Use of various tools reinforces knowledge management (IICD)

How do you increase awareness in the South about what ICT can mean to development? This is the leading question in IICD's work. In recent years, the organisation has professionalised itself. Martine Koopman, Knowledge Sharing Officer, explains what the organisation did to improve capacity development quality.

IICD stands for International Institute for Communication and Development. It supports partner organisations in Africa and South America, who – in turn – help the development of the health, agricultural and educational sectors using ICT. Martine Koopman explains what this means in practice: “As an example; we noticed that in Zambia's agricultural sector the flow of information between researchers, agricultural specialists in the regions and farmers was difficult. The latter did not understand the research information. So we changed this. The information is now easier for the farmers to understand. Moreover, we have created 2-way traffic i.e. farmers' questions now lead to more targeted research.”

Monitoring and Evaluation System strategies for capacity development

As a learning organisation, IICD continuously works on capacity development quality. “The organisation has become a lot more professional in recent years”, says Koopman. “We have been using a Monitoring and Evaluation System for some time now. However, nowadays we use this tool for many more goals such as planning and documentation. The system not only serves to determine the impact of projects, but primarily provides learning. We can discuss, adapt and emphasise things on the basis of the results of the evaluation. Not only do we learn from the system, so do our partners. Furthermore, we have a peer assistance programme. If I encounter a problem, I submit it to my colleagues using an intervision method. We thereby not only share our successes, but precisely also those aspects which did not go well so we can learn from these.”

These forms of capacity development also influence the countries IICD is active in. “Internally, we know more about each other. So we are more aware of what is going on in other countries and sectors. You usually can't adopt ideas integrally, but you can utilise them. In the various countries knowledge exchange is at a higher level than it was a few years ago and the organisations are developing”, says Koopman.

Thematic Learning Communities

Thematic Learning Communities (TLCs) occupy an important role in the learning process. Koopman explains: “At IICD we have set up communities per sector which hold both face-to-face meetings and communicate in online forums. The TLCs structure the sharing of knowledge and experience. This represents an enormous progression in contrast to the past when we knew too little about what was going on in other people's sectors due to insufficient exchange. Now I know who to turn to with specific questions, and sector information on, for example, Ghana is shared with Tanzania. It is a tool with which we can develop a collective memory. Moreover, this transforms IICD from an ICT project agency into an organisation that provides a structural contribution to improving a particular sector.”

“Partner organisations also benefit from this knowledge exchange. We can provide much better advice to them now with our broader vision. Not only at project level, but primarily also at sector level. We help organisations to develop enabling them to play a more prominent role in the sector they operate in.”

Learning-working path

IICD has undertaken a Learning-working path with PSO. What does that path entail? “PSO contributes new materials and methods for capacity development. Such as the approach that utilises the three levels of capacity development: human resources, organisational and institutional development. PSO also helps us to reflect: what do we do in the field of capacity development?”

“For example, in Zambia the Learning-working path examines how capacity development contributes to the proper embedding of ICT in the education sector. We are trying to develop a method which can not only be used in the education sector in Zambia, but also in other sectors and countries. The method consists of workshops which give partners the opportunity to tell us whether we are tackling capacity development correctly. The Learning-working path's ultimate goal is to develop the method to the point that you are no longer needed as a (partner)organisation. A method like this is never a blueprint, it is an umbrella method”, says Koopman.

One of the lessons learned from the path in Zambia was that school boards were involved in projects far too late. Koopman: “For example, school boards did not see the point in reserving funds for Internet. We have discovered that if you involve them in projects from the start they understand that this helps them set up a better school. New insights are found by working from the education sector's perspective.”

PSO

PSO played an important role in improving capacity development quality. “For example, thanks to PSO's quality bonus I was able to take a practical course on facilitation for professionals. Being able to facilitate workshops under various circumstances is really important in the framework of the Learning-working path. The course helped me and I regularly apply the skills gained both at IICD and in networks in Ghana and Zambia. I have become better at recognising group dynamics, learned to deal with different types of people and have broadened my range of methods and styles,” explains Koopman. “Incidentally, PSO has funded even more, including projects in Ecuador's governance sector and in education in Zambia.”

“The Learning-working path also provides added value. It incorporates reflection which there is too little time for in day-to-day business. This reflection leads to learning moments. Moreover, the Learning-working path gives us handholds on an organisation that is building a repertoire of methods and which is transforming from a project organisation into a knowledge organisation. Exchanging and sharing knowledge is very important at IICD. We really value properly educated management staff who can contribute to IICD as a learning organisation.”