Measuring and Incentivizing Knowledge: Key Takeaways from a Latin American Knowledge Management Conference

International development professionals focused on knowledge management (KM) and organizational learning often grapple with the same questions and issues. How do you measure the impact of KM and learning on development programs and justify the financial and human investment? How do you motivate staff to engage in knowledge sharing and learning activities given all of the competing priorities? How do you embed KM and learning into the culture of an organization in a way that makes it less of a box-checking exercise and more of an approach to development effectiveness? Although there is clearly no magic answer or one-size-fits-all solution, having the opportunity to share ideas and success stories with peers definitely gets one’s juices flowing and opens the door to future knowledge sharing and collaboration.

In early March, I had the pleasure of attending a conference on “The Role of Knowledge Management in Capacity Building in Latin America and the Caribbean,” hosted by the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation and the Inter-American Development Bank in lovely Antigua, Guatemala. In addition to discussing KM methodologies, successes, and challenges with our colleagues at regional development organizations, I presented USAID’s collaborating, learning, and adapting (CLA) approach and partnered with USAID/Guatemala Monitoring and Evaluation Advisor Ángel López to showcase USAID’s Western Highlands Integrated Program as an example of CLA in action.

Over the course of two days, it was fascinating to hear how other development organizations approach KM and learning across technical sectors and geographic boundaries. One tool I found really interesting is the Knowledge Sharing Capacity Framework developed under the World Bank’s Knowledge Hubs Community of Practice (CoP). Given USAID/PPL’s work to  develop a framework for measuring mission-level adoption of CLA, I appreciated seeing how this community conceptualized the pillars needed to build a knowledge sharing organization and translate knowledge into learning. Another helpful tool is the Bank’s “The Art of Knowledge Exchange: A Results-Focused Planning Guide for Development Practitioners” with its step-by-step methodology to design, implement, and measure a knowledge exchange initiative in an adaptive and learning-focused manner.

In seeking to find answers to the questions above, we engaged in a number of informal discussions on how to measure KM and learning and how to motivate staff (e.g., publicity and air-time given to their knowledge products), among other tough topics. Following up on the conference, we promised to share pilot activities and promising practices in addressing these challenges. As KM promoters after all, we need to make sure we are walking the talk and practicing what we preach! On behalf of USAID/LEARN, I look forward to continuing the discussion and sharing our success stories and lessons learned as we support PPL efforts to transform USAID into a leading knowledge management and learning organization.

Please click here to see the conference press release in Spanish.