IGAD DROUGHT DISASTER RESILIENCE AND SUSTAINABILITY INITIATIVE (IDDRSI)

Transcription

1 IGAD DROUGHT DISASTER RESILIENCE AND SUSTAINABILITY INITIATIVE (IDDRSI) DRAFT STRATEGY FOR A UNIFIED KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM 4 th IDDRSI PLATFORM STEERING COMMITTEE MEETING AND GENERAL ASSEMBLY, ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA, MARCH Prepared by the Platform Coordination Unit (PCU) March 2015, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

2 Table of Contents 1. Objective of the Strategy Knowledge Management an Overview Resilience and Knowledge Knowledge Flows within IDDRSI Dimensions of the Unified Knowledge Management System Processes People Technologies Components of the Unified Knowledge Management System KMS Components Under Processes Common Strategy for KMS Policies and Protocols for Data Sharing Harmonized M&E Process Spatial Planning Resilience Analysis KMS Components Under People Capacity Building KM Champions Incentives Communities of Practice KMS Components Under Technologies IGAD Info Di Monitoring Resilience Investments Maps Geo Spatial Portal Document Management System IDDRSI website What has been done until now Processes What Has Been Done

3 7.2 People What Has Been Done Technologies implemented/initiated KM Challenges Road Map for Sustainability

4 1. Objective of the Strategy The main objective of this Draft Strategy is to identify the different constituents of the Unified Knowledge Management System (KMS) and describe the steps needed for their implementation. The KMS will, through focusing on related knowledge processes and technologies aimed at enhancing the achievement of resilience objectives help build a common knowledge vision. It shall offer a roadmap for IGAD Member States towards sharing and leveraging their knowledge. Knowledge management and research are both found under the IGAD Drought Disaster Resilience and Sustainability Initiative (IDDRSI) Strategy as Priority Intervention Area 5 (PIA 5). IGAD and MS acknowledged the significance of the knowledge management dimension within their respective Regional and Country Programming Papers. Fig 1: Key words found in RPP and CPP under PIA 5 This Strategy is based on the objective to establish a regional KMS that integrates knowledge and information from IGAD and Member States to support the implementation of the drought resilience initiative. Based on this shared strategy, IGAD plans to put in place a structure and culture for resilience based information sharing between Member States (MS), IGAD specialized offices, NGOs, research centers, development partners or any other stakeholder working on pastoral resilience in arid and semiarid lands (ASAL). It will ultimately provide details about the role of knowledge within IDDRSI and its implementation. This Draft Strategy, is a common Knowledge Sharing concept which when adopted by Member States, Development Partners and other stakeholders involved in the IDDRSI process will help integrate and harmonize their work and knowledge on resilience. 2. Knowledge Management an Overview Among the multitude of Knowledge Management definitions, the majority agree that KM is about building Knowledge around three key dimensions. Knowledge management 1 can be defined as the 1 Adapted from Dalkir, K., Knowledge Management in Theory and Practice. El Sevier. Amsterdam. 3

5 deliberate and systematic coordination of people, technologies, and processes in order to capture and add value through reuse and innovation. This coordination is achieved through creating, sharing, and applying knowledge as well as through feeding the valuable lessons learned and best practices according to a specific context in order to foster continued organizational learning. To that extent, KM is a multi-disciplinary approach to achieving organizational objectives by making the best use of knowledge. A knowledge management system is an organized collection of people, technologies and processes used to create, store, share and use knowledge from within organizations and other relevant sources to achieve organizational and collective goals (Adapted from Dalkir, 2005). Knowledge management can take place at different levels, internally within one same organization and/or at the external level by capturing and sharing knowledge with other organizations. The current KMS is designed so that it focuses on both the internal IGAD offices and related knowledge flows and will also interconnect between and among MS allowing for interactions with external knowledge flows. Fig 2: The 3 KM Dimensions The successful implementation of IDDRSI will depend on the availability of the appropriate technological systems, a motivated and capacitated human factor as well as fluent processes. This task requires political support and institutional champions. It requires a good understanding of technologies, their limits and their advantages. From a human perspective, knowledge is power, but sharing knowledge is more powerful, something achieved by building a strong KM culture and vision. The Draft Strategy for a KMS will look at processes and technologies for resilience by: Identifying knowledge needs Capturing knowledge Storing Knowledge Sharing knowledge Creating new knowledge 4

