Transcript Naved Chowdhury - Civil Society Organisations and Policy

Civil Society Organisations
and Policy Entrepreneurship
Naved Chowdhury
Overseas Development Institute, London
Workshop Objectives
a) Share experiences about CSO-policy context in
African CEF partners;
b) Learn about the latest worldwide research and
practice in this area;
c) Share experiences about approaches to
influence policy and what works;
d) Start to develop strategies to improve policy
impact.
Outline of the Workshop
Day 1
• General Introductions
Day 2
• Tools and field trip
Day3
• Develop a strategy
• Knowledge management
Any questions about the plan?
Self Introductions
2 minutes!
• Name
• Organization / Area of Work
• What do you want to get out of this workshop?
Plenary discussion:
1. What are the main opportunities and
challenges
a) Regarding CSO-policy links? (in general)
b) Affecting the policy impact of your work?
CSOs, Evidence and Policy
Processes
Next steps:
• Definitions
• Theory
• Reality
• (Then we’ll discuss what issues matter)
Overseas Development Institute
• Britain’s leading development Think
Tank
• £12m, 120 researchers
• Research / Advice / Public Debate
• Rural / Humanitarian / Poverty &
Aid / Economics (HIV, Human
rights, Water)
• DFID, Parliament, WB, EC
• Civil Society
For more information see: www.odi.org.uk
RAPID Programme
• Research
• Advisory work
• Policy change projects
• Workshops and seminars
• Civil Society Programme
www.odi.org.uk/rapid
Policy Process Workshops
• Looking at internal policy processes –
what works in DFID.
• Small, informal workshop with 7 staff.
• Participatory pair-wise ranking of
factors influencing the success of 8
policy processes.
• Worked quite well.
• In DFID - agendas and processes
rather than documents are key
How we’re doing it in RAPID
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Clear Aim & Outputs
Building credibility with research/action
Employing the right staff & staff development
Good internal systems (Mgt, Comms & KM)
Programme approach:
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Strategic opportunism
Research / practical advice / stimulating debate
Engagement with policy makers & practitioners
Community of practice cf network
• Financial opportunism
How we advise: SMEPOL Egypt
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Policy Process Mapping
RAPID Framework
Stakeholder Analysis
Force-Field Analysis
SWOT
Action Planning
Evaluation & Adapting
CSOs and Pro-poor Policy Influence
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Complementing state in providing services
Innovators in service delivery
Advocates with and for the poor
Identifying problems & solutions
Extending our understanding
Providing information
Training and capacity building
The Opportunity
• The results of household disease surveys
informed processes of health service
reform which contributed to a 43 and 46
per cent reduction in infant mortality
between 2000 and 2003 in two districts in
rural Tanzania.
– TEHIP Project
HIV Prevalence in Thailand, Uganda &
KwaZulu-Natal: 1990-2000
36%
HIV Prevalence
30%
24%
18%
12%
6%
0%
1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000
Thailand
Kampala, Uganda
KwaZulu Natal, South Africa
Source: UNAIDS
When it Works: Attitudes to HIV
“on the education sector it is evident that the
project has institutionalised a new attitude
towards HIV/AIDS education in primary
schools ….
Teachers' and pupils' knowledge, attitudes
and behaviours have also changed.
Primary School Action for Better Health Project in Kenya (PSABH)
www.odi.org.uk/rapid/Lessons/Case_studies/PSABH.html
When it works best: Aid and Debt
“all the contributors emphasise the
importance of researchers forming alliances
with civil society.”
- Court and Maxwell, JID Special Issue
Context
• Democratization and liberalization.
• In some countries, move from challenging state to
policy engagement.
• CSOs increasingly involved in policy processes
(from focus on service delivery).
• CSO accountability and legitimacy of CSO
involvement is questioned.
• Challenge of engaging in a way that does justice to
the evidence.
• Southern research capacity has been denuded.
• CSOs, researchers and policymakers seem to live
in parallel universes.
