Title: Using Indigenous Knowledge to Adapt Global Best Practices to Local Conditions: The World Bank Experience
1Using Indigenous Knowledge to Adapt Global Best
Practices to Local ConditionsThe World Bank
Experience
- Presentation to APQCs Fourth Knowledge
Management Conference - San Antonio, Texas
- May 26, 2000
- Nicolas Gorjestani
2What we will share today
- Part I World Banks Knowledge Framework
- Who we are, what we do
- Evolution of knowledge sharing strategy
- Lessons of experience
- Part II Learning from the Client
- Role of Indigenous Knowledge
- The process of adaptation
3Who we are...
- International organization
- Owned by 180 governments
- 9000 staff 100 nationalities
- Regional offices in 100 countries
- 40 operational staff in the field
4What we do...
- Help design/finance development programs
- reconstruction of Europe
- developing countries
- fighting poverty
- Leverage ideas and financial resources
- Largest single source of development finance
- Raise funds from capital markets/contributions
5Our competitive advantage...
- Knowledge of development practices
- over 50 years
- 100 countries
- variety of sectors
- Largest source of development knowledge under
one roof
6 World Bank mission statement
To fight poverty with passion and professionalism
for lasting results
To help people help themselves and their
environment, by providing resources, sharing
knowledge...
7How we got here...
Three Phases
- The age of pioneers (1995-1996)
- Scaling up the Knowledge Bank (1997-99)
- The age of integration adaptation (2000 gt)
8Jargon
Plain English
9Tax policy and administration thematic group
In the pastWell get back to you
Should VAT (value added tax) be applied to
medicines?
10Tax policy and administration thematic group
11Tax policy and administration thematic group
University of Toronto
Retired
ECA Region
MNA Region
DEC
Task manager in Madascar how desirable are
specific reforms to the VAT (value added tax)
that the client was contemplating?
Indonesiafield office
Within 72 hours...
12Tax policy and administration thematic group
13Expected
14Future
Increasingly The client can get this kind of
material in minutes
How to make this real ?
15While technology is a facilitatorSharing depends
on community
University of Toronto
DEC
Indonesiafield office
AFR Region
16Knowledge Learning FrameworkWhat we Know
Dont Know?
17Knowledge Learning Framework How to Share
Learn?
learn from peers, clients
share with, learn from global networks
external
knowledge sources
share with clients, partners
learn from each other by sharing
internal
internal
external
knowledge users
18The evolution of knowledge sharing
Knowledge base knowledge objects
Initially, the focus was on building a knowledge
base
19The evolution of knowledge sharing
Knowledge base knowledge objects
Communities of practice 100 thematic groups
Then the focus shifted to knowledge communities
20The evolution of knowledge sharing
21Community of practice the thematic group
22Community of practice the thematic group
TGs are front-line practitioners
100 thematic groups
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24Knowledge sharing
Learning
25Knowledge sharing
Learning
Knowledge as an asset
Knowledge as information
Knowledge as as an activity
Knowledge as people
26What we have learned...
- Its a long journey gt need relentless
repetition - Its not one thing gt its a series of
small steps - Sharing learning gt two sides of same
coin - Its not about tools gt its about
people/communities - It will stay a fad gt integrate K into
core business - Its not about rules gt its about
behaviors - Adapt K to setting gt key to client
satisfaction -
27Integrate knowledge into quality process
- Road Map for Leveraging Knowledge
- Systematic process to
- Learn before, during, and after the task
- Provide teams with timely best advice
- Ensure that the advice is used
28Core Elements of the Road Map
1. Roles and responsibilities 2. Assessment of
knowledge needs 3. Resource allocation 4. When
and how advice is given 5. Ensuring that advice
is used 6. Adapting global practices 7. Capturing
lessons of experience
296. Adapting knowledge to the local setting
Learning from the client ? and helping the client
learn
- Institutional context of global practice?
- Setting where practice is to be replicated?
- Indigenous knowledge systems to build on to make
global practice relevant to the community? - Adjustments to global practice, phasing or local
institutions to make the practice work well?