6 Table 1: Key Knowledge Terms Knowledge Vision: A vision is needed to guide any knowledge management strategy and to create a shared understanding about the common objectives of work. Explicit knowledge: Refers to the knowledge which can be or has been codified. This type of knowledge is usually easily accessible through existing literature, guidelines, lessons learned... Tacit knowledge: Refers to the knowledge present within a person or a group but not tangible yet. It needs to be captured and codified whenever possible. Tacit knowledge can be held by human beings, based on emotions, experiences, insights, intuition, observations and internalized information. The present KMS is a first concept of what could lead to a broader KM Strategy with time. Rather than calling the current a Knowledge Management Strategy it is more appropriate to keep the practical dimension in it by designating it as a Draft Strategy for a Unified Knowledge Management System. 3. Resilience and Knowledge In IGAD where Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASALs) represent close to 70% of the surface area, the establishment of a unified knowledge management system will help contribute information to achieve the resilience and development objectives of the region. In IDDRSI, resilience is based on approaching drought disasters affecting mostly pastoral communities in a proactive manner by tackling the structural causes of drought. To achieve such a resilience, a systemic thinking bridging and integrating the work of different sectors is essential. Knowledge sharing represents a way to promote the understanding of how the resilience component found at the center of IDDRSI strategy can be understood, measured and achieved. Looking at the systemic dimensions of resilience, knowledge is used to cross fertilize different sectors and becomes an integrating factor of the work of everybody. A factor where a broad knowledge from different sources is to be captured, stored then channeled into highways of interconnected systems linking sectors covering various humanitarian and development topics. The impact on the long term will be to create as well the means for IDDRSI experts to share and access in one place resilience information and build new knowledge to achieve the IDDRSI objectives. As we race against climate change and other natural and developmental challenges, the quick flow of knowledge concerning resilience becomes critical to meet the desired goals. The KMS as a common knowledge system connects experts from different disciplines and marries their work to generate solutions towards building informed drought disaster resilience solutions and policies. 5

7 4. Knowledge Flows within IDDRSI In general the development of knowledge strategies tend to follow a specific number of steps, which are: 1. Conducting a knowledge audit 2. Identifying gaps, needs as well as opportunities 3. Drafting a knowledge strategy document 4. Implementing the KM Strategy 5. Adjusting as required The unified KMS is a result of a rapid Knowledge audit conducted by IGAD in 2013, 3 audits concerning Geographical Information and Remote Sensing Systems conducted in 2014 by IGAD, GIZ and expert consultants. The KMS is also a direct request coming from MS and is based on a dozen of Steering Committee highlighting the need for a unified KM system. Fig 3: Key words found in 12 Steering Committee Recommendations focusing on KM The development of IGAD s knowledge sharing capacities is needed to consolidate and support the implementation of the other PIAs in the IDDRSI Strategy. The latter, as a mutli-sector strategy requires the involvement of a multitude of institutions from the IGAD region. The development of knowledge flows across 7 countries in addition to IGAD Secretariat and its specialized offices is an important task to be undertaken gradually. The KMS will assist decision makers and experts to enhance their understanding about resilience in the context of cross border (or ecosystems) programming and shall provide capacities to build systemic solutions to achieve resilience objectives. From a regional level, knowledge practices would also have to reach the field, to be shared with pastoral communities or leveraged from the field, based on lessons learned and successful experiences. In IGAD region, data, information and knowledge can be available but remain scattered or even sometimes inaccessible. At the regional level the PCU will help put in place means to gather it and leverage it according to the needs of resilience practitioners. The PCU recognizes that the development of knowledge sharing solutions will depend on the access to resources, the adoption of a common vision and the acceptance of organizational change amongst other things. Based on the political support of the MS through the IDDRSI Steering Committee (SC) recommendations and the resources available through IGAD partners, IGAD expects to respond to the wide information needs and leverage all sources of relevant information to facilitate the implementation of the different PIAs. Knowledge coming from the 6