Definitions
• Research: “any systematic effort to increase the
stock of knowledge”
• Evidence: the result/output of the research process
• Policy: a “purposive course of action followed by an
actor or set of actors”
– Agendas / policy horizons
– Official statements documents
– Patterns of spending
– Implementation processes
– Activities on the ground
The linear logical policy model…
Identify the problem
Commission research
Analyse the results
Choose the best option
Establish the policy
Implement the policy
Evaluate the results
Generic Policy Processes
1. Problem Definition/
Agenda Setting
2. Constructing the Policy
Alternatives/ Policy Formulation
6. Evaluation
The Policy Cycle
5. Policy Implementation
and Monitoring
3.Choice of Solution/
Selection of Preferred Policy Option
4. Policy Design
in reality…
• “The whole life of policy is a chaos of purposes and
accidents. It is not at all a matter of the rational
implementation of the so-called decisions through
selected strategies.” 1
• “Most policy research on African agriculture is irrelevant
to agricultural and overall economic policy in Africa.” 2
• “CSOs often have very little to bring to the policy table.” 3
• “CSOs, researchers and policymakers seem to live in
parallel universes.” 4
– Clay & Schaffer (1984)
– Omamo (2003)
3 – CSPP Consultations
4 – ODI-AFREPREN Workshop
1
2
Industry
CSOs
Scientists
Agenda
setting
Problem
definition
& analysis
Government
Policy
tools
Selection
Implementation
Enforcement
Media
Public
Source: Yael Parag
Policy
evaluation
CSOs and Policy: Existing theory
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X
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Linear model
Too close for comfort, Edwards
Impact & Effectiveness, Fowler
‘Context, evidence, links’, RAPID
Policy narratives, Roe
CSO legitimacy, L. David Brown
Links and Learning, Gaventa
‘Room for manoeuvre’, Clay & Schaffer
‘Street level bureaucrats’, Lipsky
Policy as experiments, Rondinelli
Policy Streams & Windows, Kingdon
Disjointed incrementalism, Lindquist
Tipping point model, Gladwell
Mercenaries, missionaries and
revolutionaries , Malena
‘Non-Western?’, Lewis
Global Civil Society, Salamon, Kaldor
Types of Engagement, Coston
18. Linear model of communication,
Shannon
19. ‘Space’ for thought & action, Howell
20. Simple and surprising stories,
Communication Theory
21. Provide solutions, Marketing Theory I
22. Find the right packaging, Marketing II
23. Global Civil Society?, Keane
24. Global Legitimacy, van Rooy
25. Epistemic communities, Haas
26. Policy entrepreneurs, Najam
27. Advocacy coalitions, Keck & Sikkink
28. Negotiation through networks, Sabattier
29. Social capital, Coleman
30. Accountability, OneWorld Trust
31. Communication for social change,
Rockefeller Foundation
32. Wheels and webs, Chapman & Fisher
www.odi.org.uk/rapid/lessons/theory
Existing theory – a short list
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Civil Society, Edwards
Types of Engagment, Coston
Legitimacy, L. David Brown / van Rooy
‘Street level bureaucrats’, Lipsky
Global Civil Society, Keane / Kaldor / Salamon
Policy streams and policy windows, Kingdon
Disjointed Incrementalism, Lindblom
Social Epidemics, Gladwell
• CSOs & Policy Processes
A word of warning…
• The world is complex
• We do not aim to make it simple
• Only to find recognisable patternrs or
beacons
• Which might guide your actions
• There is NO blueprint. NO linear, logical,
rational, proper, method.
• Most of the time it is up to you.
… A word of warning
• You will probably never find out what goes
on within the policy process
• And not have all the evidence you need
• You need to be confident to act even in a
context of uncertainty
• And be systematic and scientific (context,
strategy, action, record, learn) but flexible
and original
Policy life is complex. What
issues matter? The RAPID
Framework
The Analytical Framework
External Influences
Socio-economic and
cultural influences,
donor policies etc
The links between policy
and research communities –
networks, relationships, power,
competing discourses, trust,
knowledge etc.
The political context –
political and economic structures
and processes, culture, institutional
pressures, incremental vs radical
change etc.
The evidence – credibility, the
degree it challenges received
wisdom, research approaches
and methodology, simplicity of
the message, how it is packaged
etc
And allows useful comparisons
1. Ideal model
e.g. ??
