WORKSHOP HIGHLIGHTS
WORKING WITH PROJECT KNOWLEDGE
7-8 FEBRUARY 2006, BANGKOK
With Rapporteuring inputs from Monica Dominguez
ENRAP
July 2006
TABLE OF CONTENTS
I
INTRODUCTION ...........................................................................................................................2
BACKGROUND ........................................................................................................................................2
OBJECTIVES ...........................................................................................................................................2
II
SUMMARY OF SESSIONS ........................................................................................................2
III DAY 1: FEBRUARY 7 .................................................................................................................2
RATIONALE FOR WORKSHOP ................................................................................................................2
UNDERSTANDING NEEDS ......................................................................................................................3
What makes for Successful Knowledge Management? .............................................................3
What are Information and Knowledge? .......................................................................................4
What needs to change to improve project knowledge management? ....................................4
Discussion .........................................................................................................................................6
UNDERSTANDING TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES ........................................................................................7
Project Stories on Sharing Knowledge .........................................................................................8
What will trigger knowledge sharing? ..........................................................................................9
FEEDBACK ............................................................................................................................................10
IV DAY 2: FEBRUARY 8 ...............................................................................................................10
PLANNING FOR KNOWLEDGE SHARING .............................................................................................10
Key actionable ideas......................................................................................................................10
Action Planning ..............................................................................................................................11
Group 1: Common Plan ............................................................................................ 11
Group 1: Individual Plans ......................................................................................... 12
Group 2: Common Plan ............................................................................................ 14
Discussion .......................................................................................................................................15
FEEDBACK AND CLOSING ....................................................................................................................15
V
WORKSHOP REFLECTIONS ..................................................................................................15
VI ANNEXURES...............................................................................................................................16
ANNEXURE 1: LIST OF PARTICIPANTS ...............................................................................................16
ANNEXURE 2: AGENDA .......................................................................................................................18
ANNEXURE 3: WORKSHOP GUIDELINES ...........................................................................................20
ANNEXURE 4: INFORMATION REFERENCE SHEET EXERCISE............................................................21
ANNEXURE 5: STORIES FROM THE FIELD ...........................................................................................23
ANNEXURE 6: FEEDBACK, 7 FEBRUARY 2006..................................................................................28
ANNEXURE 7: DISCUSSION REPORTS ...............................................................................................29
Report 1: Systematization of Documentation ...........................................................................29
Report 2: Using Internet for collecting, sharing and applying information & knowledge ..............29
Report 3: Engaging People & Convincing the Boss ..................................................................30
Report 4: Sharing Knowledge among communities .................................................................31
Report 5: Sharpening Indicators to Monitor & Evaluate Impact: Community Perspective .............32
Report 6: Support needed for better management of M&E knowledge .........................................32
Report 7: Retrieving and Packaging Project Knowledge for Policy Making ....................................33
Report 8: Plan for Improved Capturing, Sharing and Applying Knowledge ....................................33
Report 9: Evaluating Project Results using the Video Documentation .................................34
ANNEXURE 8: FEEDBACK, 8 FEB 2006 .............................................................................................36
ANNEXURE 9: AFTER ACTION REVIEW ..............................................................................................37
Working for Project Knowledge, 7-8 February 2006, Bangkok
1
I
INTRODUCTION
Background
Over several months in the years 2005 many of the IFAD projects have been discussing
better ways of managing project lessons and experiences both to benefit themselves as well as
to share with others. A natural network of mostly M&E officers and some Project Managers
evolved and requested ENRAP an electronic list ([email protected]) to discuss issues
and find answers in this area. Over two separate discussions, several problems were identified
and possible solutions suggested.
ENRAP hosted a Regional Workshop for IFAD projects to share experiences on capturing,
sharing and applying knowledge. Titled “Working with Project Knowledge”, the workshop
was held in Bangkok, Thailand on February 7th and 8th, 2006. It was intended to take previous
discussions forward to a more collaborative and concrete plan to improve ability of IFAD
projects to store, manage, retrieve and share the knowledge being generated within projects.
It explored challenges that projects regularly face in how the information generating within
the project becomes:
(i)
A part for experience sharing among the different areas of the project;
(ii)
Accessible to officers located in different project areas; and
(iii) Available in a form that selecting appropriate time-bound information as input for
policy initiatives is possible.
Using this information, the workshop supported participating projects in drawing practical
plans. See annexure 1 for participant list.
Objectives
The workshop brought together monitoring and evaluation specialists of IFAD projects
across the ENRAP initiative to:
1. Increase understanding of capturing, sharing and applying project knowledge to
support project objectives (Understanding needs)
2. Improve understanding of tools and techniques that can be used to support knowledge
capturing, sharing and application (Understanding tools and mechanism)
3. Initiate plans to improve the ability of projects to capture, share and apply knowledge
II SUMMARY OF SESSIONS
III Day 1: February 7
As the facilitator for the workshop Allison Hewlitt of Bellanet began by welcoming all.
Participants introduced themselves first to the whole group and then in an interactive manner
spending more time individually with three participants. Participants also shared their
expectations from the workshop
RATIONALE FOR WORKSHOP
Shalini Kala, Coordinator-ENRAP, provided the group with a short description of ENRAP,
IDRC and IFAD. She recapped the support and capacity building activities that ENRAP
provided over the last three years to improve knowledge networking among IFAD projects
and stakeholders in the region. The support included writing skills training, digital video
documentation training, websites, discussion lists, and emails.
Further, she reviewed the issues highlighted during the e-discussion on the M&E list:
 How to deal with project knowledge
 How to use knowledge
Working for Project Knowledge, 7-8 February 2006, Bangkok
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



How to apply knowledge
How to make information available to IFAD, government, and ‘our own’ people
How to transfer this knowledge into policy
How can project work with all the constraints that exists (and ENRAP cannot help
with)
Participants were encouraged to find answers to the above questions throughout the workshop
and to think how the solutions relate to their own project context. Shalini explained that the
theme of the workshop – Capturing, Sharing, and Applying Knowledge – was also in tune
with the efforts IFAD is making in Rome. She shared her experience of a workshop she
attended a month before at IFAD in Rome on its own Knowledge Management.
Review of Agenda
Agenda was reviewed and suggestions invited from participants. See annexure 2 for detailed
agenda. ‘Workshop Guidelines’, were also handed out which highlighted five key points for
smooth collaboration during the two days. See annexure 3 for details.
UNDERSTANDING NEEDS
This session was intended to explore with participants their need for information. What is
their understanding of capturing, sharing and applying project knowledge in support of
project objectives? It began with an exercise to identify the key factors for successful
information or knowledge management. Next participants defined the difference in
Information and Knowledge and finally, identified good practices within their projects as
well as areas, which needed attention in order to improve project knowledge management.
What makes for Successful Knowledge Management?
Participants were divided into four groups. The objectives of the exercise were:
 To illustrate the primary importance of people in any information management
activity
 To illustrate the importance of tools and processes and how simple improvements in
tools and processes can have great impact on Information Management effectiveness
 To stimulate discussion of how participants’ home organizations make use of (or
could make better use of) the people, processes and tools available to them
Each group received a large envelope of a set of data (slips of paper with the words
“information” “people” and “tools” in eight different languages; and a set of tools (which
could include instructions on what to do, dictionaries/word lists, a filing system, pencils,
paper, labels)
See annexure 4 for details. Each group was expected to work with materials they had
received without communicating with each other. After about 10 minutes groups were
allowed to communicate with each other in completing the exercise.
Following the exercise, participants stated what they had learned. Responses included:
 In real life situations information comes in different ways. Different types of tools,
personnel, expertise, etc.
 This was a good example of how to manage information
 The importance of people in managing information
 The importance of tools in managing information
Working for Project Knowledge, 7-8 February 2006, Bangkok
3
What are Information and Knowledge?
Next participants shared what they understood by the terms Information and knowledge. See
below a summary of responses:









Information
Data
Source of evidence
Analysis of data, relationship of
data
Narration of events
Decision making tool & planning
Feedback mechanisms
Lesson & good experiences drawn
from activity
External (something you get from
others)
External
Knowledge
Something that we can share
Analysis of information
Learning
Processed info
Wisdom
Experience and unlearn
What is learned (good of bad) for guiding
Good model for implementing and managing a
project
 Used or applied application
 Universal (lies within everyone)
 Knowledge can be codified or tacit (universal)
 Within our own heads
In the right sequence, information contributes to knowledge