8 traditional experiences of local communities, from scientists and researchers including field experiences shall be captured to feed into policies, planning and programming building the resilience of pastoral communities. Under IDDRSI, the core functions of the Platform Coordination Unit (PCU) focus on programming, capacity building, partnerships and knowledge management. The PCU aims at facilitating the implementation of resilience policies and programming initiatives at the regional level by building a common vision, by developing sharing capacities through the KMS and by increasing the awareness about the KMS. 5. Dimensions of the Unified Knowledge Management System The KMS will be made of different components and introduced progressively to IGAD MS. The components will be distributed under the key KM dimensions. When agreed upon, piloted and successful the components can be rolled out to all other MS. The Draft Strategy for a KMS is consequently built around KM processes, people and technologies. 5.1 Processes In KM, processes represent one of the most demanding tasks. Putting a KMS in the IGAD region involves a multitude of knowledge generators and users. It is quite challenging as it involves various cultures and institutions. The success of the KMS will be in identifying the required processes to structure data sharing, data usage as well as systems for resilience research, M&E and programming purposes or even to capture best practices. Processes will be supported with the means for standardization through the adequate data policy protocols and other harmonization procedures. The availability of the tools and the willingness of experts to use the KM technologies will be enhanced when processes are clear and their benefits respond to the adequate information sharing needs. 5.2 People In knowledge management people are the central users and beneficiaries of knowledge, information and data. The successful application of processes and technologies will highly depend on Human motivation and capacities to put those into practice. It will also benefit from central persons who can play a leading role in driving the Strategy forward. People will be ready to share knowledge if a shared vision, a motivational environment and the adequate skills are available. The consideration of the human factor in the KMS looks at securing the capacity building needs to adopt or use the selected KM processes and technologies. It will also identify quick mechanisms to provide incentives for knowledge sharing as a way to gather support. As KM involves solutions that go beyond the technological aspects, a space for human exchanges will be needed. The capacity to meet with resilience experts, practitioners and build or join communities working on resilience will constitute another part of the IDDRSI KM focus. 7

9 In many cases offering a good environment to share knowledge can help in identifying the tacit knowledge that people hold. 5.3 Technologies Technologies are generally used to facilitate the implementation of processes through tools (i.e. Internet mainly but also radio, sms, optical pens ) or other traditional means to respond to key knowledge needs. The latter can be linked to building informed policies, to programming, monitoring and evaluation as well as using or generating resilience knowledge which can be adopted by practitioners or pastoralists. The Draft KMS considers means to capture, store and share IGAD and MS relevant knowledge on humanitarian and development work related to pastoral systems. The above KM dimensions are all closely inter-related, one feeding into the other. However and in order of complexities, processes represent in general the most demanding commitment as they bring cultural change. Followed by processes the human factor will be needed to understand the processes and operate the technologies with the adequate skills. Technologies although expensive or demanding some time to master represent the easier set of components within the KMS. Fig 4: The 3 Dimensions of the IDDRSI Knowledge Management System 8