2. Islands model
e.g. multilaterals
Contexts
Links
Contexts
Knowledge
3. Technocratic model
e.g. donors
Links
Knowledge
4. Ivory Tower model
e.g. Research institutes
Contexts
Contexts
Links
Links
Knowledge
Knowledge
Political Context: Key Areas
• The macro political context (democracy, governance,
media freedom; academic freedom)
• The sector / issue process (Policy uptake = demand –
contestation) [NB Demand: political and societal. Power.]
• How policymakers think (narratives & policy streams)
• Policy implementation and practice (bureaucracies,
incentives, street level, room for manoeuvre, participatory
approaches)
• Decisive moments in the policy process (policy processes,
votes, policy windows and crises)
• Context is crucial, but you can maximize your chances
Evidence: Relevance and credibility
• Key factor – did it provide a solution to a
problem?
• Relevance:
– Topical relevance – What to do?
– Operational usefulness – How to do it? :
• Credibility:
– Research approach
– Of researcher > of evidence itself
• Strenuous advocacy efforts are often needed
• Communication
Links: Coalitions and Networks
• Feedback processes often prominent in
successful cases.
• Trust & legitimacy
• Networks:
– Epistemic communities
– Policy networks
– Advocacy coalitions
• The role of individuals: connectors, mavens and
salesmen
External Influence
• Big “incentives” can spur evidence-based
policy – e.g. PRSP processes.
• And some interesting examples of donors
trying new things re. supporting research
• But, we really don’t know whether and
how donors can best promote use of
evidence in policymaking (credibility vs
backlash)
CSOs: Definitions and Functions
• Definition: “organizations that work in an arena
between the household, the private sector and the
state to negotiate matters of public concern”.
• Functions:
– representation
– technical inputs and advocacy
– capacity-building
– service-delivery
– social functions
Types of CSOs
• think tanks and research institutes
• professional associations
• human rights advocacy bodies and other
promotional groups
• foundations and other philanthropic bodies
• trade unions and workers co-operatives
• media/journalist societies
• community based organizations
• faith based organizations
• cross-national policy dialogue groups
Civil Society Partnerships Programme
Aim: Strengthened role of southern CSOs
in development policy processes
Outcomes:
• CSOs better understanding evidence-policy
process
• Capacity to support CSOs established
• Improved information for CSOs
• Global collaboration
http://www.odi.org.uk/cspp/
Activities
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Principles of partnerships etc
Mapping of CSO’s and support organisations
Regional Workshops
Research, synthesis and toolkits
Small-scale collaborations (internal)
Small-scale collaborations (external)
Identification of long-term partners
Support (and capacity-building)
Collaboration on global projects
Linking Evidence to Policy: Lessons Learnt
• Understanding Policy process means
understanding the politics
• Demand led vs Supply driven
• Credibility of CSOs is questioned
• Capacity to use and package research for
policy influence is limited
• Donor influence is huge
• Gradual erosion of research capacity in the
South
Establishing capacity
• Engagement with policymakers varies
• Varied level of capacity in the south
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Retention and recruitment of qualified staff
Role of research in development organization
Lack of training opportunities
More emphasis on policy advocacy
Limited fund for research
• Strong Demand for support ( regional bias)
• Capacity of government institutions also in
question
Partnership for Capacity Development
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Equitable
Long-term commitment
Intellectual honesty
Mutual Trust
Ethical Principle of Partnership
Contextual ( strong regional variation)
Capacity is demanded not given!!
Key issues for Partnership
• ODI needs to change ( Org and Staff)
• Invest time and resource
• Partnership to accommodate diversity of
capacity
• Different modes of Partnerships ( research,
networking, advocacy)
Capacity Development in CSPP
• Building a knowledge base of orgs
• Responding directly to CD demand of
partners
• CSPP network
– Training ( Research methodology, policy
analysis, etc).
– Facilitating exchange of information and
knowledge ( Best Practice)
– Support institutional development
– Collaborative action research projects
Key factors for CSO influence (Malawi)
Opposing
• Lack of capacity
• Lack of local
ownership
• Translating data into
evidence
• Lack of data
• Donor influence
• Crises
• Political factors
Supporting
• Evidence of the value
of CSO involvement
• Governments
becoming more
interested in CSOs
• CSOs are gaining
confidence
• Strength of networks
• The media
• Political factors
LUNCH
Key-note Speakers
• [insert name] and blurb
• On the needs and pressures of
policymaking
• On producing relevant and credible
research
• Questions?