30Part II Adapting global practices
- Role of Indigenous Knowledge
- The adaptation process
31Genesis of IK Program
- GK 97 Conference in Toronto
- Vision of truly global knowledge partnership
will be realized only when the poor participate
as both users and contributors of knowledge - Learning from clients helping them learn
- Client Feed Back Surveys
- 40 percent knowledge adaptation gap
32What IK Achieved in Mozambique
Case of post-conflict resettlement
- Traditional authorities and local administration
- managed 500,000 land transactions and
- settled 5 million refugees and displaced
persons in two years - Used only local knowledge and capacity
- no external assistance from government, donors or
NGOs - no conflicts over land and rights
- Impact small holders re-launch agricultural
growth
How long would it have taken government donors?
33What IK Achieved in Senegal
Case of women of Malicounda
- Adult education course by TOSTAN
- apply literacy to solve a community problem
- learn about the consequences of circumcision on
the health of girls - abolish the practice after sharing experiences
within the community - Exchange experiences with other communities
- involve male spiritual leaders
- obtain presidential approval for the Oath of
Malicounda - Impact
- More than 16 communities abolish the practice
within 18 months - Senegal officially abolishes practice in December
1998
34What IK Achieved in Burkina Faso
Case of local language literacy centers
- Learning in local languages
- 15,000 learners in Gulmancema language (41
women) - 4,000 literacy centers (3,000 schools using
French) - 52 of the successful literacy center students
were women - Impact
- Higher literacy rates than in French
- Writing and numeracy ? correspondence, record
keeping - Preserving cultural heritage
35Indigenous Knowledge is . . .
- Embedded in Culture
- Critical Element of Global Knowledge
- Foundation for Human and Social Capital
- Gateway to Empowerment
- Key to Sustainable Development
36Tools to capture integrate IK
- IK practices data base (120 cases)
- IK Notes publication (20 in print Internet)
- IK Report A Framework for Action
- Website www.worldbank.org/html/afr/ik/index.htm
- First local language website
- Enhance capacity of IK centers in countries
- Funding of IK resource persons for task teams
- Knowledge Packs
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38Integrating IK in Development Programs
Case of Uganda
- Agricultural Research Training Project II
- focuses research activities on local practices
- disseminates successful IK practices
-
- National Strategy on Utilization of IK
- establishes national focal point for IK
- organizes national forum to draft IK policy
- integrates IK in poverty alleviation strategy
39Building local communities of practice
Farmers
Healers
Engage Exchange Learn Influence
Hunters
40Leveraging Global Local Knowledge Networks
WHO/ World Bank Specialists
Researchers
Ministry of Health
PHC providers
Traditional Healers
Doctors
Pharmacists
Health Care CBOs/ NGOs
Botanists
41Balanced Flow of Knowledge
Networks
Local Global
42The new knowledge frontier
Adaptation
43Practices
Institutions
Behaviors
44Adapting Behaviors
Its a mindset thing..
45Adapting Behaviors
ask the right questions !?
46Adapting Institutions
- Providing a framework within which adaptation
occurs in a consultative and participatory manner
to facilitate ownership and eventual sustainable
adoption
47Adapting Practices
- Testing, complementing, substituting, or altering
a technologies or processes, to make them fit
within the physical, social and economic
conditions and the utilization purposes of a
local community
48Adaptation Process
Recipient
Degree of Involvement
Enabler
Provider
Time
49Enablers role varies over time...
Nature
Intensity
Instruments
50Adaptation Framework
51Adaptation Framework
52External Knowledge for Local Use
- UgandaRESCUER project in Iganga District
- PHCs partner with traditional birth attendants
- link attendants to health units thru
walkie-talkies - attendants serve as referral points
- more women receive health services
- Impact maternal deaths decline by 50 in 3
years
Lesson Appropriate technology can help to enable
empower local communities by leveraging global
and local knowledge systems
53- But the Bank is not a storehouse of universally
applicable knowledge just waiting to be
transferred. That is why it should empower its
clients to tap global knowledge, connect clients
to one another and to other sources of
experience, and learn with them about what works.
- OED 1999 Annual Review of Development
Effectiveness