IMA provided support for development of the UNICEF Thailand Country Office Knowledge Management (KM) Strategy. The goal of the project was to assess and develop the current KM practices in the Thailand Country Office and to support their knowledge culture through creating a KM strategy.

To begin, a document review and scoping calls established an engagement strategy and agreed methodology. In-depth and structured interviews with key UNICEF informants at different organisational levels, as well as UNICEF external partners, were then used for further research and information gathering.

Alongside this, IMA provided a framework for KM Asset Mapping, as well as designing an online TypeForm survey for UNICEF. We guided core members of staff to complete a KM-CAST, encouraging participation to enhance awareness of KM, and to generate meaningful discussions around perceived areas of strength and weakness.

Findings from this research were analysed to identify key KM products, discuss how they have been and are being used, and provide suggestions for strengthening their outreach.

At IMA collaboration is important to us, the KM assessment report created the foundations for a KM vision, strategy and action plan, developed by IMA and UNICEF together, to make sure that KM becomes a focus, not just now, but for the future.

If you would like to find out more Knowledge Management strategy development, read about our Knowledge Management training course or our consultancy services.

IMA were invited to facilitate and support the Porticus team in developing their Theory of Change (ToC) and MEL framework following a successful online Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) training in Kenya with Porticus Africa. With all the changes happening around the world due to the pandemic, our consultancy work had to change, opening up a new area for online and remote working.

As part of the collaboration, we facilitated the development of an animated video and the initiation of an MEL framework, as well as reviewing Porticus program documents using the current Africa strategy. Staff were encouraged to draw how they perceived the current MEL system to start this process.  The drawings were collated, with shared thoughts identified and differences highlighted, to develop a list of starter questions initiating the discussion in a creative way.

We hope that our partnership with Porticus Africa has supported the development of their ToC and MEL frameworks, to enable long term benefits of their work responding to complex social challenges in Africa.

"We work to create a sustainable future where justice and human dignity flourish. Lasting solutions aren't achieved quickly or lightly, but we know if we keep striving together, we can make this a reality."

Porticus website

Find out more about Porticus on their website. www.porticus.com

If you would like to find out more about developing a Theory of Change, you can read about our Theory of Change in Practice training course or our Consultancy services.

For the second year running, Ruth Jolly and Silvia Capezzuoli took part and ran one of the four workshops in the UK-based KMb Forum, an annual event for those with a passion for ensuring that knowledge makes a positive difference to society. This year the theme was ‘Crafting our Knowledge Stories’ taking place in the amazing Seven Stories - the National Children’s centre in Newcastle. Over 100 practitioners, researchers, students, administrators and public representatives engaged in the art and science of sharing knowledge and use came together to learn, share, network and create new stories in a convivial way. The Forum is designed as a space for learning and reflection, providing an opportunity for sharing knowledge, experiences and methods and provides access to some of the most up-to-date thinking and practice in the field.

Our workshop focused on relational knowledge sharing to give a flavour of our take on Knowledge Management, and included an interactive exercise on the importance of knowledge champions.

During our May five day Knowledge Management (KM) programme in Brussels, we were happy to meet up again with Miriam Pikaar of Caritas Europa. We held our meeting outdoors in the creative courtyard environment of our hosts, MSF Belgium.  Backing out from a buzzing café area and well-designed training centre, the space allowed us to use more experimental exercises with our KM course participants. And it gave us chance to meet Miriam in a conducive environment to agree next steps for our support in the KM developments which Caritas Europa have been positively advancing. 

The KM intention of Caritas in Europe is to create, share, use, structure and manage its knowledge and information in view of achieving organisational objectives. Caritas Europa is active in the fields of advocacy, humanitarian aid and institutional development. And recognizes the need for mutual learning and innovation in all they do. To this end, IMA has contracted with them twice, first in Prague and then in Brussels to explore KM concepts and develop KM practice. Our latest workshop in February focused on enhancing knowledge sharing across and between international Action Groups and particularly building existing Communities of Practice. 

We look forward to support more, potentially in Vienna in September, working with Caritas Europa on their expressed aim to learn and exchange knowledge, experience and expertise to be more effective and sustainable.

1. Breaking the silos - knowing what colleagues and their action groups are doing:

In general: it is important for the CE Secretariat staff to have a better understanding of what colleagues are “doing”, and how the activities of the CE Action groups (AGs) contributes to the CE Secretariat work – in view of achieving the objectives of the CE Strategic Framework (SF).  Given the structure, and despite good intentions, there is still a silos issue. In view of the Consultative Forum – which is essentially a place for knowledge sharing and a great knowledge management (KM) opportunity - the CE Secretariat staff has to know, internally, what all the AGs are actually doing. This will help foreseeing what the synergies can be and what themes to pick for the AGs to discuss together in cross AG settings.

1. Understanding some of the KM basics, but NOTABLY:  what communities of practice are and how they work. 

Without the CE Secretariat realising it, the CE AGs are actually communities of practice. It is important that those staff in charge of AGs understand what a community of practice is and how AGs can be made to function as such. The CF would be a great opportunity to kick this way of working off, in at least in 1 or 2 AGs. However, that requires that we here in the Secretariat first of all understand what that means / how that would work

The workshop design and the methodologies of the activities will bring out the information staff members need to know about each other’s work and the work of each other’s AGs. They will understand what communities of practice are and how we can support our AGs to function as such.