Talk:Multi-agency coordination mechanism

Cecilia Viscarra, 2014/11/15

Dear all,

We are helping countries to set up national committees to coordinate the implementation of trade facilitation reforms.

Do you have any best practice on how to put together people with limited time, various professional backgrounds, various (sometimes opposed) views and representing various public and private agencies to share and create knowledge?

Thank you for any idea or thoughts.

Best,

Cecilia

Japp Pels, 2014/11/15

Dear Cecilia,

The best practice is past practice is eating together.

Over food one talks more easy ...

With a mouth full one stops talking (when civilized) (listening is very important).

One has to help each other serving plates ....

One can rotate (shift three chairs) after every course ....

First argue on what is the problem (not the solution).

Close with the question at who's table the next talks will be ...

Cheers, Jaap

Simone Staiger, 2014/11/15

Dear Cecilia

Why not have a look at the Learning Alliances Appraoch and the related LINK methodology?

LINK: http://dapa.ciat.cgiar.org/link-methodology-version-2-0/

Learning Alliances: http://www.fao.org/farmingsystems/pdf/IFSA/Theme4_Strategies_and_Pathways.pdf#page=21 (just one example of publicaton)

David Williams, 2014/11/15

Hi we are currently writing a paper on un-conferencing or barcamps for a very similar purpose to go into the next edition of the KM4DEV Journal. Happy to share a draft copy (but is still a work in progress)

Cecilia Viscarra, 2014/11/15

Dear Jaap, dear Simone,

I like the exercise "at the table". Thanks, good idea! And the LINK methodology seems to fit well with our case. I will try them in our next workshop and let you know.

Have a good evening. Cheers from Geneva!

Nancy White, 2014/11/15

Can you say more about what you mean "share and create knowledge?" What does the "end of the meeting" look like -- what outcomes and outputs are you looking for? I find this kind of specificity makes it easier to match methods!

Nancy

Valerie Brown, 2014/11/16

Dear Cecilia Answering your so-realistic question: We have been working on that very thing for 20 years. The answers we have found to date are listed on the website www.collectivethinking.com.au. We are in the process of a new website that will actually summarise this learning from over the years. We suggest that we are entering a new era of collective thinking of which km4dev is an early example. Best of luck. Valerie Cecilia

Wycliffe ?, 2014/11/16

Dear Cecilia,

In Kenya, Intrahealth International has supported the establishment and management of an inter-agency coordination committee at national level to support implementation of Human resources for health reforms. This inter-agency coordination committee has registered significant milestones in bringing all stakeholders together to contribute to policy development as well as provide oversight to implementation.

Currently Intrahealth is working with the County Governments of Kenya to devolve the human resources for health inter-agency committees with clear responsibilities.

I have attached a paper that you may find useful towards having a targeted and results driven engagement.

The Role of Strategic Coordination in Addressing Human Resources for Health Challenges and Priorities (HRH-ICC) FINAL.pdf

Kind regards, Wycliffe

Cecilia Viscarra, 2014/11/16

Dear Nancy,

The idea is to bring together representatives of public agencies (e.g. Customs, Police, Ministry of Trade, Health, Agriculture, Port/Airport management) and private sector (e.g. Transporters unions, customs brokers, shippers, Chambers of Commerce, SME's associations) and establish a formal working group. There will be two levels of work, technical and strategic. Technicians would need to discuss on best practices (share knowledge) to find and design solutions to simplify trade procedures (create knowledge). At the strategic level, seniors would design new trade policies (create knowledge) that are inclusive and were discussed with all stakeholders.

We saw that it is difficult to bring together all those agencies and organizations. Each one is working separately, they don't coordinate and they are re-inventing the wheel.

Next December we will organize a multi-agency meeting in Botswana to find out how to set-up a long term working group. The idea of Jaap of address this issue eating together would be interesting to raise awareness of participants.

Best

Cecilia

Nancy White, 2014/11/17

You might look at the research the Garfield Foundation did to understand collaborative networks with their ReAmp project. How you want to build this network will inform the process(s) you use at your gathering. http://www.garfieldfoundation.org/resources/Monitor%20Institute%20RE-AMP%20Case%20Study.pdf One of the key things I learned from Garfield is distinguishing between full on collaboration (shared goals, interdependent tasks, shared process) and cooperation (shared goal, independent actions that had a reinforcing effect upon the goal but which did not require perfect alignment in all things.)

Garfield is now looking particularly at collaborative network practices http://www.garfieldfoundation.org/programs/collaborative_networks.html and the blog of Eugene Eric Kim, http://fasterthan20.com/blog/ and the wiki from a gathering of network practitioners last spring http://packard-foundation-oe.wikispaces.com/Collaborative+Networks+Practitioners+Workshop+%28April+2014%29 This may help you think specifically, if you haven't already, about what constitutes a formal group in this context.

From this, I've been using some of the http://www.liberatingstructures.com to help groups work towards realistic working practices and agreements. I also find that visualizing intersecting shared values and work -- literally mapping them -- has been productive in some contexts where I've work. Also consider social network analysis including approaches such as Netmap Toolbox.

Another thing that struck me when I read your note was "representatives." What agency or ability to these people have to speak for their organizations? If not a lot, you may want to consider some preliminary online work so the reps can socialize the ideas with their orgs before the FF. You might get more traction. The folks at FAO working on food security policy found some success this way. Another idea to build on Simone's is to consider a write-shop aspect so they group PRODUCES something together on the spot. That can help traction too! Just a few random ideas...

Thanks for the details

Nancy

Shobha Kumar, 2014/11/18

Dear Cecilia,

Sharing a resource you can use that focuses on a systematic results focused approach to Knowledge Exchange and also includes a number of tools and methods for effective knowledge exchange. Hope it is helpful.

http://wbi.worldbank.org/sske/Data/wbi/wbicms/files/drupal-acquia/wbi/document_repository/art_of_knowledge_exchange_full_.pdf

Best, Shobha