10 6. Components of the Unified Knowledge Management System The structure of the KMS is described below in details. Many components of the KMS continue to be developed and tested with IGAD member states. Current components of the KMS are : Suggested components for Processes include: Common Strategy for a KMS Policies and Protocols for data sharing Harmonized M&E process Spatial planning (through Geographical information systems and Remote Sensing) Resilience analysis (through special entities/units to generate resilience based understandings) Suggested components for People include: Capacity Building Resilience Champions Incentives Communities of practice Suggested components for Technologies include: M&E system for project and programme level (Di Monitoring) M&E system for baseline data and impact monitoring (IGAD Info) Programme portfolio management - building a 3W map (who is doing what and where) Geospatial portal Document Management System IDDRSI Website IGAD Intranet 6.1 KMS Components Under Processes Common Strategy for KMS Purpose: To build a vision based on a common system to direct the KM work A Strategy for the KMS needs to be made available to structure and guide the implementation of the whole knowledge management initiative. The strategy follows a knowledge audit where needs and gaps were been identified by the KM team. The current document provides a Draft Strategy for a KMS. It needs to be enhanced and ultimately adopted by IGAD Member States. However, this draft provides the 9

11 first basis for the development of the KM system. The strategy is a living document and can be refined as Knowledge processes and technologies are piloted, adjusted or replaced Policies and Protocols for Data Sharing Purpose: To create a clear and guiding environment for easier circulation of knowledge Knowledge comes as a result of data and information availability. IDDRSI is a strategy implemented by 7 MS where information and data can be available according to different forms, levels and conditions. In many cases it can be also scattered among different government bodies, research centers, universities The availability of a process to share knowledge will be important for data sharing especially when dealing with various institutional cultures and across borders. A policy and a protocol are to be developed to harmonize data collection, classification and storage amongst other things. Policies and protocols can be for example helpful when dealing with georeferenced data and mapping products. In certain cases data and information can have a political dimension. For instance sensitive data can be when dealing with water, diseases, traditional knowledge or practices. It is important to build a policy framework which would guide the process for sharing IGAD knowledge Harmonized M&E Process Purpose: To create a common M&E framework for Resilience IDDRSI is a 15 year strategy which will allow for a multitude of projects and programmes to be implemented. It is important to put in place a Monitoring and Evaluation mechanism both at the project and programme levels as well as at the impact level. The process would have to provide a set of harmonized indicators and the common and adequate technologies to use them. The success of the M&E depends on agreeing on which indicators to collect and how to use them. This would need to be achieved by streamlining all IDDRSI M&E processes. For instance, the collection of baseline data for M&E is a demanding and costly process, the agreement on the minimum resilience indicators and baseline data can benefit from local and international initiatives such as the work on the Millennium Development Goals or the subsequent initiative related to the Sustainable Development Goals Spatial Planning Purpose: To provide through spatial planning a holistic capacity for approaching resilience A holistic approach to resilience will rely on spatial analysis and planning. Spatial planning is a practical and systemic approach to invite sectors and experts from different thematic areas to work together. It is a process which uses Geographical Information Systems and Remote Sensing (GIS/RS) as the main technologies for visualization of development work and priorities. In the KMS, spatial planning opens the space for a multi-sector and integrated approach offering an ideal opportunity to generate new knowledge by combining different thematic areas Resilience Analysis Purpose: To initiate a process for the definition of resilience and agreement on its indicators IGAD in collaboration with the Resilience Analysis Unit have engaged a process to lead gradually to the identification of resilience based indicators and knowledge. Those indicators once available can be 10

12 included in the M&E framework. RAU is also working on processes for the collection of best practices, data and indicators that would be used by respective countries for resilience. 6.2 KMS Components Under People Capacity Building Purpose: To develop the capacities of IGAD and Member States in implementing the KMS components The KMS is made out of a number of components with for instance technologies to be introduced and used by experts often for the first time. To increase the support and the success factor of knowledge sharing, the KMS will include various capacity building initiatives. It includes the development or training sessions, videos and other guiding products to facilitate the implementation of the KMS. It will also make sure that human capacities are available with the appropriate skills to adopt and use the different KMS components. Capacity building is to be done in a cascading manner starting from the regional level to the national then cluster levels. Fig 5: Cascading System for Capacity Building KM Champions Purpose: To identify Knowledge champions who can dynamically drive the KMS For the KMS successful adoption, a support from upper management is central. It is by identifying knowledge champions in the organization that effective consideration, attention and dedication will also be generated by all the other different levels of management. On many occasions the KM components have to be piloted before being adopted. The initiation of any testing or mobilization of resources would need to have the trust of decision makers in the organization to be using them. The KM champions will have the role of building this trust and generating motivation to test and adopt the new tools Incentives Purpose: To introduce measure to encourage the knowledge sharing culture The human factor can be positively motivated to bring cultural change and adopt new habits of work. The available of material or non-material incentives will create a more receptive environment for the implementation of the KMS. Incentive measures can be wide, it can be for example through capacity building measures to acquire new skills, delivering certificates of accomplishment to candidates 11