In the discussion following the exercise the following comments and questions were raised:
 Can there be an individual and group knowledge?
 Can group knowledge extend beyond the individual’s knowledge?
 Individual efforts in similar areas come together as a group and move forward.
 Allison felt that it is important to make the differentiation between knowledge and
information because tools needed to manage information are different from
knowledge management tools.
 Knowledge sharing is easier. Knowledge management is abstract. When we think
about knowledge we think about tools and processes. Information can be grabbed and
codified. Knowledge is harder to understand.
What needs to change to improve project knowledge management?
To address this issue, Allison introduced the Information and Knowledge Café. The objective
of the exercise is to assist participants in reflecting on their own project knowledge
management. Participants were divided into four groups on four tables and asked to identify a
host. Following, they discussed three questions one after another. Participants moved from
one table to another after discussion on a question while the host remained at their tables
informing new arrivals of the previous discussions. The questions were:
 Round 1: What is going on now in your project that makes you to feel optimistic about
the way that knowledge is captured, shared and applied or the way that information is
managed?
 Round 2: Think of someone within your project who is a model for managing information
and sharing what he/she knows. What kinds of behaviors do they exhibit? What drives
those behaviors?
 Round 3: Where do you see the greatest changes needed within your project to improve
how knowledge is capture, shared and applied and information is managed? What do you
see as your role in bringing about those changes?
Hosts made brief presentations of the discussions on their table at the end of the full exercise.
Host reports along with summary of table activity follow:
Working for Project Knowledge, 7-8 February 2006, Bangkok
4
Host Reports
Monica Dominguez
 Vertical organization creates information gap
 Knowledge sharing within the group is important to communicate to the wider
organization
 We need to create a sharing environment
 Philippines created a sharing group at the grassroots level that encouraged the field
workers to solve problems at their own level
Participants expressed several opinions on this table while sharing project experiences. For
instance ULIPH mentioned the reporting and monitoring sequence from project headquarters
to district centers and then to NGO partners at the block level, closest to the field.
Information is supplied from block level up in response to directions of the head quarters.
Gaps exist in the information provided which is both needed and supplied by NGO partners,
donors and other agencies. Project needs good documentation to support innovation,
partnerships with other rural development agencies and to upscale project innovations beyond
the project area. ULIPH is still only at the capturing stage and needs to develop plans for
sharing and applying.
Another project linked the project blueprint or log frame on the one hand to implementation
as reflected in the annual work plan and on the other to the M&E system which helps
tracking progress of implementation in support of project objectives. This is a dynamic
multi-stakeholder and multi-level approach and needs capturing, sharing and application of
knowledge at all levels. There was a suggestion to support development of management
information system (MIS) for the project and train project staff to collect, analyse and
manage information and provide it to appropriate agencies.
Guangxi project referred to the use of pictures to track project progress, which they have been
doing. ENRAP-China website which has increased awareness and understanding of
information management is used to share such information.
Monica Raina
 Capturing, sharing and applying can happen concurrently
 Flow of information needs to be bottom-up
 Tools to capture and analyze data (MIS) will help share; Database creation for project
planning
 Eagerness to share problems and listen to suggestions of other people, the human
factor
 Application of knowledge - results may be different from expectations
 Institutional model, taking pride in the organization and an enabling environment are
all key to successful knowledge management
For collection of M&E information villages are connected the province and provinces to the
project office. Information flows both ways. There needs to be emphasis on information
sharing to improve project operations; and capturing knowledge in a variety of ways such as
films, case studies, systematization of project documentation, newsletter and presentations on
project progress. In doing this, project can put in place systems and innovative ways of
capturing, sharing and applying knowledge. One question that was raised was who should be
responsible for documentation – communication division or the M&E staff? One view
favored the role of M&E officer at the project head quarter. He has the necessary skills to
store, manage, share and apply knowledge. His higher responsibility drives his behavior and
information in documented in order by time and by activity.
Working for Project Knowledge, 7-8 February 2006, Bangkok
5
Pankaj Kumar
 Everyone is focusing too much on implementation – no one thinks about sharing
 REAP shares information through video
 Problem with diversity of languages in the region
 Private partnerships
NMCIREMP depicted their efforts at capturing and sharing their project experiences using
various tools and technologies available. NMCIREMP planned for connectivity for all its
partners right at the start of the project. As a result, now, its government partners at the field
level connect to the project office either through satellite antennas, wireless or fast-speed
dial-up connections. Field agencies collect experiences and upload them on NMCIREMP’s
website. They also upload monitoring information on the software-based M&E program that
the project designed. This gives the projects office very quick and regular access to project
information through text, data, pictures, films and e-discussion forums. The information also
moves from the project head quarters to the field agencies thus an efficiently working twoway information flow exists.
Shalini Kala
 Change of behavior through ENRAP-China website; project staff have been sharing
information on a regular basis through the website
 How can environment be changed in order to create a sharing culture?
 What is the best we can do during the hardest constraints?
A good practice that was mentioned was the discussion by members on the ENRAP M&E list
through not only did project in the region share their experiences but also informed IFAD
head quarters of the support they need in concrete terms; information that was usable for
IFAD to take action in supporting its projects. Shalini felt that Apoorva, the India Local
Facilitator was effective at managing the knowledge in her domain. This seemed to be
largely due to a conducive environment – tools, mechanisms and motivation – as well her
personal capacity and individual qualities.
Another example provided was of the German agency GTZ’s Information and Knowledge
Management group, which helps set-up and link the system and also trains staff to improve
knowledge management. Guangxi project reiterated that ENRAP-China website increased
awareness and understanding of information and knowledge management. It has changed the
mindset and behavior of the participating projects.
NERCRMP highlighted their experience with Systematization, a process of documenting
project experiences. It is participatory and involves community members, partner NGOs,
government line department and project staff. The documentation can target different
audiences including the project staff, NGO partners and community; policy makers; and other
projects. NERCRMP involved government officials in their activities who have been key in
promoting policy level changes. Project replication is now happening in non-project ares.
Discussion
Next, participants highlighted what they felt were important issues in capturing, sharing and
applying project knowledge. Their responses, which have been categorized under, perceived
benefits; project context; needs; and suggestions, follow:
Perceived Benefits

Knowledge Management will help project effectiveness

Knowledge Management helps to monitor effects and impacts of the project
Working for Project Knowledge, 7-8 February 2006, Bangkok
6
Context

Knowledge capturing, sharing and applying is important for projects. There are both
challenges and opportunities in this

Capturing, Sharing and applying knowledge are not sequential processes – they may
be concurrent, simultaneous and the interim outcomes may lead to going back and
forth among these stages

Need to share should be felt and met
Needs

Capacity Building is important in capturing, sharing and applying knowledge; people
need skills to use tools to understand each other; it is important to ensure continuous
learning for staff

Information and knowledge needs are dynamic. Hence, systems or tools needed to
capture and analyze data should be updated regularly

Many resources are required to improve information sharing and capturing, and
applying knowledge processes

There is need to come up with more practical means to have a vigorous exchange of
information and knowledge among village level stakeholders

There is a need to bridge what are project requirements with what the community
wants (data, information) for a greater impact on poverty reduction

Improve knowledge about future plans of ENRAP activities

New tools and techniques for sharing, capturing and applying knowledge

Validation of information is important

Knowledge Management should be the concern of all project staff

Institutional management of information and knowledge requires common and agreed
understanding of its intention, capable implementers, appropriate resources, and
dynamic interaction
Suggestions

Create awareness and demonstrate how knowledge management can add value to
those who participate in sharing and receiving

Understanding information and knowledge needs will help share and apply
knowledge better

To be sustainable Knowledge Management should be a tool to achieve project
objectives (not an end in itself)

Each project has to find the most appropriate set of tools and processes for itself

Collect knowledge at different levels and disseminate in appropriate form, for
example, in local language for field workers and in English language for international
donors. A communication strategy can guide collection and sharing.

