Using Indigenous Knowledge to Adapt Global Best Practices to Local Conditions: The World Bank Experience

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Using 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

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What 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

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Who we are...

• International organization
• Owned by 180 governments
• 9000 staff 100 nationalities
• Regional offices in 100 countries
• 40 operational staff in the field

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What 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

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Our competitive advantage...

• Knowledge of development practices
• over 50 years
• 100 countries
• variety of sectors
• Largest source of development knowledge under
  one roof

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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...
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How 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)

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Jargon
Plain English
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Tax policy and administration thematic group
In the pastWell get back to you
Should VAT (value added tax) be applied to
medicines?
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Tax policy and administration thematic group
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Tax 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...
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Tax policy and administration thematic group
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Expected
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Future
Increasingly The client can get this kind of
material in minutes
How to make this real ?
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While technology is a facilitatorSharing depends
on community
University of Toronto
DEC
Indonesiafield office
AFR Region
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Knowledge Learning FrameworkWhat we Know
Dont Know?
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Knowledge 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
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The evolution of knowledge sharing
Knowledge base knowledge objects
Initially, the focus was on building a knowledge
base
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The evolution of knowledge sharing
Knowledge base knowledge objects
Communities of practice 100 thematic groups
Then the focus shifted to knowledge communities
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The evolution of knowledge sharing
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Community of practice the thematic group
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Community of practice the thematic group
TGs are front-line practitioners
100 thematic groups
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Knowledge sharing
Learning
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Knowledge sharing
Learning
Knowledge as an asset
Knowledge as information
Knowledge as as an activity
Knowledge as people
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What 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

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Integrate 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

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Core 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
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6. 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?

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Part II Adapting global practices

• Role of Indigenous Knowledge
• The adaptation process

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Genesis 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

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What 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?
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What 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

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What 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

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Indigenous Knowledge is . . .

• Embedded in Culture
• Critical Element of Global Knowledge
• Foundation for Human and Social Capital
• Gateway to Empowerment
• Key to Sustainable Development

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Tools 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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Integrating 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

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Building local communities of practice
Farmers
Healers
Engage Exchange Learn Influence

Hunters
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Leveraging Global Local Knowledge Networks
WHO/ World Bank Specialists
Researchers
Ministry of Health
PHC providers
Traditional Healers
Doctors
Pharmacists
Health Care CBOs/ NGOs
Botanists
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Balanced Flow of Knowledge
Networks
Local Global
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The new knowledge frontier
Adaptation
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Practices
Institutions
Behaviors
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Adapting Behaviors
Its a mindset thing..
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Adapting Behaviors
ask the right questions !?
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Adapting Institutions

• Providing a framework within which adaptation
  occurs in a consultative and participatory manner
  to facilitate ownership and eventual sustainable
  adoption

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Adapting 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

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Adaptation Process
Recipient
Degree of Involvement
Enabler
Provider
Time
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Enablers role varies over time...
Nature
Intensity
Instruments
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Adaptation Framework
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Adaptation Framework
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External 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
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• 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