13 6.2.4 Communities of Practice Purpose: To create a network/physical space for the exchange of resilience knowledge The flow of knowledge between experts should look at opportunities to access a physical environment and/or virtual space for active exchanges. It will happen through communities of practice or also through thematic fairs inviting experts to look at knowledge work, products and share further resilience experiences. This is effective to capture the tacit knowledge held by people and generate new knowledge creation. 6.3 KMS Components Under Technologies IGAD Info Purpose: To develop a common system for baseline data in ASAL and Pastoral Areas IGAD info gathers a compilation of indicators available publically from different IGAD countries and places them all under one tool. This tool represents a platform allowing the user to access indicators per topic, per sectors, per global goals such as the MDGs and to visualise them in table, chart or georeferenced formats. This technology redistributes the MDG indicators according to the IDDRSI Priority Intervention Areas. The importance of having this regional compilation in one place is an important step towards integrating and harmonising such knowledge between IGAD Member States. It is also a means towards sharing IDDRSI baseline indicators but also towards identifying potential data gaps and to work on their availability especially in drought affected areas. IGAD intends to continue working with this technology developed by the United Nations, to adapt it to ASALs in the context of the IDDRSI Strategy and the future M&E of the Sustainable Development Goals. The platform remains a flexible tool for additional indicators to be uploaded by an individual expert, an organisation or a government agency. The importance of accessing in one go all information from MS relative to the ASAL region can guide more effectively programming needs and monitor future progress against development objectives. IGAD info is based on the DevInfo technology which is owned by the UN and is available for royalty-free distribution to all UN agencies and government partner and the system is supported through a longterm technical arrangement between the UN and Community Systems Foundation, a technical support group with more than fifteen years of experience in the implementation of socioeconomic databases Di Monitoring Purpose: To provide a common IDDRSI web based tool for Project and Programmes M&E DiMonitoring is to facilitate the harmonization and integration of project and programme M&E. DiMonitoring is a web-based data management application intended to facilitate the tracking of development plans. The application is designed to allow users to develop customized monitoring frameworks that provide online access to program indicators and quick filtering of records. IGAD Info and Di Monitoring represent two integrated and complementary technologies for M&E at different levels. Some of the key features of di Monitoring include the following: customization features to adapt to specific monitoring frameworks 12

