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To post a question, first make sure you're signed in. Then, click "Ask a question” from the Questions tab, the Knowledge Network homepage, or any other place you see it.
You'll be directed to the New Question form.
Completing the New Question Form
Title
Add a short but descriptive title. This title is the easiest thing for users to read, so make sure it’s clear and informative.
Question
Provide enough detail in your question to help your colleagues offer a useful answer, but not so much that you overwhelm readers. Depending on your situation, you may want to give some brief context to help other users understand why this question is important to you or your community.
Deadline
Click "Need responses by a specific date?" to give respondents an idea of your urgency. Entering a deadline here:
...appears like this at the bottom of your question when posted:
Anonymous Questions
Members of ICMA or the Alliance for Innovation also have the option to post questions anonymously. This provides privacy when a question may deal with a sensitive topic.
Anonymous questions appear like this:
Selecting Question Recipients
Selecting the right recipients will help ensure that the right people see your question, so you get the best response. Identify question recipients at the bottom of the New Question page.
Topics
The Knowledge Network is organized by 200 topics. When you select topics for your question, users who have identified themselves as interested in those topics will be notified of your question. In addition, your question and its answers will appear on those topic pages, making it easier for future users to find this helpful information.
Select any topic that's related to your question. You can add as many topics as you like. To add a topic, you can type the name to look it up:
Or you can check the box on the alphabetical list of topics. The number in parentheses is the number of users who are interested in that topic and will be notified of your question.
Narrow Down Recipients
After you have added a topic, you can further specify your audience by selecting "Narrow down recipients..."
You can narrow recipients by criteria in their profile, including location, job title, and jurisdiction population range. (Some of these tools are only available to members.) One particularly useful tool is the ability to narrow by Knowledge Network group. Selecting a group means that only people in that group will be notified of the question, although others may be able to see it. For example, you may want users in the ICMA Members group to be notified of your question.
If you narrow by group, be sure to select a visibility option at the bottom. You may want to make sure a group is notified of your question, but it's okay for any other user to see it. Or, you may want the question to be private to the group, and no one else will be able to see it.
Tip: If you reach the New Question page by clicking "Ask this group a question" from a group page, then that group will automatically be selected under "Narrow Down Recipients," and you won't need to select a topic. Be sure to select a visibility setting for group questions.
Checking and Posting your Question
Summary
Once you have added recipients by topic, group, or other characteristic, the summary box at the bottom will show you the recipients you have selected, the total number of people who will be sent the question, and the visibility setting.
Posting Your Question
Once you've entered your question and identified your recipients, click "Post Question." You'll be directed to the page for your new question, which you can revisit to check for answers. You can edit your question after posting by clicking "Edit this question" at right.
Notifications
When you post a question, you are automatically signed up to receive email notifications of any answers to your question. Look for the checkbox beneath your question:
Learn more about question notifications in the Reading and Answering Questions guide and in the Communications Preferences guide.
Now, just wait for your colleagues to answer with their own expertise!
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