1.2 Communities of Interest (COIs)

Communities of Interest (COIs) are the building blocks of APAN. Users can request a new COI or join an existing COI.

COIs are built using one of three pillar applications on APAN: 

• Verint Groups
• SharePoint Sites
• ESRI ArcGIS Maps

When a user initiates a request for a new COI, they must choose one application to begin the foundation of their COI. The other two applications can be added on after the first is built.

What is a Verint Group?

Verint is a software package that creates websites for information sharing. See the Verint introduction here: https://community.telligent.com/community/12/

APAN uses Verint to create customizable information sharing sites for APAN Owners to design for their own specific needs.

APAN also uses Verint as the foundation software for user profiles, navigation, search and support. Profiles, Navigation Tabs, Search and Support resources are all generated by the Verint software.

What is a SharePoint Site?

SharePoint is a Microsoft collaboration and document management platform that is used to store, organize, and share information See the Microsoft introduction to SharePoint here: What is SharePoint? - Microsoft Support https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/what-is-sharepoint-97b915e6-651b-43b2-827d-fb25777f446f

APAN uses SharePoint to create customizable information sharing sites for APAN Owners to design for their own specific needs.

What is an ESRI ArcGIS Map?

ArcGIS is a software package created by the ESRI company for creating maps. These maps can compile significant amounts of data and display them with geographic references in a map format.  See the ESRI ArcGIS introduction here: https://www.esri.com/en-us/arcgis/geospatial-platform/overview

To learn more about the differences between these three options, see the APAN training slides at this link: https://community.apan.org/support/m/info/151400

Request a new COI

New Community Request (NCR) Ticket

Start by submitting a support ticket on our APAN Ticket System powered by the Aire Force's "Service Now" platform.

• Submit a Support Ticket:  https://www.apan.org/pages/support
• Select the option for “New Community Request” and complete the form
  • ServiceNow requires a separate account.
  • See this article for more information on Service Now accounts: https://community.apan.org/support/w/kb/38305/servicenow
• You'll receive an auto-generated email with additional steps to submit the required documentation.
• APAN approves requests based on the following:
  • Requirements for sharing unclassified information between DOD and non-DOD entities.
  • Participants without traditional DOD network access.
  • U.S. DOD origin of request or sponsorship by a U.S. DOD participant.

Training:

APAN Owner Training is required for all new community owners. Training is conducted on Tuesdays from 1200 to 1330 US Eastern time or by appointment. The APAN Training page is https://community.apan.org/support/p/apanu.

Community Owner Responsibilities

Customize your group

APAN staff will build the basic shell of your group.  The shell will include a home page, shared document library, and the applications recommended to you by the APAN Knowledge Manager helping you set up your site.  You will then add your logo, description, welcome message, and initial content.  You will have the power to add pages, additional applications, tabs, and customize the tools on the community for exactly what your audience needs.

Monitor Content

Community owners are responsible for ensuring that only unclassified information is posted to their communities.  If a classified information spillage occurs, it is the owner’s responsibility to immediately report the incident to the APAN staff and assist in cleanup. 

Manage Members

Owners are responsible for publicizing their new community to their target audience. If the community is private, Owners must then monitor and respond to membership requests. It is the owner’s responsibility to ensure that only authorized users have access to the content under their control.

Nurture your group’s membership and content

Communities need continual attention to increase membership and provide fresh content.  Owners need to ensure that members are engaged in conversation and appropriate content is provided.  If your group becomes inactive, it is the owner’s responsibility to either revive it or notify the APAN staff that it should be archived.

Identify what can be posted and what cannot be posted within APAN

APAN is for unclassified sharing only.   CUI marked content is allowed by request only. See the APAN CUI SOP at this link for details: https://community.apan.org/support/m/info/262862

I have my community, now what?

Keep in mind the following when launching your new community:

• Use the KB as a guide - The KB is set up as a curriculum for self-training purposes at your own pace.
• Attend training webinars – APAN provides weekly training webinars for community owners.  These training sessions will introduce you to all your new tools and controls.
• Explore the Administrative Options – After you’ve taken the training, click around the controls to get used to where they are and what they do.
• Collect starter content – Upload files, announcements, and forum thread ideas to give your new members something to see when they first visit your community.
• Publish and market - Make an announcement to your target audience using your existing methods of communication.  Publicize the existence of your new APAN community in locations your audience will see.
• Maintain and grow – Keep new content flowing into the community and encourage members to keep contributing.  Continue to reach out to potential new members to ensure awareness of your APAN presence.

Retention Policy

The APAN platform is not an official records management system and adheres to a strict retention policy designed to conserve server resources and maintain operational efficiency. Community owners must fully know their responsibilities to ensure compliance and avoid permanent data loss.

It is the community owner's responsibility to understand APAN's Community Maintenance Policy which reflects the following:

Inactive for > 2 years is defined as communities with no new content or files uploaded within the last 2 years. They will be deleted with no advance notification.

General Retention Guidelines

• APAN retains operationally relevant information for no more than three years.
• System administrators conduct periodic reviews to assess community activity.
• Obsolete or inactive communities are deleted permanently—these are not recoverable.

Community Deletion Criteria

• Communities with no new content or file uploads for more than two years are subject to deletion.
• All applications, pages, content, and membership will be permanently deleted, with no possibility of restoration.
• No warnings or notifications will be issued before deletion.

Review our Generalized Governance for End Users for current information.