Ensure information is shared; it is easy to collect but difficult to share

Use information for policy dialogue

Use the data generated in a time bound way

Personal interaction is the best way to exchange knowledge

Information and knowledge of the project could be hosted on the website to help all
stakeholders have access to it
UNDERSTANDING TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES
This session was conducted to encourage participants to share experience of using different
tools and techniques in capturing, sharing and applying knowledge. Participants could share
one story each on a predefined template, or by writing a paragraph, or by recording a video.
Working for Project Knowledge, 7-8 February 2006, Bangkok
7
Participants paired up and shared their stories. Next, the pair joined another pair and heard
each other’s story and chose one story to share with the whole group. In total the large group
heard five stories.
Project Stories on Sharing Knowledge
Building an effective project M&E System, Mr. Yolando Arban, M&E officer,
NMCIREMP, Philippines
Building a truly participatory system of monitoring project activities, including all
stakeholders – government agencies, participating NGOs and community members – at all
levels, is a time consuming process. It also requires significant resources including
investment in building capacity of those who would facilitate the process of collecting and
analyzing information to monitor project activities. However, with this in place a dynamic it
is possible to design and implement a dynamic M&E system. NMCIREMP has been
working at building project capacity to be able to implement such a system, which can
provide updated information while reducing the burden on facilitating staff. The system is
fully digitized and information flow is facilitated with strong electronic connectivity
promoted by the project. Field staff uploads monitoring information via the Internet from
their locations saving time and making information available very quickly to the Project
Management Office.
Fishing on the mountains, Ms. Nguyen Trang, Operations Officer, IFAD Field Presence
Officer in Vietnam
The forest is destroyed and the soil is of poor quality. In this mountainous area people live in
narrow valleys growing rice for their staple diet. Children are small because of lack of
adequate nutrition. A fisheries project was initiated in the region. Community members
wondered why such a thing was being tried out since. Now aquaculture is practiced in the
rice fields full of water, so along with rice people also get fish. It is the practice is some parts
of Northeast India. It is interesting that how knowledge can connect people and sharing
knowledge can unleash it power.
Rearing Fish, Dr. Vincent Darlong, Natural Resource Management & Extension
Coordinator. NERCRMP, India
The project has been trying to teach community members about their ecology and how to
make the best use of their resources with modern scientific information at their hand. The
dilemma is how can they make fish grow big? What would work best? Traditionally, the
belief is that feeding cow dung gives very good results in cultivation. But if there is no cow
dung what can be the alternative. Project staff informed the community that in the absence of
dung leaves should be collected for manure. Te community is trying to figure out through
science and field research what works best. Information sharing between the project and
community is helping in improving people’s lives.
Working in Local Language for best results, Mr. Chanh Phommachith, Northern
Sayaboury Rural Development Project, Laos
In Laos there are many poor ethnic communities and IFAD projects work with these. These
communities have their own languages and do not communicate in the main language of the
nation. While they do participate in project activities, they do not speak much. We
encouraged ethnic staff to participate in working these communities and with translation we
are able to know what they want to say. This has helped in planning project activities and
analyzing impact.
Solutions Exchange: Knowledge Management Partnership Program, Ms. Monica Raina,
UNDP, India
Working for Project Knowledge, 7-8 February 2006, Bangkok
8
India is a vast and powerful storehouse of talent and knowledge. Yet, development
practitioners often face the dilemma of not knowing if a particular idea was tried before or
whom to turn to when they reach a bottleneck. Tacit knowledge, which is gained through
experience, is in danger of being forgotten or ignored. To harness this knowledge pool, at the
beginning of 2005, the United Nations Country Team in India collectively offered support to
set up a knowledge-sharing platform. This initiative, branded Solution Exchange
(http://www.solutionexchange-un.net.in) seeks to provide a powerful and impartial platform
for exchange of knowledge and ideas among development practitioners, without reinventing
the wheel. Details in Annexure 5.
Other stories shared
1. Darsana Samarakoon, REAP: Darsana showed a short film on paddy fields. The
session focused on REAP staff members receiving training on video documentation.
2. Pankaj Kumar, ULIPH: His story focused on developing a methodology that
included the ultra poor in order to collect government support.
3. Pushkin Phartiyal, CHEA, ULIPH partner NGO: The Natural Resource
Management in North East Himalayas project used systematisation as a tool for selfevaluating documentation in a participatory manner thereby documenting many
lessons and knowledge.
4. Amjad Ali Toor, BVDP: His story focuses on how his organization was proactive in
seeking and sharing knowledge from an agriculture research institute on soil erosion
and conservation. In the end, the project saved money, time, and effort.
5. Vincent Darlong, NERCRMP: Dwindling fish populations in the Simsang River
facilitated for Rombagre village & surrounding 17 other villages in West Garo Hills
District of Meghalaya (India) to come together and declare naturally occurring river
pools as ‘sanctuaries’. They also institutionalized rules and regulations for preventing
damage to these fish sanctuaries
For full stories please see annexure 5
What will trigger knowledge sharing?
This objective of this session was to generate discussion around different tool and techniques,
which can promote knowledge sharing. Using an interesting method participants were
provided with some statements and were asked to indicate how much they agreed or
disagreed with it by standing on a straight line as measure. Those at the extremes of this
spectrogram shared their reasons while those in between debated their position. Participants
were allowed to change their opinions by changing their position on the spectrogram.
Typically, the start and the end position on the spectrogram changed after the discussion.
Statement 1: Technologies are more important than process or mechanism for information
sharing.
Most people disagreed with the statement suggesting process and mechanisms being more
important than technologies and were on one end of the spectrum. Two participants were in
the middle, and two participants were on the other extreme agreeing fully with the statement.
The discussion recognized that although technologies are important, process has a critical
place when it comes to information sharing. Projects need to learn how to manage
technology; otherwise they run the risk of becoming overwhelmed. At the end of the
discussion, both participants standing at the extreme of the spectrum had been swayed to
move towards the middle of the spectrum.
“Technologies can overwhelm a project. We need to understand how to manage them”
Monica Raina, UNDP – Knowledge Management Partnership Program
Working for Project Knowledge, 7-8 February 2006, Bangkok
9
“As technology and process improves we need to shift where we place ourselves on the
line”
Statement 2: Rewarding staff is the best way to get them to share what they know.
The majority of participants opposed the above statement. There was only one participant
who agreed strongly with the above statement arguing that human being needs to be rewarded
of their accomplishment. However, the majority of participants argued that rewards are not
sufficient. One participant said that capacity is more important than rewards and that an
organization needs to teach the value of recording and sharing. Another participant added
that rewards would not have an effect in his organization due to the staff’s workload, which is
quite high. In the end, there was a general agreement that knowledge sharing has to have an
intrinsic value for project staff. If it helps a person do his job efficiently and give better
results then there will be natural inclination to share. Therefore, it is necessary to find value
in knowledge sharing in order to trigger it.
“A reward alone is not enough. There should be capacity and the ability to be able to do
it… The organization needs to teach the value of recording and sharing.” Amjad Ali Toor,
Barani Village Development Project.
“Reward could be a disincentive to the process but it could also be a disincentive to the
sharing” Pankaj Kumar, ULIPH (Uttaranchal Livelihoods Improvement Project for
Himalayas (Aajeevika).
FEEDBACK
Participants reflected on how they felt about the day’s proceedings. The workshop’s first day
had allowed them to reflect on the way they think about knowledge sharing and the many
different approaches that are present. Participants were excited to take workshop knowledge
home and apply it. The participants thanked Shalini for bringing the group together. It was
overdue and it’s nice to form friendships. See Annexure 6 for full quotes.
IV Day 2: February 8
PLANNING FOR KNOWLEDGE SHARING
Having had an opportunity to understand project needs and tools to capture, analyze and
share knowledge, participants were ready to go into practical planning to improve these
processes both at the project level and within the network of IFAD projects in the region.
Key actionable ideas
The approach taken for planning was fairly open in nature with participants building the
agenda for the day. They started with identifying topics of interest. Participants put down
their ideas down on a piece of paper and all ideas were collected to be shared. Based on a
discussion about the ideas proposed a few top priority ones were selected for further
discussion. Initiators of each of these ideas explained them to the group.
A timetable was created to allow four sessions to take place simultaneously. Participants
chose sessions they wished to attend. In this process, certain topics were combined and ‘bulk
session’ emerged. Nine topics were discussed listed below. For discussion, the initiators
served as facilitators and also compiled reports on discussions.
Topic
Working for Project Knowledge, 7-8 February 2006, Bangkok
10
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
Systematization of Documentation
Using internet for collecting, sharing and applying information/knowledge
Engaging People & Convincing the Boss in CSA of K
Sharing Knowledge among communities and between project and community
Sharpening Indicators to Monitor & Evaluate Impact: Community Perspective
Support needed for better capturing, sharing, analyzing M & E knowledge – the way forward
Retrieving and Packaging Project Knowledge for Policy Making
Action plan for improved management of information & capturing, sharing & applying knowledge
Evaluating Project Results using Digital Video Documentation
Participants had opportunity to discuss in detail each of these topics with the initiators,
seeking clarifications while learning from each other. Initiators discussed challenges and
benefits and also update group members of how they are taking these efforts forward. In
some case participants also deliberated on possible answers to current challenges. There was
also discussion on who could help other projects in their application of this learning if they so
wished. Please see Annexure 7 for Discussion Reports on these.
Participants were able to hear about and question various project practices intensively. They
shared good practices and challenges. And tried to work on suggestions to help each other.
It was now time to go into a concrete action plan for improved capturing, applying and
sharing of knowledge among IFAD projects.
Action Planning
The participants were divided into two groups and map out how they plan to capture, apply
and share projects lessons effectively. A template was provided to guide the discussion
seeking information on the following:
 What: What do you want to do now to move forward?
 How: What are the actions to get there?
 Who: Who else needs to enrol?
 When: When does it start? When does it end?.
 Resources Needed: What are the resources (people, finances etc.) needed?
 First Steps: What is the next ‘thing’ that needs to happen? Who will be invited?
 Who will be the leader/ coordinator of this project?
Group 1 members decided to look at individual project plans as well as a common plan. The
latter follows first and then the chart summarizing individual project plans.
Group 1: Common Plan
 What: What do you want to do now to move forward? Systems, Video Training (video &
GIS), Assessment, Strengthen M&E wings through engaging people on contact
 How: What are the actions to get there? Internal and External experts, Training, ENRAP
support
 Who: Who else needs to enrol? Project staff, Partners, ENRAP, Other IFAD projects
 When: When does it start? When does it end? Starts now…2 years
 Audience: Mid- term review, Policy, NGOs, government, communities, IFAD, and
projects
 Resources Needed: What are the resources (people, finances etc.) needed? HR, Finance,
and Equipments
 First Steps: What is the next ‘thing’ that needs to happen? Who will be invited?
Consensus, Endorsement, Consultation with project teams
Working for Project Knowledge, 7-8 February 2006, Bangkok
11
Group 1: Individual Plans
Jill,
Guangxi
Raise
awareness
of project
staff
Amjad Ali,
BVDP
Document
Lessons
Pushkin, CHEAULIPH
Preparing videos on
case studies of the
project
Vincent,
NERCRMP
Capturing project
lessons, knowledge
through
systematization of
documentation
Yolando, NMCIREMP
What are the
actions to get
there? How
Staff FAD
Engage more
people in M&E
wing
Develop thematic
scripts for video
recording on
periodic, regular
basis.
Action Plan for FebMarch 2006 –
Systematization of
documentation in
Ukhrul district of
Manipur (NE India)

Who else
needs to
enrol?
IFAD
ENRAP
Specialist
The district units in
collaboration with
partner NGO
When does it
start? When
does it end?
Now – 1
yr.
Right away.
Ends six
months beyond
project.
Starts immediately.
Ends as and when the
thematic scripts are
captured sufficiently
in accordance wit the
thematic scripts.
ENRAP and
facilitators from other
project through
ENRAP
6th Feb 2006 to 5th
March 2006 & repackaging and
dissemination
through 2006
What are the
resources
(people,
finances etc.)
needed?
Finances
People
Video equipment,
training for case
study, script writing
and maybe video
editing
ENRAP & project
(PSU & DST)
What is the
Project
Enrolment
Approval of the
Facilitators identified,
What do you
want to do
now to move
forward?
MTR Preparation
 Capability of assessment of the provincial/ municipal M& E
 Capturing issues/ concerns/ impact on project design for a more
focused/ intense poverty alleviation impact
Capability Assessment: Design as instrument; Conduct the tool;
Analyse and Write finding; Validate results – come up with action
plan to address gaps; Solicit- get commitment from Project
Management local chief executives of LGUs and participating
implementers
 Capturing/ concerns/ issues that impact project design: Discuss
this concern with management; Conduct FLD with operations
staff, local managers/ M&E; Summarize results; Validate results;
Fine tune results for possible action with management
Project staff/ implementers at all levels
Start March - End May (Before the MTR).
People: Project staff at all levels
next ‘thing’
that needs to
happen? Who
will be
invited?
Who will be
the leader,
coordinator of
this project?
‘action/idea” by
project HQs
director,
consultant
Project
director
Project director
The manager- gender,
CBOLNGO at HQs
or the person whom
the project HQ thinks
suitable.
Document
your Plan
topic. Themes
identified & ediscussion (Between
NERCMP & ENRAP
& facilitator)
NRM & Extension
coordinator (in
partnership with
MEO).