Plenary discussion:
1. How can we change what we do to be more
useful for policymakers?
To Maximize Chances
You need to:
• better understand how policy is made and
options for policy entrepreneurship;
• use evidence more effectively in influencing
policy-making processes;
• build stronger connections with other
stakeholders;
• actively participate in policy networks
• communicate better.
Skills of (pro-poor) policy entrepreneurs
Networkers
Storytellers
Engineers
Fixers
Policy Entrepreneurship
Questionnaire
• Rank responses
• Add scores
• Don’t worry about
specifics
Bangladesh CSO Policy Entrepreneurs
>44 = Low
<30 = High
<23 = V. High
End DAY 1
DAY 2
• Results of the Policy entrepreneurship
questionnaire
• Tools
– Identifying the problem and assessing the
context
Comments
• Tendency to prefer “storytelling” and
“networking”.
• Several people dislike “fixing” and
“engineering” is close by.
• One of you has a strong preference:
“networking”
Compared with others…
Understanding the context
• The RAPID Framework
• 28 Questions which explains how to use the
framework
An Analytical Framework
External Influences
Socio-economic and
cultural influences,
donor policies etc
The links between policy
and research communities –
networks, relationships, power,
competing discourses, trust,
knowledge etc.
The political context –
political and economic structures
and processes, culture, institutional
pressures, incremental vs radical
change etc.
The evidence – credibility, the
degree it challenges received
wisdom, research approaches
and methodology, simplicity of
the message, how it is packaged
etc
A Practical Framework
External Influences
Politics and
Policymaking
Campaigning,
Lobbying
Scientific
information
exchange &
validation
political context
Media,
Advocacy,
Networking
links
Policy analysis, &
research
Research,
learning &
thinking
evidence
Using the framework
• The external environment: Who are the key actors?
What is their agenda? How do they influence the political
context?
• The political context: Is there political interest in
change? Is there room for manoeuvre? How do they
perceive the problem?
• The evidence: Is it there? Is it relevant? Is it practically
useful? Are the concepts familiar or new? Does it need repackaging?
• Links: Who are the key individuals? Are there existing
networks to use? How best to transfer the information?
The media? Campaigns?
Using the Framework
What CSOs need to do
What CSOs need to
know
What CSOs need to
do
Political Context:
• Get to know the policymakers. • Work with them – seek
commissions
• Identify friends and foes.
• Strategic opportunism –
• Prepare for policy
prepare for known events
opportunities.
+ resources for others
• Look out for policy windows.
• Who are the policymakers?
• Is there demand for ideas?
• What is the policy process?
Evidence
• What is the current theory?
• What are the narratives?
• How divergent is it?
Links
• Who are the stakeholders?
• What networks exist?
• Who are the connectors,
mavens and salesmen?
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Establish credibility
Provide practical solutions
Establish legitimacy.
Present clear options
Use familiar narratives.
• Get to know the others
• Work through existing
networks.
• Build coalitions.
• Build new policy networks.
How to do it
• Build a reputation
• Action-research
• Pilot projects to generate
legitimacy
• Good communication
• Build partnerships.
• Identify key networkers,
mavens and salesmen.
• Use informal contacts
Example of application
• Animal Healthcare in Kenya :You could use
a time line of events…
• How PRSP came about:You could analyse
events that lead to a significant
development/change
The PRSP Story…
• The WB & IMF “adopted” PRSPs at
o
the AGM in Sept. 1999 as the 1
instrument for HIPIC II (and
subsequently for all loans)
• Why?
• What were the key factors?
• What role did “evidence” play in the
process?
PRSPs – Evidence
• Long-term academic research informing new
focus on poverty, participation, ownership, aid
effectiveness etc
• Applied policy research:
– ESAF reviews
– HIPC review
– SPA Working Groups
– NGO research on debt
• Uganda’s PEAP
PRSPs – Political Context
• Widespread awareness of a “problem” with
international development policy in late 90s
• Failure of SAPs (and Asian financial crisis)
• Mounting public pressure for debt relief
• Stagnation of Comprehensive Development
Framework idea
• Diverging agendas (UK – Poverty, US –
Governance)
• WB/IMF Annual General Meeting, Sept 1999
PRSPs – Links
• WB, IMF, SPA, Bilaterals, NGOs all involved
• Formal and informal networks
• “None of the players was more than two
handshakes away from any of the others”
Any questions?
