Inter-Federation Federations

Inter-Federation Federations

When organizations are unable to communicate directly with one another because of legal limits or national boundaries, existing federations can negotiate inter-federation federations which allow members of different federations to interact with one another.

Examples: REFEDS, eduGAIN, and Kalmar2 are inter-federation programs for research institutions and higher education.

When to use: Institutions are unable to form direct relationships with one another because of legal or national boundaries, but have existing federations that can negotiate on their behalf.

Advantages: Federations can act as agents, negotiating for members to simplify the complexity of getting agreement among a large number of institutions.

Disadvantages: The complexity of negotiating inter-federation agreements slows the process and may limit the interactions that are covered.