Working for Project Knowledge, 7-8 February 2006, Bangkok
Office to coordinate
Training: DVD and GIS
Finalize proposal: Submit to ENRAP; - Organize the training;
Conduct the training; Evaluate training; and Come up with Action
plan to sustain the training
Invite other IFAD Projects in the Philippines, NGO
representatives, selected LGUs
Start January, End April
Finances: ENRAP; Project; and Partners (NGO LGU)
People: Those that are capable have potential and agree to TOR
M&E Officer/ M&E support officers
13
Group 2: Common Plan
Support required for better C-A-S of M&E knowledge & Sustaining knowledge-sharing network in the Region
WHO
Projects
UNOPS
IFAD
Network
WHAT
Simplify M& E guides (local
language)
Roster of consultants
TOT in M&E (to reduce cost)
Support to ensure baseline is done
during the first 6 months of project
Make knowledge management a
priority
Regional M&E website
Standardize M&E procedures,
training
Long term hand holding support
Capacity building of M & E staff
Support of ICTs network
Project Knowledge sharing
HOW
Training, simplification, translation
Identify consultants- Project, IFAD
Link to network
IFAD-UNOPS Help needed for govt. to
carry through
IFAD-UNOPS Help needed
?
WHEN
Now
RESOURCES
Man power,
funds
Depending on stage of
project
Project M & E.
Budget
Link to network
IFAD, UNOPS
This year or earlier
IFAD, UNOPS
ENRAP to decide
Same as above
 Involve government, NGOs, other Stake
holders
 E mail list update
 Cross visit project staff
 Cross – capacity building on various
themes (Systemization)
 Thematic workshops
 Archiving learning’s
 Publication sharing – email/post
 Linking to Africa and Latin America
This year
1st STEP
Put consultant
hiring in AWPB
IFAD, UNPOS
ENRAP& project
Tomorrow
This year
This year
Some projects
can, some cannot,
other agencies
After network starts
This year
After network starts
IFAD/ UNOPS
Put in AWPB
Those project who
can do
Discussion
Group 1 discussed the importance of extending capacity within their projects. This would require
further partnerships with other organizations or further funding from IFAD. The group also
discussed what resources they would need in order to implement their plans. The resources
included human resources, finances and equipment. The group also shared that when possible the
organization could use their own knowledge and expertise, however, external parties could be
brought in when needed
Group 2 structured their action plan around stakeholders and tools they need to further
knowledge sharing. Their action plan envisioned an encompassing and sustainable process by
including all stakeholders - the projects, UNOPS, IFAD, and the M&E network. For projects the
group suggested the simplification of the M&E guidelines and training in local language for
monitoring staff. In the case of UNOPS the group suggested that more support needed for
projects so that the baseline is completed in the early stages of a project without it becoming
overwhelming. For IFAD, they suggested that a regional M&E support program along with a
website should be created. The larger group questioned why the current ENRAP website could
not be used for this purpose. They also suggested that IFAD should standardize M&E
procedures. Lastly, they proposed that the network be strengthened with more knowledge sharing
such as cross visits to other projects and archiving lessons. The group agreed to further refine
their plan over email.
Mr. Kishan Gill from UNOPS Regional Office for Asia & Pacific recommended that projects,
which are at the start-up stages, might link up to other projects and agencies with similar
mandates. In general, policy makers prefer to give attention to projects at the end of their term
because their knowledge has accumulated for a longer period and therefore have more value and
weight. It the project is new one must do the promotion and partnering in order to get policy
makers’ attention early on. He concluded by encouraging participants to implement the
knowledge they gained at the workshop in their own projects and in the progress report to IFAD.
FEEDBACK AND CLOSING
Participants spoke of the impact that the workshop had on them. The lessons, the activities, and
exercises had encouraged them to search their minds for better techniques, tools, and plans for
capturing, sharing, and applying information. Some others were inspired to revisit their
knowledge management strategies and implement some of the skills and concepts from the
workshop. Allison congratulated the participants who gave their feedback on the workshop. The
participants thanked Shalini and Allison for doing a great job and for bringing everyone together
in a forum to share ideas and questions. For details see Annexure 8
Shalini concluded the session by addressing the group and thanking everyone for actively
participating in the workshop. She encouraged them to take the workshop lessons and implement
them in their projects.
V Workshop Reflections
A week after the workshop, Allison asked the participants to 'evaluate' the workshop from a
learning perspective. The objective was to find ways to improve the way the workshops are
designed and facilitated. For questions and After Action Review see Annexure 9
VI
Annexures
Annexure 1: List of participants
1. Ms. Saochun Zhang
West Guangxi Poverty Alleviation Project
135 Qixing Rd. Nanning city
Guangxi Province, Nanning city. P.R. 530022,
China
Phone: +86-771-2182836
Fax: +86-771-2834644
Email: [email protected]
7. Mr. Biju Abraham
Chhatisgarh Tribal Development Society
(CJTDP), Near Bus Stand
IFAD Office, Near CEO Office
Pathalgaon, Distt: Jaspur Nagar
Chaittisgarh, India
Phone: Telefax: +91-7765-233982
Email: [email protected]
2. Mr. Adrian Marbaniang
NERCRMP-IFAD
Sympli Building, Dhankherti,
Shillong -793003,
Meghalaya, India
Phone: +91-364-2500497 R:+91-364- 2501647
M: +9436100868
Email: [email protected],
[email protected]
8. Mr.Khamphanh Sourivong
The Community Initiatves Support Project
Oudomxai Province, Lao P.D.R
Phone: +586-81-312038
Fax: +586-81-211743
Email: [email protected]
9. Mr. Chanh Phommachith
Northern Sayaboury Rural Development Project
Sayaboury Province, Lao PDR
Fax: +856-74-211783
Email: [email protected],
[email protected]
3. Dr. Darlong Vincent
NERCRMP-IFAD
Shillong, Meghalaya, India
Email: [email protected]
10. Mr. Bashu Babu Aryal
Western Uplands Poverty Alleviation Project
P O Box 20 383, Nepal
Phone: +977-81-520 088/522 370
Fax : +977-1-5 552 247/ +977-81-525814
Email: [email protected]
4. Dr. Pushkin Phartiyal
Livelihood & Sustainable Development
Programme Central Himalayan
Environment Association (CHEA)
8 Waldrof Compound, Nainital 263001
Uttaranchal, India
Phone: +91-5942 233099 M:+91-9412085099
Fax: +91-5942 233099
Email: [email protected]
11. Mr. Amjad Ali Toor
Barani Village Development Project
Muree Road, Rawalpindi, Pakistan
Phone: + 92 51 9290340/46
H: +92-51-9290 483 M:+92 333 513 4000
Fax: +92-51-4454775 +92 333 5134000
Email: [email protected],
[email protected]
5. Ms. Monica Raina
UNDP - Knowledge Management Partnership
Program
55 Lodi Estate, New Delhi 110003, India
Email: [email protected]
12. Mr. Yolando Arban
NMCIREMP. DAR-IFAD Northern Mindanao
Community Initiatives & Resources Mgt.
No. 139 J.C. Aquino Avenue, Butuan City,
Philippines
Phone: +63-85-8154477, 8154062, Cell#
09209051814
Email: [email protected]
6. Mr. Pankaj Kumar
Uttaranchal Livelihoods Improvement Project
for Himalayas (ULIPH)
188/1, Vasant Vihar, Dehradun
Uttaranchal. India
Phone: +91-135-276-2800
Fax: +91-135-276-2800
Email: [email protected],
[email protected]
16
Email: [email protected]
13. Mr. Cameron Odsey (Ron)
Cordillera Highland Agricultural Resource
Mgt. Project
Baguio Dairy Farm
Sto. Tomas Road, Baguio City, Philippines
Phone: +63-74-4448329
Email: [email protected],
[email protected]
16. Mr. Kishan Gill
UNOPS, Regional Office for Asia & Pacific
2nd Floor, UN Service Building
Rajadamnern Nok Avenue Bangkok 10200
Phone: +66-2-2881595, +66-2-2881231
Fax: +66-2-2881013
Email: [email protected]
14. Mr. Darshana Bandara Samarakoon
MREAP
104, Kings Street, Matale, Sri Lanka
Phone: +94-66-2222481-3
Fax: +94-66-2233616
Email: [email protected], [email protected]
17. Ms. Monica Dominguez
Intern, IDRC
208 Jor Bagh, New Delhi. 110003, India
Phone: +91-11-2461941
Fax: +91-11-2462 2707
Email: [email protected]
15. Ms. Nguyen Thuy Trang
IFAD FLO in Vietnam
38 Nam Ngu street, Hanoi, Vietnam
Phone: +84-4-9427753
Fax: +84-4-9427758
18. Ms. Shalini Kala
Program Coordinator, ENRAP
IDRC, New Delhi, India
Email: [email protected]
17
Annexure 2: Agenda
Workshop Objectives
To support IFAD project staff in better managing project knowledge, the workshop intends to
help participating staff in:
 Understanding needs of IFAD projects: Increase understanding of capturing, sharing and
applying project knowledge to project objectives
 Understanding tool and mechanisms to address these needs: Improve understanding of tools
and techniques that can be used to support knowledge capturing, sharing and application
 Preparing action plans: Initiate plans to increase the ability of projects to capture, share and
apply knowledge
Tuesday February 7
8:30
Departure from Ambassador Hotel (meet in lobby) for PDA (10 minute walk)
Capturing, Sharing and Applying Project Knowledge to Project Objectives: What does it mean? What tools are being
used? What are the ideas and the issues?
9:00-10:00
Getting Started
Welcome
Introduction of all participants
Rationale of workshop
Principles for working together
Review of Agenda
10:00-10:20
10:20-12:30
Tea-Coffee break
Managing Information, Capturing, Sharing, and Applying Knowledge
What do we mean by capturing, sharing and applying knowledge?
Information management activity
Differentiating between Information & Knowledge/ why is it important?
Break-out group discussion on What is we talking about in the context of IFAD projects?
(Information management: What kind of information are we trying to manage? Who are
the people who want this information? What kind of tools are we using?) & (Knowledge
Sharing: What are we doing to support knowledge sharing? How is knowledge generated
within the projects?)
12:30-13:45
13:45-15:15
15:15-15:30
15:30-17:15
17:15
18:00
Lunch
Focus on Tools and Approaches
Using narrative, we will share approaches that are being used to support knowledge capturing,
sharing and applying in our projects
Highlighting a few stories
Open Discussion
Note: Participants are invited to bring any materials which may help in leading small groups
through an informative and interactive session
Tea-Coffee break
Session continues
Conclusion and End-of-the-day feedback from participants
Cocktail Get-together
Wednesday February 8
8:30-9:00 Overview of & learning from day 1
18
Increasing Projects’ Ability to Capture, Share and Apply Knowledge
9:00-10:30 Working Group discussion - What do you want to do to increase your project's ability to capture, share
and apply knowledge?
(What do you want to do now to move forward? What are the actions to get there? Who else needs to
enroll? When does it start? When does it end? What are the resources (people, finances etc.) needed?)
10:30-11:00 Tea-Coffee break
11:00-12:30 Working group presentations
Open discussion - Critical review of plans presented
12:30-14:00 Lunch
14:00-15:30 Refining action plans in working groups based on suggestions provided
15:30-16:00 Coffee
16:00-17:00 Action plan presentations by working groups
17:00 Conclusion of the day
19
Annexure 3: Workshop Guidelines
During the event, we request that participants read and honor the following Participant
Guidelines. Our gathering is a diverse one by any measure; participants have arrived from many
countries, representing a broad range of experiences and viewpoints. So much of what we are
trying to accomplish at this event involves building new relationships, and positive attitudes will
serve as the glue to hold it all together.
While we do not want to dictate behavior or in any way limit expression, we provide the
following guidelines as a starting point for collaboration and community building during the
event.