About the framework?
About the cases?
Pick a policy issue to work on
for rest of workshop
• You are working on.
• Is there a theme a group is interested in?
• Discuss it with your neighbours?
• Keep your notes!!
Group Work
Use the RAPID Framework to analyse
the key factors likely to affect the
policy influence of your work
(remember you will present each
other’s work)
1. Go over all factors (pick the most relevant
questions)
2. Answer:
1. How friendly is the policy context?
2. Do you have access to the right evidence?
3. Are there clear and strong links between
evidence and policy?
4. How influential are the external forces?
Feedback and Discussion
Groups (a few key points):
What is the issue?
What factors matter?
Is the evidence credible?
Others:
Are the same issues important?
Do you find the evidence credible?
What is the present policy agenda?
Tools for Policy Influence
Practical Tools
Overarching Tools
- The RAPID Framework
- Using the Framework
- The Entrepreneurship
Questionnaire
Communication Tools
- Communications Strategy
- SWOT analysis
- Message Design
- Making use of the media
Policy Influence Tools
- Influence Mapping & Power Mapping
- Lobbying and Advocacy
- Campaigning: A Simple Guide
- Competency self-assessment
Context Assessment Tools
- Stakeholder Analysis
- Forcefield Analysis
- Writeshops
- Policy Mapping
- Political Context Mapping
Research Tools
- Case Studies
- Episode Studies
- Surveys
- Bibliometric Analysis
- Focus Group Discussion
Policy Analysis: Methods and tools
– RAPID Framework
– Problem Situation Analysis (Tree Analysis)
– Stakeholder Analysis
– Policy Process Mapping
– Force field analysis
– Influence mapping
– SWOT analysis
Problem Tree Analysis
• The first step is to discuss and
agree the problem or issue to
be analysed.
• Next the group identify the
causes of the focal problem –
these become the roots – and
then identify the consequences
– which become the branches
• The heart of the exercise is the
discussion, debate and
dialogue that is generated as
factors are arranged and rearranged, often forming subdividing roots and branches
Stakeholder Analysis
• Clarify the policy change
objective
• Identify all the stakeholders
associated with this objective
• Organise the stakeholders in
the matrice according to
interest and power
• Develop strategy to engage
with different stakeholders
High
Keep
Satisfied
Engage
Closely and
Influence
Actively
Monitor
(minimum effort)
Keep
Informed
Power
Low
Low
Interest
High
Mapping Policy Processes
Agendas
Central
Government
Parliament
Bureaucrats
Civil Society
State
Government
Implementation
Civil Society
Formulation
Implementation
SWOT Analysis
Strengths
Weaknesses
•Skills and abilities
•Funding lines
•Commitment to positions
•Contacts and Partners
•Existing activities
Opportunities Threats
•Other orgs relevant to the
issue
•Resources: financial,
technical, human
•Political and policy space
•Other groups or forces
• What type of policy
influencing skills and
capacities do we have?
• In what areas have our staff
used them more effectively?
• Who are our strongest
allies?
• When have they worked
with us?
• Are there any windows of
opportunity?
• What can affect our ability to
influence policy?
LUNCH
Tools
– Identifying the forces for and against change
and developing the strategy
Force field Analysis
• Specific Change
• Identify Forces
• (Identify Priorities)
• (Develop Strategies)
Force Field Analysis
• Think about:
– Who needs to change
– Who can support and who can resist change
• Do not confuse strength of force with importance
of force
• Look out for:
– VERY strong forces
– Priorities
– Nested FFA (you might have to re-think your problem)
Group work:
• Use Force field analysis to identify key
issues and strategic objectives
• Feedback –highlighting examples
(remember you are telling each other’s
strategies):
– Main forces for and against
– Overall strategic options
– Implications for problem analysis?
Tomorrow
• We will begin with sharing experience of projects.
• You will use some of the questions and tools to
collect information about the problems faced by
the school/project and its context
• Use your ‘What to watch for’ hand out as a guide,
only.
• Ask questions, observe, take pictures if possible,
make sketches, get quotes.