14 online access to program indicators within multiple frameworks in a single web-based application quick filtering of records to view which indicators are on track, almost on track, and off-track Viewing of indicators by various user-defined dimensions, such as those associated with a particular partner or donor Entering of actual data values online on a rolling basis Resilience Investments Maps Purpose: Providing a common tool for Programme Portfolio Management The Who is doing What, and Where (3W) map developed by UNOCHA provides a look at drought related investments in the IGAD Member States. Projects and programmes are represented on the web based map and distributed according to the IDDRSI PIAs. The 3W map gives decision makers and concerned managers an easy platform for resilience planning and programming. As drought disaster resilience requires a holistic and multi-sector development approach, the map offers a simple and powerful technology to reflect the work conducted by various stakeholders under the different PIAs. It is also useful to identify gaps, avoid duplication of efforts by looking at current or past including future initiatives in pastoral areas. Using the 3W technology programming officers and decision makers can see: Who is involved in resilience programming? What is being implemented? And where are investments taking place? The use of the 3W map will be helpful at many levels especially as an instrument for program and project portfolio management Geo Spatial Portal Purpose: Geo spatial data sharing platform to support IDDRSI planning Fig 6: 3W Map for Kenya The Geospatial portal would be a common place for IGAD offices and MS to store and access maps and other georeferenced information. It is a tool to facilitate access to thematic maps and at the same time would be an element for the creation of new knowledge. Through the Geospatial portal the user can combine different thematic maps analyze them and generate new knowledge Document Management System Purpose: Centralized IDDRSI Document Management System A DMS will be used to store explicit knowledge and to allow for a better visibility and accessibility to resilience products and work. This system will be benefit from resilience based metadata and taxonomy to facilitate the search of the information and improve its classification. The DMS will be for instance accessible to all the resilience community through the IDDRSI website for searching, downloading and also uploading information in its various forms (document, multimedia, maps ). 13

15 6.3.5 IDDRSI website Purpose: Information sharing and awareness platform The IDDRSI website serves to facilitate communication about the platform activities as well as the accessibility to IDDRSI based information and resilience products such as the best practices, lessons learned, resilience meetings and news It will also be a place to access the KM tools and to communicate with the PCU team Intranet Purpose: A backbone structure to hold all types of information and to support processes The development of an intranet will be the backbone needed to organize and hold all the KMS knowledge and technologies. It will be done by developing an intranet using special software technologies which will be used to build the architecture in the background of the KMS. With time this intranet which is the central knowledge database and structure shall become a path to switch from a simple website to a fully integrated knowledge portal for IDDRSI. Fig 7: The Unified Knowledge Management System with its Components 14

16 7. What has been done until now 7.1 Processes What Has Been Done Fig 8: Processes Related Components Implemented/Initiated 15

17 7.2 People What Has Been Done Fig 9: People Related Components Implemented/Initiated 16

18 7.3 Technologies implemented/initiated Fig 10: Technologies Related Components Implemented/Initiated URL Links to technologies: 3W Kenya: 3W Ethiopia: IDDRSI Site: Geoportal: 3W Uganda: 3W Sudan: IGADInfo: IGADInfo Profile Launcher: 17

19 8. KM Challenges In the IGAD region, data and information for resilience are highly needed from and for all MS, yet their capture, integration or accessibility can be often challenging. The number of processes, and technologies in KM are numerous, and challenges in developing them across a large institutional and geographical environment can be enormous. For instance, KM has to be implemented across various technologies, cultures, countries and also understandings of what knowledge management benefits would bring. Looking at those challenges and based on the results of audits conducted by the IGAD KM team, decision was made to divide the KMS into small components to be implemented gradually and when possible independently to secure a greater flexibility and reduce the challenges as much as possible. This however remains a long process as a common vision is gradually built on how to implement the KMS. The latter will require a continuous and dedicated support from the resilience community and MS in working together on the agreed upon components. 9. Road Map for Sustainability The PCU through the KM team continues to work closely with other IGAD MS and specialized offices, where the implementation of each of the above components is currently at different levels of maturity. To secure success, the above unified knowledge management system with its different components benefits currently from financial resources and the political support of IGAD Member States and development partner. As a way forward the team will use this support for further institutionalizing knowledge management through the sharing and adoption of this KMS as a common vision for what could represent work on KM. Knowledge sharing can bring experts together by creating a positive environment and offering tools for information accessibility. The Draft Strategy for a KMS shall be in the coming months shared with all MS and used as a first step towards agreeing on a common structure and approach for knowledge sharing in the IGAD region. Steps Activities Present KMS at SC Launch the KMS Identify data to conduct meeting on KMS Collect feedback from Meeting on KMS Update the KMS strategy Share the Strategy for KMS with MS Get approval of Strategy for KMS Date March April April May June June June July Implement KMS and adjust 18