Demonstrate respect for others at all times: Effective sharing and learning can only take
place when interactions are built on a foundation of respect for others. It will never be
acceptable to insult others or demonstrate disrespect, even in moments of philosophical
disagreement and passionate exchange. Please refrain from side conversations while
others are speaking, and honour the posted schedule by arriving promptly for sessions so
that others are not made to wait.
Include everyone in the circle: The event should not be viewed as a competition to prove
who is most knowledgeable, but rather as an opportunity to broaden our networks of skill,
collaboration and understanding. Strive to ensure that no one is left out; introduce
yourself to strangers early and often, and speak in language that is accessible to all. In
particular, please define acronyms and technical jargon when using them in discussion.
Ask questions early and often: The event is convened specifically for the benefit of those
who need to know more about facilitation, knowledge sharing and collaborative tools.
Participants should feel free to ask any question at any time; there shall be no such thing
as a “stupid question”.
Embrace a spirit of sharing: We believe that everyone is an expert in their own realm,
and encourage each participant to please contribute their wisdom to the mix. Breaking
down barriers between the vague notions of “novice” and “expert” will be the order of
the day; all of us know something and none of us knows everything.
Share first, debate later: Many among us possess strong beliefs on matters of politics,
philosophy and community. While the organizers endorse debate as a key component in
building understanding, we ask that participants focus on finding common ground for
sharing during sessions, and endeavor to debate “offline”, outside of sessions, with others
who welcome the debate.
Help us to realize the full potential of this gathering. Our belief is that relationship building and
dialog are fundamental parts of realizing this goal. As you share and learn from others, be
mindful that we are trying to discern what works and what doesn’t work in peer-to-peer skill and
knowledge transfer. If we can learn better how to learn while simultaneously teaching others
how to teach, our time together will be well spent.
*Guidelines adopted from the Aspiration’s website at:
http://facilitation.aspirationtech.org/index.php/Participants:Guidelines
20
Annexure 4: Information Reference Sheet Exercise
Objectives
• To provide an opportunity for workshop participants to work as a group
• To illustrate the primary importance of people in any information management activity
• To illustrate the importance of tools and processes and how simple improvements in tools
and processes can have great impact on IM effectiveness
• To stimulate discussion of how participants’ home organizations make use of (or could make
better use of) the people, processes and tools available to them
Set-up
• Participants will divide up into groups of 6-8 and report to a table where they will find a kit
that will include:
• A set of data (slips of paper with the words “information” “people” and “tools” in eight
different languages (which we hope they won’t know, so 32 slips of paper in total
• A set of tools (which could include instructions on what to do, dictionaries/word lists, a filing
system, pencils, paper, labels)
• Participants will be informed that they have been given pieces of information and tools to
manage that information, and that once the instruction is given to open the package, groups
will not be allowed to communicate with each other. After about 5-10 minutes, groups will
be encouraged to communicate with each other and lend any assistance they can to one
another.
What we hope will happen
Each group will have a different experience depending on the tools in their kit (see below).
Some groups will finish quickly and easily, others will struggle. There will also be an additional
“group” with no people, just a kit sitting alone on a table. After the signal is given that groups
can communicate with each other, all of the groups that haven’t yet finished the activity will
quickly do so with the help of others. I won’t point out the people-less kit, but will wait to see if
anyone “helps” it.
After all the groups are finished, they reconvene and have a follow-up discussion on the
importance of people, processes and tools in information management. The pieces of information
provided will be the same for all kits—the difference will be in the tools:
Kit No.
1
2
3
4
5
6 (kit with no
people)
Tools
Detailed Instructions; Reference Sheet with translations of all the words, Pre-labeled
filing system
Detailed Instructions; Reference sheet with translations; Filing system w/out labels;
pens and labels
No instructions; Reference sheet with only half of the translations; pens and labels
No instructions; Reference sheet with only half of the translations; no filing system
No instructions; No reference sheet; no filing system
Detailed instructions; reference sheet with translations; pre-labeled filing system
21
Reference Sheet
Information
People
Tools
informatie
mensen
Hulpmiddelen
πληροφορίες
άνθρωποι
Εργαλεία
la información
la gente
las herramientas
информация
люди
инструменты
Kazakh
ақпарат
адам
Аспап
French
l’information
les gens
les outils
Dutch
Greek
Spanish
Russian
Information
People
Tools
Information
People
mensen
Dutch
Dutch
Greek
Greek
Spanish
Spanish
Russian
Russian
Kazakh
Kazakh
адам
French
French
les gens
Informati
on
Dutch
informatie
People
Spani
sh
πληροφορίες
εργαλεία
la información
las herramientas
люди
n
Dutch
εργαλεία
Information
People
informatie
Mensen
люди
Kaza
ақпарат
kh
l’informati
Frenc
on
h
адам
Spanish
инструмент
ы
la información
Люди
Russian
les outils
22
Tools
εργαλεία
Greek
la
gente
Russi
an
les outils
Tools
mense
Greek
Tools
Kazakh
ақпарат
French
l’information
инструменты
Адам
les outils
Annexure 5: Stories from the field
1. Video Documentation by Darsana, MREAP, Sri Lanka
LANDSCAPE
DWELLING
PLACE
CHARACTERS
CHALLENGE
ACTION
RESOLUTION
REAP Staff Members of M&E Mr. Rana Ghose who was the Consultant to ENRAP trained on
video documentation in 2005 with the help of ENRAP.
The training was held in the Matale District including theoretical and practical exercises.
Training group visited remote villages for the exercise.
The training was contended in the following:
- identification and planning of suitable teams
- script writing
- filming
- editing and presentation
Lack of basic facilities was hindered to the process at the remote villages such as electricity,
transport and equipment as well.
As a result of the training, REAP was able to produce 3 video documents and number of small
video clips. Now the project has effective presentations including both audio and video clips.
REAP staff gained the skills and abilities to produce video documents. This skill helps to make
better monitoring and evaluation systems against the project objectives.
This exercise will help to make more attraction from all stakeholders about the project.
KEY VISUAL
HOOKS
2. Targeting Strategy to identify poorest households and still be politically correct by
Pankaj Kumar, ULIPH, India
LANDSCAPE
DWELLING
PLACE
CHARACTERS
CHALLENGE
ACTION
RESOLUTION
KEY VISUAL
HOOKS
Uttaranchal Himalayas – tough mountainous terrain. Great need for development interventions –
hence need for the same – and a super active political system based on attracting Government
support.
The newly formed mountain State of Uttaranchal in the Hanukahs Himalayas in North West
India.
IFAD project Staff, Uttaranchal’s political system at various levels, Government officials,
poorest people of remotest villages – who have been marginalised in the development process.
The need to design and implement a methodology for identifying and selecting villages who are
most marginalised, poor and needy in a transparent, unanimous manner acceptable to all
stakeholders.
A PRA based exercise was designed that used three tools – Resource mapping, Matrix scoring
and Adversity ranking at Block level with stakeholders such as politicians, teachers, Govt.
officials, village people and NGOs. The Block level group agreed on basis of consensus arising
out of the triangulation of the three participatory tools about the most remote and marginalised
Nyaya Panchayats (an intermediate level) that the project should work in. The same exercise
was then repeated at the Nyaya Panchayat level to identify most needy clusters of villages. At
village level, Wealth ranking was don to identify the most needy households.
It is possible to identify the most needy and remotest villages and the poorest households in a
participatory manner using the Zoning methodology and with a consensus from all stakeholders.
See figures 1 and 2 below.
23
Fig 1:
Fig 2: Targeting the Poor: Flowchart
Block level zoning
exercise with
Stakeholders using
participatory tools
Move to village
level
Remotest Nyaya
Panchayats
identified and
agreed upon
exercise with
Stakeholders using
participatory tools
Remotest cluster of
villages identified
Move to Nyaya
Panchayat level
Repeat participatory
tools with Nyaya
Panchayat
Stakeholders
Identify poorest
households with
wealth ranking
3.
Yes! we did it by Dr. Pushkin Phartiyal, CHEA, Partner NGO ULIPH, India
LANDSCAPE
DWELLING
PLACE
CHARACTERS
It was 2005 when a project focused on Natural Resource Management in North East Himalayas
was fast approaching for its closing. The project had done extremely well on field and the
government and funding agency IFAD was keen to take advantages of lessons learnt for further
replication, however, the project was lacking in effective documentation skills.
West Garo hills under NERCRMP in Meghalaya
ENRAP, having mandate to support documentation of IFAD projects suggested systematisation
tool for self-evaluating documentation in a participatory manner. The concept of tool was
practised by the FIDAMERICA the counterpart of ENRAP in Latin America. The project team
and ENRAP modified the tool in accordance with the local conditions and needs. Four team
comprising project officials, NGOs and facilitator from other IFAD projects were formed and
planning was carried out through email discussion before initiating field study.
24
CHALLENGE
ACTION
RESOLUTION
KEY VISUAL
HOOKS
Since the project team was not engaged in taking self evaluating participatory documentation, the
required handholding and facilitation was extended by the facilitators, one each for a team.
When the teams came together for field study part of the exercise, a clear briefing was shared
among the participating team members about the tool and process of systematisation. To have in
depth insight on selected topics and key questions the team decided to have detailed interaction
with the village communities for which they also planned for night stays in the study villages.
And the turning point was the moment when… the team was successful in developing a detailed
document with scope of different communication products for various target groups. The
material generated through the exercise captured many case studies and significant lessons.
The team realised that an effective self evaluating participatory documentation could be possible
for them. Instead of depending on outside consultants and generating quantitative data with a top