End of DAY 2
Day 3
• Developing a strategy
The over all framework
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Who?
Identify the problem
Understand the context
How? What?
Identify the audience(s)
Develop a SMART Strategy
Identify the message(s)
Resources – staff, time, partners & $$
Promotion – tools & activities
Monitor, learn, adapt
Communication Toolkit for Researchers and CSOs
• Why Communicate? (To inspire, inform and learn).
• African agriculture Researchers have failed identify the
problems facing policymakers ( Omamao 2003).
• Each stakeholder has different communication needs,
information is accessed by them differently, need research
results in different times and different formats (Mortimer et
al 2003).
• Communication capacity – is a long term process
• How to improve communication of research to
policymakers, to other researchers and the end users ( i.e
NGOs, CBOs, etc).
• Communication tools
Audience
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Who needs to make these changes?
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Who has the power?
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What is their stance on the issue?
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Who influences them?
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Identify targets and influence
(use stakeholder & context mapping tools)
Message
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Why should things change (or what is the
evidence to support your case?)
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How to make sure that the evidence is
credible and ‘legitimate’?
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What the target audience can hear....
frameworks of thought
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Language, content, packaging, and timing
Messenger (Promotion)
• How to access information and target?
• Who is a trusted and credible messenger?
• What is the most appropriate medium?
(campaigns, public mobilisation, formal and
informal lobbying)
• How will you package your information?
• Role of the media?
Different Approaches
Issues: Persuasion
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Separate people from problem
Focus on interests, not positions
Invent options for mutual gain
Insist on using objective criteria.
Manage human emotion separately from
the practical problem
• Highlight the human need to feel heard,
understood, respected and valued.
Targeting: Writing Effective Policy Papers
Providing a solution to a policy problem
• Structural elements of a paper
– Problem description
– Policy options
– Conclusion
• Key issues: Problem oriented, targeted,
multidisciplinary, applied, clear, jargon-free.
[Source: Young and Quinn, 2002]
Issues: Lobbying
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Be an authority on the subject
Include all group in the work
Be positive in your approach
Be aware of the agenda and language on
the government in power
• Identify and target politicians
• Time your input
• Use the Media to lobby
Advocacy Rules
(Or how to influence
people to make changes ....)
What are the changes you are trying to bring
about?
• Use the problem tree or some other tool to
identify problems, impact of the problem and
root causes
• Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic,
Time-Bound (SMART) objectives
Who are you advocating/communicating to?
Who needs to make these changes?
Who has the power?
What is their stance on the issue?
Awareness, Knowledge, Attitude, Behaviour
Targets and influence
Mapping where decisions happen
Analyse the outcome and then decide.
Who are you working together with?
1. Who do you need to work with?
2. Identify your ‘niche’ (SWOT)
3. Stakeholder Mapping
4. Structures for collaborative working
5. Skills needed in teams
6. Benefits and pitfalls of collaborations
Why do you want to make the changes?
Why should things change (or what is the
evidence to support your case?)
How to make sure that the evidence is
credible and ‘legitimate’?
The evidence : accurate, credible, well
researched, authoritative…
What the target audience wants to hear....
Advocacy Statement
A concise and persuasive statement that captures
What you want to achieve, Why, How and by
when?
 Should ‘communicate’ with your target
audience and prompt action
 Think about language, content,
packaging, and timing
 Persuasive
How will you communicate your messages and evidence?
 How to target and access information?
 Who is a trusted and credible messenger?
 What is the most appropriate medium?
 How will you package your information?
 Role of the media
Where and when to advocate/communicate?
 Creating opportunities (campaigns,
public mobilisation, formal and
informal lobbying etc.)
 Influencing existing agendas
 Piggybacking on other agendas
Group work
1. In your country groups:
1. Write up a strategy brief detailing: problem,
context, audience, strategy, message and
messenger
2. Develop a presentation of your message
2. To the plenary:
1. Present your message
Lunch
Monitoring and learning
Why is this important?
• Because we need to be able to be strategic
• And strategies need to be evidence based
• But most relevant evidence is held by the
process of policy influence –we will learn it
as we do it
• And we must have the capacity to respond
to new evidence and adapt our strategy
– Do not think about evaluation!
