KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT FOR EASTERN AND SOUTHERN AFRICA

1. KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT FOR EASTERN AND SOUTHERN AFRICA MIRIAM CHEROGONY Rural Finance Specialist & Knowledge Management Coordinator

2. Outline of Presentation • Background • Knowledge Management in IFAD • Opportunities and challenges • Rural Finance Knowledge Management Partnership (KMP) and IFADAFRICA Grants • KM Approach in Eastern and Southern Africa • Way Forward

3. What is Knowledge Management? Knowledge management is “about using knowledge more effectively to improve the way we do business to improve and impact on rural livelihoods”

4. We should encourage mistakes – but the same ones only once! It is not what you don’t know, it is what you know, what blocks you from learning Knowledge is like fire, you get it from your neighbour(Shona proverb) When an old man dies in Africa is like a library burns (African Proverb) The problems of the world of today, can not be solved by the level of thinking that created them. (Einstein).

5. Role of KM in IFAD Vision Statement KM Strategy Pillars • IFAD is the only international development institution established exclusively to contribute to reducing poverty and food insecurity. • IFAD will strive to be a learning organization by systematically and collectively from its own projects and programmes and to use the knowledge acquired to foster pro-poor policy reforms. • IFAD will share information and knowledge related to rural poverty in order to promote good practice, scale up innovations and influence policies, thus positioning the fight to reduce rural poverty as a global, regional and national priority. • Strengthening knowledge-sharing and learning processes • Equipping IFAD with a more supportive knowledge-sharing and learning infrastructure • Fostering partnerships for broader knowledge-sharing and learning • Promoting a supportive knowledge-sharing and learning culture

6. Opportunities & Challenges • Country office and direct supervision by IFAD in ESA is expected to improve the learning. • Regional implementation workshop and thematic workshop has facilitated some networking but not yet effective as a learning event. • Learning across country programmes in many countries is not happening but improving now (thematic groups across projects in Kenya). • Most projects are not good at documentation of own experiences.

7. IFAD/AFRACA Grants • Rural Finance Knowledge Management Partnership (KMP) and IFADAFRICA both are managed by AFRACA at a fee which is charged to the grants – income for AFRACA. • KMP a rural finance collaborative partnership between IFAD, Microsave (Decentralized Financial Services (DFS)) and International Centre for Research and Development (CIDR). • KMP is in line with IFAD pillar of access to financial services to poor rural people and IFADAFRICA in line with IFAD knowledge management strategy.

8. Objectives • provide rural finance and Knowledge management implementation support in order to improve the delivery, outreach, appropriateness & sustainability of financial services the rural poor • assist programmes/projects to strengthen the policy and regulatory framework for rural financial service delivery

9. Goals & Objectives • Develop a systematic and effective system for knowledge management and learning for IFAD-supported projects, regional network and IFAD. • All geared towards putting in place an effective and efficient project management system that integrates knowledge management for improved impact.

10. KM Approach • Project cycle is the focus • Practical and result driven (not a religion!) • Building on existing opportunities Action learning to integrate KM (country focus) – iterated process • Developing a practical guide for improving impact for ESA

11. IFAD’s Project Cycle

13. NETWORKING In each project : • Participate in forums • Participate in regional and thematic platforms • Join networks : • Local • National • Regional • International • Join Communities of practice

14. IFADAfrica/KMP Role • Set up a joint web-based platform • Process documentation to bring out the lessons learnt and select the best for sharing on the poverty portal • Provide a platform for cross learning between the thematic communities in different countries • Explore cross learning with sister organization, FIDAfrique along thematic areas, exchange visits and linkages.

15. Way Forward (1) • Setting up systems along KM value chains. • Encourage use of different approaches for sharing information. • Ensure constant reflection (through regular meetings. • Exchange learning. • Research, document and share good practice, success stories and lessons learned. • Provide farmers with a forum to share experiences and learn from each other.

16. Way Forward (2) Figure 1: Graphical presentation of the Knowledge Value Chain approach (adapted from Benoît Thierry and Haingo Rakotondratsima 2009).

17. KM Virtuous Learning Circle Learn Share Communicate

18. CONTACT IFADAFRICA ESA Coordination in Nairobi E-mail: mcherogony@ifadafrica.org Website: www.ifadafrica.organd www.ruralfinancenetwork.org Telephone: +254 20 762 1028 or FIDAFRIQUE WCA Coordination FRAO in Dakar, Senegal