down approach, the project team further continued for documentation of key issues within their
other project areas.
The realisation of “yes! We can do it” has strengthen the believe of project on local resources and
capacities for undertaking qualitative, self-evaluating and participatory documentation.
4. The Poor Too Can Fish by Bulbul A. Sangma, Community Organiser, Rombagre
NARMG, Garo Hills, Meghalaya, India as told to NERCRMP, Dr. Darlong
LANDSCAPE
DWELLING
PLACE
CHARACTER
CHALLENGE
ACTION
The landscape of the story is situated in West Garo Hills District of Meghalaya (India), where the
North Eastern Region Community Resource Management Project for Upland Areas
(NERCORMP) has intervened since 1999. The people here are known as Garos (but they prefer to
call themselves as Achik). Most people in the project villages are shifting cultivators with high
poverty, low literacy but strong traditional village institution and rich natural resources.
Rombagre village & surrounding 17 other villages in West Garo Hills District of Meghalaya
(India), which forms the Chinabat Cluster of the North Eastern Region Community Resource
Management Project for Upland Areas (NERCORMP). Simsang river is the lifeline of these
villages, which acts as the key landscape of the area. The villages are located on either side of the
river; the area is mountainous.
The awareness education received by the people of Rombagre Natural Resource Management
Group (NaRMG) through NERCORMP has motivated the communities to bring in changes, not
only within their own village community, but also to their neighbouring villages. The urge to share
with others, of any benefit received among this community is strong. The key players in this story
are the NaRMG leaders of Rombagre village along with the local Community Coordinator /
Organiser.
Dwindling fish population in the River Simsang that meanders through these villages (due to river
siltation as a result of various developmental works such as road construction and livelihood
activities such as upland agriculture or shifting cultivation, and also large scale extraction of sand
and stone boulders from the river beds for use as construction materials) have caused alarm among
these villagers. The elders in these villages have witnessed how gradually over the years, fishing
have become expensive past time as compared to their younger days when fish were plenty and
everyone could fish anytime for food or feast. They also wanted to stop unscrupulous extraction of
sand and stones from the riverbeds, at least in the stretch of river that passes through these villages.
They also wanted to regulate the practice of shifting cultivation in the areas immediate to the river
banks.
18 villages under Chinabot Cluster of NERCORMP in West Garo Hills of Meghalaya have
resolved to work together in an effort to revive and boost the fish population in the Simsang river
that flows through these villages. The Natural Resource Management Group (NaRMG) of
Rombagre village who were motivated through awareness education by the NERCORMP-IFAD
project interventions took the active initiative to liaison between these villages. They also showed
the way how this can be done from the idea received from the NERCORMP professionals and
participating NGOs.
25
The process was simple. Having been convinced on the benefits of such act (after seeing similar
activity from a nearby village who already has a Riverine Fresh Water Fish Pool Reserves), each
of these villages have revived the traditional practice of identifying and declaring fish sanctuaries
which are protected by the cluster of villages through the Nokma (traditional village head/chief)
with the support of their respective NaRMGs (in project villages). (Simsang river creates a number
of localized river pools as it flows down stream; such pools are declared as reserved).
The NaRMGs and the Nokmas have institutionalized rules and regulations for preventing any
damage to these fish sanctuaries. Of the Rs. 1000/- (about US$ 22.5) penalty realized from every
defaulter (mostly illegal fishing), Rs. 100 (about US$ 2.25) goes to the informer. About 50 meter
on both sides of the river is also declared as reserved or protected, thereby effectively preventing
harvest of any bamboo and other forest produce or agriculture / cultivation in these stretches.
Fishing outside the sanctuary (reserved fish pool) is allowed only with nets and angling. Catching
of fish by poisoning is strictly prohibited. Discussion on the management practices and
enforcement of rules is undertaken during every meeting of the NaRMGs, which takes place once
in a month. The matter is also discussed in every cluster meeting (Federation of NaRMGs). In
outside project villages, the Nokmas are taking keen interest in the protection of the river
sanctuaries. As per resolution, the fish from the sanctuary can be harvested after 3 years for the
first time after declaration of the sanctuary, and thereafter fish can be harvested every two years
interval.
Since the population of fish has increased over the past years, it is now possible to catch fish even
outside the sanctuary without much efforts or wasting much time. The poor too started catching
fish once again as they now need to spend less time in this effort (The poor were not fishing as
they could not spare time for fishing while having to work in others’ fields). This has benefited the
poor as they too get fish to eat for their nutritional requirements. Availability of river fish in the
local weekly market has also increased. Junior NaRMGs and SHGs are also given awareness
training and talk by the elders to ensure a brighter future and conservation of biodiversity.
Interestingly, out of 18 villages that came together for effective regulation and enforcement, only 8
are NERCORMP-IFAD project villages, while remaining 10 are non-project villages who
enthusiastically joined the initiative made by the former, indicating the extent of the positive
influence of the project and its participatory philosophy. This also indicates peoples’ trust and
confidence on the project.
RESOLUTION It is evident that through a timely and appropriate project intervention and interjection, the
communities can clearly benefit from biodiversity conservation. While the project induces
facilitating interventions, the communities, once convinced, are the best makers and enforcers of
their own laws and regulations. They also know how to make the regulations work and respected.
KEY VISUAL
HOOKS
5. Solutions Exchange by Monica Raina
India is a vast and powerful storehouse of talent and knowledge. Yet, practitioners often face the
dilemma of not knowing if a particular idea was tried before or whom to turn to when they reach
a bottleneck. Tacit knowledge, which is gained through experience, is in danger of being
forgotten or ignored.
To harness this knowledge pool, at the beginning of 2005, the United Nations Country Team in
India collectively offered support to set up a knowledge sharing platform. This initiative,
branded Solution Exchange seeks to provide a powerful and impartial platform for exchange of
knowledge and ideas among development practitioners, without reinventing the wheel.
26
As a UN initiative, it is a free, impartial space where all partners are welcome members of the
community. Communities of practice are organized around the framework of the Millennium
Development Goals as they relate to national goals and targets. Development practitioners from
government, NGOs, development partners, private sector, and academia interact on an ongoing
basis, building trust and strengthening their identity as a ‘Community of Practice’.
Today eight Communities of Practice are up and running on themes like maternal and child
health, primary education, work and employment, gender equality and women’s empowerment,
decentralization, HIV, water and sanitation, food and nutrition security. Over the past six
months, membership has grown exponentially, with over 2000 Solution Exchange subscribers
from across the country.
It is envisaged that Solution Exchange will be replicated in other countries, with a country
specific ‘flavor’. Thus, a cross fertilization of Communities of Practice across nations, will
spearhead an organic evolution of both - the communities, was well as, knowledge tools and
products.
(URL: http://www.solutionexchange-un.net.in)
6. Soil conservation by Amjad Ali Toor
Amjad Ali Toor He has been with the project for three years. Erosion and soil conservation
have been issues in his project area. Soil conservation structures made out of brick and
cement were expensive (Pakistani Rs.25,000 to Rs.50,000). Mr. Toor found an Agriculture
Research Institute that had done research on loose stone structure. These structures were not
only cheaper but were the ‘best practice’ when it came to soil conservation. Although, he
encountered problems with government workers and farmers he was still able to share the
knowledge of these soil conservation with the project. This saved money and helped soil
conservation.
27
Annexure 6: Feedback, 7 February 2006
 “There are many things that we have learned today and we would like to take that knowledge
home”
 “In the last 1 ¼ years, almost every day I have been grappling with capturing sharing and
applying knowledge questions. Now, I have a number of ideas about how to do things that I
will try out.”
 “I didn’t expect to be in this forum. I was interested because of the topic – knowledge
management that is new lingo in our government. Apart for the project, I am doing part-time
work in the government.”
 “I was right in forcing myself to be invited. There are a lot of things that I learned in today’s
session, which will help me do my role in my new job”.
 “Learning new options”
 “I am really impressed by this workshop. I learned a lot from all of you to raise awareness of
sharing, capturing and applying project knowledge among our staff.”
 “If I wasn’t here today, I would have missed something. So thanks Shalini for increasing my
knowledge”
 “We have shared a lot of knowledge, some tools and techniques. I am a bit confused if I will
be able to capture all of these in my mind. I hope that the workshop report will help me.”
 “I go back to the word that I selected for the day – sharing. I think that it has been realized to
quite an extent.”
 “I echo on a wonderful day. It is a real pleasure to put faces to names and it is nice to further
understand the projects.”
 “I expect that tomorrow, I will be learning more than today”
 “Just to remind everyone, we have a mailing list. I will be putting all of you on the list and
we will continue to share”
 “Very interesting. It has brought us together”
 “This day was very educative, informative. And last but not least, I have made a lot of
friends. “
 “Others are most welcome to visit us. “
 “After 15-20 minutes I was feeling drowsy, what I admired is that Allison could keep us
energized”
 “This is one of the best workshops that I have been to where everyone has participated (and I
have been at IFAD for 2 years)”
28
Annexure 7: Discussion Reports
Report 1: Systematization of Documentation
Initiator
Participants
Vincent Darlong & Adrian Marbaniang
Cameron, Yolando, Pushkin, Biju, Chanh, Amjad Ali, Monica, Shalini