– Think monitoring LEARNING and adapting
What are we talking about when we say “knowledge and
learning”?
Learn
during
Goals
Using
Using
Knowledge
Knowledge
Learn
Learn
before
after
External networks;
Colleagues;
Information assets
Results
“…The idea is not to
create an
encyclopaedia of
everything that
everybody knows,
but to keep track of
people who ‘know
the recipe’, and
nurture the
technology and
culture that will get
them talking…”
There are different forms of knowledge…
Implicit
Y
Start
Has it been
articulated?
Y
Explicit
N
Can it been
articulated?
N
Tacit
…and different approaches to learning and influencing
Getting the environment right
• Shared beliefs and common values
• A willingness to ask for help
• Common technology which connects
people
• Effective Peer Processes
• Rewarding and recognising learning
• Identifying and reinforcing the right
leadership behaviours
Some quotes
“Most activities or tasks are not one
time events… our philosophy is fairly
simple: every time we do something
again we should do it better than the
last time.” Lord Browne
"When knowledge gained somewhere
doesn't move elsewhere, that's not a
learning organization; that's just a
bunch of projects." Saratoga Institute
“It is not the strongest of the
species that survives, nor the
most intelligent, but the one
most responsive to change.”
Charles Darwin
"Practice provides the rails
on which knowledge flows."
John Seely-Brown
ODI experience
• Knowledge and learning are at the heart of the ODI
approach to bridge research, policy and practice
• ODI research groups and networks provide a
substantial knowledge base
– e.g. ALNAP and RAPID
• The CSPP has systematic learning as a core principle
The Knowledge Strategies Framework
external factors
organisational contexts
knowledge of partners,
donors, other external
agencies; networks;
national and global
factors
leadership approaches,
governance structures,
management processes,
institutional pressures, funding
cycles, historical evolution etc.
links within and
across the organisation
boundaries – via communities
and ICTs; to communications
plans; to core functions and
support functions, etc
knowledge – forms and
locations; processes – e.g.:
creation, sharing, storage, use;
key activities and tools; staff
capacities; relevance, M&E
The framework can be used to devise
and revise strategies
• The external factors How does the knowledge and
learning strategy address issues emerging from external
relationships and factors?
• The context How do issues of institutional governance,
politics and economics support or hinder the knowledge
and learning strategy?
• Links How does knowledge and learning link to
structures, functions, core activities, supporting activities
and processes of a given organisation?
• The knowledge How is knowledge and learning
understood and applied within each organisation? What
tools are used, why and how?
Knowledge: processes and tools
• There are a range of processes to consider
– Mapping and creation of knowledge
– Managing and storing knowledge
– Learning and sharing knowledge
– Use of knowledge
• The different processes and different forms of knowledge can be
brought together…
Knowledge: a menu of tools
What kind of learner are you?
• People show preferences for particular learning styles, and different
learning activities are suited to different styles of learning. You are
most likely to learn when your learning style and the nature of the
activity match.
• So if you can choose among activities to learn the same subject, you
may be able to choose an activity to match your preferred style. But
often you aren’t given the luxury of a choice, so you will need to use a
style that may not come naturally.
• If you are prepared to use different styles on occasion, so that you
strengthen styles that you currently don’t often use, you can become
an all-round learner, able to benefit from any learning opportunity.
What kind of learner are you?
Activists
• Activists are people
who learn
by doing. They like
to involve
themselves in new
experiences,
and will ‘try anything
once’.
They tend to act first
and consider
the consequences
afterwards
Reflectors
• Reflectors learn by
observing and
thinking about what
happened. They like
to consider all the
possible angles and
implications before
coming to a
considered opinion.
They spend time
listening and
observing, and tend
to be cautious and
thoughtful
Theorists
• Theorists like to
understand the
theory behind the
actions. They need
models, concepts
and facts in order to
learn. They like to
analyse and
synthesise, and feel
uncomfortable with
subjective
judgements
Pragmatists
• Pragmatists are keen
on trying things out.
They look for new
ideas that can be
applied to the
problem in hand.
They like to get on
with things and tend
to be impatient with
open-ended
discussions; they are
practical, down-toearth people
After action reviews: learning during
projects
Four Simple Questions:
• What was supposed to happen?
