Knowledge Management
Knowledge management (KM) within CPWF is concerned with the production and management of research knowledge to influence stakeholder attitudes, skills and behaviors. Hence KM is about linking research to outcomes and impact from farmer to researcher to policy maker. It is an important mechanism by which the CPWF expects to achieve its research and development goals.
KM is comprised of three complementary areas (see diagram). Information and data management is about making sure the right information is in the right place at the right time to support decision-making. Monitoring and evaluation is the source of much of this information and one of the ways by which adaptive management is practiced. Communications seeks to influence knowledge, attitude and skills in support of behavioral change.
In practice we have learned that the complementarity existing between the three areas is huge while conceptual differences between them are less important than we thought. Functionally, we treat information management and communications as one area because many communication channels manage information and vice versa.
Our M&E staff works with projects and BDCs to build their respective theories of change (ToC) (see box). A good theory of change is the starting point for M&E because it makes explicit what the project is trying to do. This helps with identifying baselines and indicators with which to measure progress. Good theory of change is also the starting point for communicators who need to know who should change and how, so that they can work with projects and BDCs to help turn these intentions into practice.
Why a Theory of Change?CPWF adopts a Theory of Change (ToC)-based approach to M&E, impact assessment and communications. A theory of change is the cause-and-effect logic that links research activities to the desired changes in the actors that a project or program wishes to influence. It describes the tactics and strategies, including working through partnerships and networks, thought necessary to achieve the changes. In other words a theory of change is a model of how project partners think their project will work. It provides a road map of where the project is trying to reach. Monitoring and evaluation of implementation can test and refine the road map, while communications helps in reaching the destination by helping to bring about change. The value of testing and refining the model/road map is that it challenges pre-conceptions, assists reflection and catalyses staff to frequently ask themselves: ‘Are we going in the right direction? Are we doing the right thing to achieve the changes we want to see?’ Finding the responses to these questions is one of the ways that the CPWF puts its core principle of adaptive management into practice. |