• Shalini shared that based on the recent experiences of NERCRMP in India, the methodology of
Systematization could be useful and an efficient way of capturing project knowledge and
learning within a short period of time. The Systematization Technique may be used by each
project to design its own documentation technique or methodology as per local situation,
availability of resources (human and finance).
• Ron from Philippines, while appreciating the methodology, enquired how can the project team
document project knowledge on a regular basis. It was suggested that the Systematization could
be used to train the project staff for documentation. Documentation produced by project teams
through Systematization will also be useful in any case of documentation by consultants.
Highlights of
the
Discussion
• Yolando observed that the Systematization Technique is actually participatory and selfevaluation, which makes the methodology most acceptable and appropriate. This was in
response and in contrast to Chanh’s observation that in Laos individual consultants are doing
documentation. It was deliberated that systematization is in fact a way of ‘validation’ of project
knowledge by involving all the primary stakeholders.
• Biju asked what might be the most appropriate interval for undertaking Systematization
Exercises in a project? It was suggested that this may be left to each project to decide depending
on the kinds and scales of success stories they would like to document.
• Most members were however interested to understand what may be the output or final product
of such exercise. The initiators shared their experience about these, which are under preparation
including: (a) a full publication on each study report, (b) 1-2 pager for policy brief (c) video
documentation based on the study report (d) repackaging (a) to (c) into a single CD containing
story, film and images, (e) sharing of the document with local media for re-packaging for
publication in local newspaper.
• Pushkin has already written the “Guide to Systematization”. The draft will be circulated among
those who participated for comments and subsequent it will be published by ENRAP.
Where from
here
Who could
assist
• Each IFAD-funded project may deliberate on the need for undertaking Systematization learning
from the successful experience of NERCRMP.
• Examples of Reports generated by this exercise may be accessed from ENRAP website for
information, learning and guidance.
• ENRAP and NERCRMP with experience and knowledge sharing
Report 2: Using Internet for collecting, sharing and applying information & knowledge
Jill, Yoando
Initiator
Participants Biju, Allison, Trang, Monica, Pankaj, Adrian, Chanh
• Jill’s situation: Many project staff like to borrow books from library but the information in the
books is old. Staff don’t know google or yahoo china website. Jill likes to look for information on
Highlights of
the internet for instance about the latest labour laws. Some projects only use email for
the
communication; they aren’t used to website surfing. It takes a long time to learn to type Chinese
Discussion
characters. Language is a difficulty because most people can’t read or write in English. The need
to translate country level reports for donors and other English speaking audience is a big burden
29
on Jill
• Some Ideas to show the importance of and raise interest in using the internet: send them useful
websites; internet training (don’t assume they know how to use the internet) and refresher courses
• Pankaj’s experience in setting up kiosks in communities: Kiosks are being used to provide market
information, films in the evening and photograph capacity, that is, using a web cam
• Lando’s experience: Lando walked the group through a presentation on his project’s general
reporting system. M&E is being automated; reports need to be uploaded onto the net so using the
net is a necessity. He stressed on the need for finding a reason for people to use the internet
• Trang shares the same challenges as Jill. People aren’t aware of what’s available
• Ideas
 What about doing a competition?
 Encouraging project staff is critical as it improves their efficiency
 Training workshops are expensive and people are shy about learning. Training can be provided
but people have to want to learn
 Learning how to type is a good first step
 Have a ‘buddy’ system where one person helps another person learn (more one-on-one support);
need to have longer term capacity building
 Make sure that those trained submit reports that are typed not written by hand
 Need to also improve writing skill not just computer skills; having guides is useful
Report 3: Engaging People & Convincing the Boss
In capturing, applying & sharing knowledge
Initiator
Participants
Monica & Ron
Shalini, Pushkin, Pankaj. Toor, Darsana, Trang, Vincent, Bashu, Cameron
• The discussion began with the rationale of the topic – people are too busy to be involved in
information and knowledge management. At the same time, people will find the time to engage
themselves in areas of their interest, or indulge in EXCUSOLOGY, when they do not want to! In
addition, some moot points are whether the boss wants to be convinced? He may have a trusted
aide who should be convinced first. It may also be a matter of priorities, or judicious utilization of
resources, which would influence the boss’ thinking.
• Some solutions suggested for engaging people were to identify the generic needs of various
stakeholders; identify the community influencers and develop a Communication Product.
Highlights of
the
Discussion
• Demonstrating the value of KM to various levels of stakeholders is the key but HOW to do it?
Some mentioned that a full workshop is needed to address this issue.
• A broad based KM plan for engaging people and convincing the boss emerged from the
discussions:
 Communicate effectively with the Boss: understand what he wants & respond accordingly
 Exposure visits and capacity building at all levels, including the Boss
 Institutionalize KM; should be integral part of project design
 Demonstrate how KM is useful: models, reports, documents
 Mechanisms to measure impact of CSA of K in project activities
 Conduct regular meetings of both staff and Steering Committee where KM is discussed
 KM should be included in the Annual Reviews conducted by UNOPS and other agencies.
30
Where from
here
Who could
assist
In summary, a communication strategy coupled with capacity building is a good start to engage the
people and convince the boss on the importance of capturing, applying and sharing knowledge.
• To organize project level workshops on addressing this issue fully
• Reporting on IFAD project’s KM processes and outcomes in regular activities
• Include KM in project design
• UNOPS (through Annual Review Missions), ENRAP, Senior Management of IFAD supported
projects
Report 4: Sharing Knowledge among communities
And between project & community
Initiator
Participants
Shalini Kala
Vincent, Bashu, Pushkin, Cameron, Darsana, Monica, Trang, Pankaj, Chanh, Adrain, Amjad Ali,
Khammanh, Biju
• Project experiences of examples of community to community sharing:
 Exposure visits for farmers
 Training of trainers for farmers
 Demonstration plots, models, technologies
 Farmer field days
 Producer facilitation centers, community learning centers, village agriculture support centers
 Federation of farmer groups and SHGs
• Project experiences of examples of project and community sharing:
 Pamphlets, publications, radio programmes, videos
 Field officers, extensionists
 Farmer field schools
 Farmer companies
 Meetings with line agencies, project staff and farmers
Highlights of
the
Discussion
Where from
here
• Benefits of this sharing:
 Reliable knowledge transfer
 Faster change in mindset and attitude of community members
 Transparency and good governance
 Ownership and confidence building among the community members
 Effective participation
 Better chances of replication
 Conflict resolution
 Better resource utilization
 Demand driven information determination
• Challenges and what can be improved
 Exposure visits are expensive
 Seasonality limits sharing and exposure opportunities
 Gender imbalance in sharing
 Project design can be restrictive
 Resource constraints
 Need to involve second generation of farmers
 Building capacity of local resource person to share and manage knowledge
Solutions: Exposure visits for farmers could be used as incentives; and Visits could also seek
contribution in costs from farmers
31
Report 5: Sharpening Indicators to Monitor & Evaluate Impact: Community Perspective
Yolando C. Arban
Initiator
Participants Khampan, Biju Abraham, Chanm, Darsana, Adrian, Jill, Trang
• IFAD project indicators generally reflect the indicators asked for by the government, IFAD and
the MDGs. The question is, do the indicators of IFAD projects reflect the community’s dreams
and aspirations? Are there processes wherein communities are able to express their indicators of
poverty alleviation and reduction? Do IFAD projects try to harmonize what the community wants
with what the Project intends to do?
• Most experiences of IFAD projects involved communities in collecting data and information and
to some extent analyzing them but not much on deciding what indicators to monitor and evaluate.
Highlights of
the
Discussion
• Experiences in countries like Laos, Vietnam and China show that project indicators are
blueprinted and being downloaded to communities. In other countries like India and the
Philippines, IFAD projects have involved communities, to some extent, in determining their
indicators and integrated them into the Project indicators.
• In the five countries mentioned above, participatory tools are being developed wherein
communities are involved. Some of these tools include poverty analysis, wealth ranking, village
profiling, prioritizing of problems, appreciative inquiry and participatory monitoring and
evaluation.
• In some countries like India, PRA tools went to the extent of classifying the poor members in the
community determining the poorest of the poor. Indicators for each category are identified and
agreed to by the community. Further, the community also determines progress of a certain
classification of poor to the next level. By this, the community is able to express their indicators
for project progress.
Where from
here
Who could
assist
• It was also observed that community participation is country specific; however, everyone agrees
that there is a need to increase community participation especially in what indicators to be used
for assessing project progress and impact.
• Exchange of project experiences in involving communities to determine indicators, especially
sharing information on tools and techniques used. ENRAP website could facilitate this.
• Direct interaction with community through country-to-country exchange. Example, Laos can visit
India or China can visit the Philippines.
• ENRAP can facilitate the exchange of information. Country IFAD projects shall host visiting
other IFAD projects.
Report 6: Support needed for better management of M&E knowledge
The way forward
Initiator
Participants
Highlights of
the
Discussion
and where
from here
Pankaj Kumar
Bashu, Khanphanh, Trang, Monica, Darsana
• Projects need a variety of support for capturing, sharing and analysis of M & E knowledge. The
following sub-sets of support were discussed:

Within projects: Simplifying and translating M&E guidelines for M&E and non- M & E staff
and stakeholder stakeholders in local language; Training of trainers on M&E so that consultants
can be used for capacity building and the knowledge available with such consultants becomes
available to projects at low cost; Make a roster of individuals and agencies who can help in
M&E and if not available, then projects and IFAD should invest in building up a critical mass of
these.
32

IFAD: Regional M&E support website for South Asia; Standardization of M & E procedures;
trainings to be followed in project at various stages of project; Long term handholding support to
projects for designing and implementing M&E systems.

UNOPS: Support to ensure that baseline survey is done in first 6 months of project; Support to
ensure that knowledge management becomes a priority for projects.

Who could
assist
ENRAP: Capacity building of M&E staff; Workshops, trainings, refresher course; Support
(technical, pilot demonstrations) for ICT networking for information transfer within project.
• Project Directors and staff, IFAD, UNOPS, ENRAP
Report 7: Retrieving and Packaging Project Knowledge for Policy Making
Bashu Babu Aryal
Initiator
Participants Pankaj, Monica, Pushkin, Shalini, Vincent, Amjad Ali, Darsana
• Relevance of the Issue: In South Asia there are a lot of good initiatives, procedures and
methodologies which can help producing better results in reducing rural poverty and accelerating
the pace of development. These project practices have strengths of serving more people at a time
at a comparatively lower cost if adopted as a policy in different levels. However, these best-result
generating initiatives are not properly reflected in the policies at various levels especially relating
to innovations and new ideas. Such a lack was felt at nation, local government and also at the
project level.
• Constraints: The basic reasons behind innovations and ideas not reflected in policy include
Information, practices and knowledge are not captured properly; Information, skills and
knowledge are not shared as desired; Lack of mechanisms to properly capture, share, utilize and
manage information and knowledge, and Inadequate participation of relevant institutions, experts,
agencies in devising policy decisions.
Highlights of
the
Discussion
• Ways and Measures Suggested: How can policies be influenced  Properly document the processes & methodologies adopted in implementation beyond those
enunciated in the existing documents;
 Carry out further studies and researches and properly document the outcomes;
 Develop and adopt the appropriate tools for dissemination such as policy briefs, impact
assessment report, video documentation etc relevant for identified audience;
 Organize regular workshops & meetings inviting relevant partners such as specialized
institutions, politicians, academicians, experts from implementation, representatives of civil
society and donor organizations in influencing the decision makers;
 Provide more exposure to the policy planners by organizing visits, experiences sharing and
observation tours;
 Craft a Knowledge Management Strategy for each organization incorporating the tools and
techniques to be used such as consultation, documentation, audio-visual aids etc;
 Follow up the implementation of the crafted strategy and monitor and evaluate it on a periodic
manner;
 Educate the relevant actors and personnel on existing legislation and policies.
Report 8: Plan for Improved Capturing, Sharing and Applying Knowledge
Trang
Initiator
Participants Vincent, Pushkin, Chanh, Monica, Allison, Kishan, Biju
Highlights of • Supporting project information sharing to improve use of communication tools - project to project
the
33
Discussion
and project to community
• Setting up the website isn’t the problem but getting people to use the website and getting
information that is useful is much more difficult. In Laos people aren’t using the Internet, not
much online networking. The suggestion was to give the contract to a website service provider;
they add ‘lipstick’ and ‘powder’ (editing and re-editing)
• Every month a community coordinator has to generate figures and the project puts it into the
website, Need to design a reporting format based on the project component, could have quarterly
reporting formats
• Government of India has a scheme; districts have subdivisions through the government scheme;
CICs (community information centers) are being used to access the information; Identified the
kind of information that they want to flow from the village level to the district level; analyse is
done at the district level; information is presented back in a template to the communities
• In SEWA, the situation was quite similar: Lots of trial and error but what really worked was
“seeing is believing”. We took a laptop to the villages and using simple software we showed the
women how they could use the laptop to help them in their every day work i.e. creating designs
for selling in international marker. Showed them how it worked. They got excited about the
potential then worked at the next level of capacity building. Similarly SHG (self-help groups)
were spending lots of time tracking so an excel sheet was introduced which saved them lots of
time. Small steps make the biggest different. Software is also now available in local languages.
• Involvement of others is critical; need to ensure that your system fits into the work of others;
Need to make sure that the system is flexible. Flexibility of the processes and mechanism that
allows new directions and creativity
• Knowledge sharing is a complex process that involves different systems (for information sharing
and knowledge sharing).
• Steps
 Assess information and knowledge sharing needs of different stakeholders
 Awareness raising and capacity building with small applications that can be time saving
 Have a clear cut difference between quantitative and qualitative data
 Use of data needs to be well understood and communicated
 Assess the current situation of People, Tools and Processes and mechanisms in Knowledge
sharing.
 Visioning of where the system will be in 5-year time.
• Suggestions: Start with the project objectives and a consultation process with stakeholders
(building a vision); Different stakeholders will have different visions; Then work backwards
based on the goals that you want to reach; Create indicators of output, outcome and impact
• Some useful KS links: www.km4dev.org (Knowledge Management for Development
Practitioners Community – a website and a mailing list); http://www.ks-cgiar.org/toolbox/ (A KS
toolbox)
Report 9: Evaluating Project Results using the Video Documentation
Initiator
Participants
Darsana Samarakook
Yolando Arean, Zhang Shaichun, Khamphanh Sovriuong, Monica Dominguez, Cameron Odsey,
Adrian Marbaniang
34
Highlights of
the
Discussion
Where from
here
• Video documentation can be understood easily; can be used for evaluation; useful for sharing
with community and other stakeholders: capturing before and after project situation is easy; can
help save time; effective tool for policy makers and demonstration. At REAP we have divided
the responsibility among project staff for video documentation.
• Challenges: Script-writing; Editing and filming; Lack of equipment; time sharing among staff and
outside support
• All: Refresher training
• China: Project support, New training
• India: Evaluation tools; Impact on farmers; Impact on policy makers
• Sri Lanka: Establish private enterprise
• Laos: Workshop for planning for video (project and government staff); Purchase equipments;
Experience sharing; Follow up activities; Regular sharing meeting once a year with ENRAP
support
35
Annexure 8: Feedback, 8 Feb 2006









“Thanks Allison and Shalini for bringing us together in such a forum”
“I’m amazed at the way that this workshop became a knowledge sharing exercise. Thanks
to Allison for facilitating such an exciting process”
“Next time I hope that my English is better”
“Firstly thanks to Allison for being energetic and a wonderful facilitator. Thanks to
Monica for working hard at reporting this workshop”
“Thanks to Allison and Shalini. It was nice to get to know the group and share stories
with everyone”
“When I first came I thought I had a plan ready to implement for the next 10 months. But
this workshop made me think about what I can change in my project and in my strategy.
Thanks”
“I felt a little guilty at first because I am no longer working on the field. But being here
reminded me of the importance of the work that people do on the ground”
“Thanks Shalini for giving us the opportunity to come face to face and meet each other. I
hope this repeats itself”
“A reminder that we still have the list to continue discussion and ideas”
36
Annexure 9: After Action Review
1. What could have been done better? Why?
2. What one or two recommendations would you make to ensure that future workshops are
even better?
3. Other comments
Participants: Trang, Lando, Monica Raina, Jill
AAR Facilitator: Allison Hewlitt
Specific Actionable
Recommendations
Quotes
Create an atmosphere
that makes people
active.
• “The informal and free style/atmostphere of the workshop (but it doesn't
Find ways to learn about
successful experiences
in other countries.
• “Successful experiences from other projects are very encouraging to
Showcase successful
project activities even if
it appears, to some, as
though there may be
nothing to share.
• “The workshop confirmed our effort of doing a step-by-step linking of our
Hold a longer workshop
to cover what is planned
or plan to do less in the
same amount of time.
• “Perhaps time was short or too much was crammed up. So I certainly felt
Use region
specific/facilitation
terminologies/concepts/i
nnovative ideas
• “Using more regional-specific terms may generate the kind of ambience the
mean that we were not serious in our work). This gives flexibility to
everybody and stimulates me and others to be more active.” - Trang
Vietnam projects (information-sharing/knowledge sharing is possible and
have been done in other countries.” - Trang
• “The other highlight is the systematization documentation shared by Adrian
and Vincent. The sharing showed me the way to do a participatory
evaluation and capture an experience that can be shared to other project
stakeholders or other IFAD projects. Oftentimes, evaluations are done by
outside people and the local stakeholders are just of the findings. The
systematization documentation brings to the fore the direct recipients
participation of local stakeholders including beneficiaries even in the
process of defining what to be evaluated. Congratulations to the project team
that initiated such a tool and a process.” – Lando
project stakeholders through ICT specifically the use of the internet. When
Shalini asked us to share our arterial ICT project during our ENRAP 2
national workshop in the Philippines sometime in October 2005, I said
there's nothing yet to show. The workshop gave me the confidence that other
IFAD projects can visit us and probably learn the participatory process we
did using a high end technology.” – Lando
incomplete. Perhaps there was not enough one was left with to work on
(back home) or bite into for future planning.” - Monica
• If the workshop could last one or two more days, it would be better, because
every discussion seemed to finish in a rush way.” - Jill
facilitator aims for, by using these concepts.” - Monica
• “Some homework may need to be done by the facilitator, others.” - Monica
37
Specific Actionable
Recommendations
Quotes
Use a number of tools
and techniques to keep
the activity index high &
maintain energy.
• “The facilitation tools and techniques were well thought of and used. It
Include a session or two
on the basics of KM.
• “Not everyone was on equal ground on KM basics – which could have been
Hold a session where
participants can share
their project KM
experiences and the
challenges that they
face.
• “Before brainstorm or discussion, every participants had better be given a
General Comments
• “Certainly useful and a good learning piece, with connections to so many
certainly helped to keep the activity index high & maintain energies, mostly.
Also, certain key interventions of the facilitator helped the workshop stay on
course.” - Monica
• “The workshop facilitation was very creative, professional and wellprepared. The colours of the markers are pleasant and nice to look at.” –
Trang
taken care of by a couple of short sessions on key terms, unanimous
understanding through participants’ perspectives. Leading to common
grounding.” – Monica
few minutes to briefly introduce what has been done in project knowledge
management in his/her own project, and about what issues/challenges they
are facing so that others can learn more from their introduction.” - Jill
• “Also a OPEN HOUSE session where those interested could share about
their KM/IM initiatives – this was done but to limited numbers only.
Perhaps the first half of Day 1 could have been the whole group together,
and then the break-outs.” – Monica
people. Agenda can be fleshed out a bit more, for future!” - Monica
• “The experience was terrific. Again, thank you and I look forward to another
exchange in the very near future.” – Lando
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