• What actually happened?
• Why was there a difference?
15 minute team debrief,
conducted in a “rankfree” environment.
• What can we learn from it?
The Retrospect – Learning after projects
Facilitated, forward looking
team meeting, soon after the
project has ended
• What was the objective of
the project?
• What did we achieve?
• What were the
successes? Why? How
can we repeat the
success?
• What were the
disappointments? Why?
How can we avoid them
in future?
• ‘Marks out of 100’, what
would move it closer to
100?
Monitoring ex-ante
• … ex-post is sometimes too late
• A short introduction to OUTCOME
MAPPING
What are the problems we face?
• The problem with attribution
– Multiple actors and factors contribute
– Unintended results are often ignored
– Influence shifts overtime (indirect relation)
– Impact of our interventions occurs further down
the development chain
• The problem with Accountability vs.
Learning
The problem with attribution
Family
National Gov
CEF
Church
Local Gov
DFID
GRO
CSO
USAID
Why do we face these problems?
• Because the responsibility for achieving
results ultimately depends on the actions of
our partners as influenced by the contexts
in which they work
• Focusing on downstream impact increases
programming bureaucratisation and is
inconsistent with our understanding of
develpment as a complex process.
What is OM?
• OM is a dynamic methodology useful in the
development of planning, monitoring and
evaluation mechanism. OM:
– Provides the tools to think holistically and strategically
about how it intends to achieve results
– Focuses on Outcomes instead of impacts
– It deals with Contribution instead of attribution
– Forces us to limit our planning and evaluation to our
sphere of influence
– Deals with changes in the behaviours of our direct
partners
The 3 Stages of OM
• The intentional design stage: helps answer 4 questions: 1)
Why? (developing a vision statement); 2) Who? (identifying the
primary partners); 3) What? (specifying desired outcomes and
relevant progress markers); and, 4) How? (articulating the
mission and a portfolio of strategies).
• The outcome and performance monitoring stage:
provides a framework for a continuous monitoring of the
initiative as a tool to achieving its outcomes. The program uses
progress markers, a set of graduated indicators of behavioural
change, identified in the intentional design stage to clarify
directions with its primary partners and to monitor outcomes.
• The evaluation planning stage: helps identify the
evaluation priorities assessing the strategy at greater depth
than the performance monitoring stage.
Intentional design
• Boundary Partners
– Individuals, groups and organisations with
whom the programme interacts directly to effect
changes.
– Those that you are trying to encourage to
change so that they can contribute to the
vision? With whom will you work directly?
– We must try to group similar partners according
to the type of behavioural changes sought.
Boundary partners are different from strategic
partners.
Boundary partners
Program
= Program`s Partners
Intentional design
• Outcome Challenges
– The changed behaviours (relationships, activities
and/or actions) of the boundary partner and how they
would be behaving if they were contributing ideally to
the vision.
– Imagine that in 3-5 years PartCom has been extremely
successful. What would our boundary partners be
doing to contribute maximally to the vision?
– Outcome challenges are about the boundary partner,
not the programme.
Intentional design
• Progress markers
– Step by step progressive changes that one expects to
see (short run), would like to see (medium to long run)
and love to see (very long run) –keep it simple, 15 max!
– Are about CHANGES IN BEHAVIOURS OF
BOUNDARY PARTNERS
– Are linear but NOT static
– Must be revised
– Help monitor the effectiveness of the strategy
Intentional design
• Strategy Map
– Outlines the programmes approach in working with the
boundary partners
– How will the programme contribute to the achievement
of the outcome challenged over the next X
months/years?
– Use force field analysis
The three stages of OM
Further Information / Resources
• ODI Working Papers
• Bridging Research
and Policy Book
• JID Special Issue
• Meeting Reports
• Tools for Impact
• www.odi.org.uk/cspp
• www.odi.org.uk/rapid
Contact Details:
Naved Chowdhury – [email protected]
Enrique Mendizabal: [email protected]
RAPID Programme, ODI www.odi.org.uk/rapid
Other sources of information:
Visit http://www.odi.org.uk/rapid
or e-mail [email protected] for a copy of the RAPID/CSPP CD-ROM
Closing comments
1. Was this useful?
2. What will you do different from now on?
3. How can we help you?
Thank you