1. Challenges in measuring KM results and impact
IFAD’s experience
15th international WASD conference, Bahrain 2017
Helen Gillman
Senior KM Specialist

2. Overview What IFAD does & why knowledge is so crucial to our work,
Role of KM in IFAD
Action learning initiative on KM in East and Southern Africa
Challenges inherent in monitoring performance and impact of KM
Focus on lessons drawn from practice

3. What is IFAD? A specialized UN agency & IFI We invest in rural people
Knowledge crucial to our work: experiential & evidence-based

4. Role of KM at IFAD Solid history of KM
Knowledge building & dissemination a key pillar of results delivery
Clear purpose: support innovation & scaling up
Recognition of leading practice in UN system
KM Strategy: space to experiment & learn

5. Good practice: IFAD KM strategy
Linked to IFAD’s overall objectives
Broad & flexible – provided space to experiment and learn
A “thousand flowers” bloomed
Established solid foundations for KM

6. KM & learning in practice
Learning initiative in East & Southern Africa
Broad and ambitious agenda
The approach
Dynamic, adaptive action research
Face-to-face interaction
Systemic competence development

7. Main outputs Integrated KM system Learning & adaptation M&E
Communication
Experimentation
Information management

8. Main outputs Practical guide to putting KM into action
A comprehensive, flexible framework for project teams
11 critical success factors

9. Key lessons Need for a clear purpose
Need for compelling motivation and incentives
Need for leadership
Need for capacity to implement KM&L
Need to integrate KM into organizational systems, processes and structures – make it a way of working 1

10. Hence…KM is about... Good management Honest commitment
Environment where people are encouraged to reflect, share and learn from each other

11. Challenges in measuring KM performance: context
Greater accountability for results
Concrete impact, hard data, better delivery processes
Knowledge, innovation, competence fundamental
Learning approaches are part of the solution.

12. Challenges in measuring KM performance
Clear purpose, full integration into business processes, performance improvement
Most knowledge is tacit and difficult to codify
Common understanding essential for mainstreaming and meaningful measurement
Particular challenge in the development sector
Lack of impact indicators

13. Challenges in measuring KM performance
Knowledge is systemic - contributes to overall growth and efficiency
KM indicators in existing systems may increase opportunities for knowledge to be recognized and valued as a strategic contribution

14. “Softer” factors
Understand what KM means in daily work, the benefits: work & professional development
Capacity & resources – time
Priority – value learning, open to change

15. Lessons from other organizations
Make corporate indicators KM sensitive
Know what to measure
No particular indicator is the most effective
Indicators reflect political priorities
Indicators are contextual
Measure knowledge value through client surveys and internal KM surveys

16. Conclusion
Strategic guidance, leadership, recognition KM is systemic, space for experimentation & learning
Mainstreaming happens despite lack of systematic monitoring
Without evidence of concrete impact KM will remain vulnerable

17. Thank you
Helen Gillman Senior KM Specialist IFAD Knowledge for Development Partnership Andreas Brandner Sarah Cummings