Envisioning KM4Dev Futures - 2013 - 2014

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KM4Dev Futures is about (1) analysing what KM4Dev is all about and what it has achieved during its life so far; (2) reflecting about the KM4Dev community and understanding better its strengths and weaknesses and finally; (3) based on identified threats and opportunities drawing up futures scenarios; discussing these and come up with a strategy for the coming years.

As of end March 2014 we have reached phase (3) and intend to develop a strategy in the coming months.

The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) funded three major pieces of work in 2011 - 2014, the outcoms of these three pieces of work have been documented and are made accessible in the 3 paragraphs below.

Work in 2011 - 2013

The synthesis project in 2013 (Phase One Report, described below) summarized and reflected on the work that had previously been funded by IFAD, specifically:

  • SNA: a Social Network Analysis of the network (and of its? counterparts in French and Spanish, SA-GE and SIWA)
  • CTLab: a technology stewardship-focused initiative
  • L&M: a set of 'Learning & Monitoring' activities to review operations and processes within the network as well as the activities ?and results of the IFAD-funded KM4Dev activities.

These reports each looked at KM4Dev from a different perspective.

2013 - Phase I - Synthesizing previous work

The Phase I project synthesized the results of the three completed tasks above, gathered objective data about KM4Dev, and sought to provide a proper analysis of insights and recommendations to KM4Dev as to how it could further develop. (See KM4Dev project 2012 Plan of Activities for more detail on KM4Dev funded projects.) The charge for Phase I was:

Output: A report on common findings from the above studies on activities or aspects of KM4Dev that are seen to be going well; those which make it stand-out as a groundbreaking and influential network; and those that need improvement. The report should identify major issues and develop recommendations for future action, including suggestions on ways to strengthen positive aspects of KM4Dev and resolve identified issues. These will be discussed with representatives of the three project groups and the KM4Dev core group.

Phase One Report, which was carried out from September through mid November of 2013, summarized documents generated in previous projects and used approaches such as provocations to engage the community. Some early discussions generated pages such as Adjoining communities -- frequented by KM4Dev members and Pathways to involvement and leadership.

2013-14 - Phase II - building toward's KM4Dev's Future

The IFAD synthesis project: Phase Two Report was completed in February 2014. It incorporated many insights from an open-ended survey aimed at augmenting the strategy options that should be considered (the actual questions are shown here).

Phase II also included several mini-grants funded by the IFAD grant. Each of the grants led to a a Focused Conversation held in early 2014.

  1. KM4Dev Futures: Charles Dhewa Journey with KM4Dev which was discussed in Pathways to involvement and leadership in KM4Dev
  2. KM4Dev Futures: Ideas for improving Core Group succession management which was discussed in Important Discussion for all Members on Leadership
  3. KM4Dev Futures: Interviews with Current Members which was discussed in You and KM4Dev: Reflections on the past, present and future
  4. KM4Dev Futures: landscapes of practice and systems convening which included a discussion What does the term "landscape of practices" evoke for you in your own KM4Dev work?
  5. KM4DevFutures: Toward greater advocacy which was discussed in Community Advocacy for sustainable development
  6. KM4DevFutures: The Case of SIWA: a failed Spanish KM4Dev community
  7. KM4DevFutures: To Improve KM4Dev Existing Infrastructure

John_David_Smith took the lead on the last two phases of the project.