secondment also created opportunities for direct collaboration with researchers from CIES-Iscte and Nascer.pt – Laboratory of Social Studies on Childbirth, contributing to the exchange of knowledge between the project partners.
Supporting the development of the IPOV Platform
One of the central objectives of the secondment was to review the current state of the IPOV Platform and identify opportunities for its continued development as a technical, operational and interactive resource.
The work included analysing the organisation of content, navigation, accessibility, usability and editorial workflows, while considering the needs of the different audiences that may use the platform: researchers, students, healthcare professionals, organisations, institutions and civil-society actors.
Feedback was gathered from IPOV consortium members and other potential contributors in order to identify improvements in areas such as:
- organisation and classification of resources;
- accessibility and clarity of information;
- navigation and user experience;
- compatibility across different devices;
- editorial criteria;
- procedures for uploading and updating content;
- coordination between partner institutions;
- long-term maintenance of the platform.
This process also included the production and review of new texts, scientific references, photographs, audiovisual materials, training proposals and other resources intended for future incorporation into the platform.
Participation in the IPOV Consortium Meeting in Lisbon
A key part of the secondment coincided with the IPOV Consortium Meeting held in Lisbon on 22 and 23 June 2026.
The meeting brought together members of the international consortium to review the progress of the different Work Packages, exchange results and coordinate the next stages of the project.
Within WP1, particular attention was paid to the development of the IPOV Platform, its current functionalities, editorial needs and future improvements.
The secondment team also contributed to the documentation and communication of the meeting, supporting the recording of sessions and interviews, taking notes on relevant agreements and collecting photographs, audiovisual materials and other resources.
These materials contribute both to the internal documentation of the project and to the communication and dissemination of its activities through the IPOV website, social media channels and digital platform.
Collaboration with Nascer.pt and CIES-Iscte
The stay in Lisbon also provided an opportunity to work closely with Nascer.pt – Laboratory of Social Studies on Childbirth, based at CIES-Iscte.
On 24 June 2026, the secondment participants joined activities organised by Nascer.pt, providing access to new perspectives, references and materials related to obstetric violence, respectful maternity care and the social study of childbirth.
Throughout the following weeks, several working and consultation meetings were held with researchers associated with the laboratory.
Meetings with Dulce M. Neves, researcher at CIES-Iscte and coordinator of Nascer.pt, focused on identifying scientific content, educational materials and resources that could contribute to the IPOV Platform.
Consultations were also held with Mário JDS Santos, Associate Researcher at CIES-Iscte and member of Nascer.pt, to review documentation, references and potential materials connected with the social study of childbirth and obstetric violence.
In addition, collaboration with Catarina Barata, PhD candidate in Anthropology and member of Nascer.pt, explored the selection, contextualisation and potential use of photographs and visual materials for the Art and Activism section of the IPOV Platform.
These exchanges helped connect the technical and communication development of the platform with the scientific knowledge and materials generated by researchers working directly on childbirth, obstetric violence and respectful care.
Supporting the 1st Nascer.pt Forum
Another important area of work was the communication and dissemination of the 1st Nascer.pt Forum.
The secondment included support for the preparation and editing of communication materials related to the event, particularly the keynote delivered by Patrizia Quattrocchi, Principal Investigator of IPOV and Professor at the University of Udine (Italy).
Work included the drafting and editing of a press release and website content, as well as coordination of photographs, conference information and supporting documents for dissemination through the IPOV website and social media.
Beyond communicating the event itself, this work also aimed to ensure that the knowledge generated through the Forum could subsequently be reused within the IPOV Platform and in future scientific dissemination and training activities.
Communication support for the Portuguese manifesto on obstetric violence
The secondment also supported the editorial and communication work surrounding the Portuguese manifesto “Não se protege aquilo que se decide não nomear”, developed in response to changes concerning the recognition of obstetric violence in Portuguese legislation and, specifically, the amendment of Law No. 33/2025.
The work involved editing and coordinating materials in Portuguese and Spanish, preparing content for publication on the IPOV website and developing dissemination resources.
This activity illustrates one of the functions of the IPOV Platform beyond the dissemination of academic research: providing visibility to debates, initiatives and resources that connect scientific evidence with legislation, public policy, professional practice and civil society.
Particular attention was also given to the need to maintain coordinated editorial review with authors and supporting organisations, as well as to document permissions, versions and signatories for future dissemination.
Improving user experience and long-term sustainability
During the final stages of the secondment, work focused increasingly on the future operation of the IPOV Platform.
A review of the user experience was conducted from the perspective of different potential users, examining navigation, clarity, accessibility, organisation of resources and use across different devices.
Basic guidance and an initial FAQ structure were also developed, together with internal recommendations concerning content publication, future updates, maintenance, editorial criteria and coordination among consortium partners.
The secondment therefore addressed not only the publication of new content but also an essential question for the project: how to ensure that the platform remains useful, understandable and sustainable throughout the project lifecycle and beyond.
Internal knowledge transfer was another important component. Training needs among consortium members were identified and discussions were held regarding editorial responsibilities and the future management of the platform.
Secondments as spaces for knowledge transfer
Within Horizon Europe Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Staff Exchanges, secondments are designed to promote international, interdisciplinary and intersectoral knowledge exchange.
The Lisbon stay demonstrates how this mobility model can support forms of collaboration that go beyond conventional research activities.
Working directly alongside researchers, communication professionals and members of partner institutions made it possible to combine research, communication, digital development, documentation, training and networking within the same process.
In this case, face-to-face collaboration facilitated the identification of new scientific resources, the collection of audiovisual and documentary materials, the discussion of platform improvements and the establishment of editorial and communication workflows that can continue after the secondment itself.
From the Lisbon secondment to the next stages of WP1
The final phase of the stay brought together the main results obtained during the month: meeting notes, audiovisual resources, scientific references, photographs, feedback from consortium members, potential new platform content and recommendations for future technical and editorial development.
Among the main outputs were:
- audiovisual documentation and interviews produced during the IPOV Consortium Meeting;
- photographs and supporting materials for project communication;
- communication and website content linked to the 1st Nascer.pt Forum;
- editorial and dissemination materials for the Portuguese manifesto on obstetric violence;
- new scientific, visual and educational resources for the IPOV Platform;
- recommendations concerning accessibility, usability and content organisation;
- an initial structure for platform guidance and FAQs;
- identification of editorial responsibilities and training needs;
- and a set of priorities and recommendations for the next phases of WP1.
The secondment therefore contributed not only to documenting and disseminating the activities undertaken in Lisbon, but also to strengthening the IPOV Platform as a shared space for the consortium and as a resource capable of connecting research, training, legislation, professional practice, activism and lived experiences around obstetric violence and respectful maternity care.
Through this type of exchange, IPOV continues to build a collaborative international infrastructure in which the knowledge generated by its partners can be organised, shared and transformed into resources accessible to researchers, professionals, institutions and society.