Knowledge sharing and application require investment, recognition and rewards

TOPS/ FSN Network Survey of Knowledge Sharing Practices

TOPS facilitates, moderates, and curates knowledge sharing amongst USAID Office of Food for Peace implementers.

But the expense and effort of creating and sustaining collaboration mechanisms will not be maximized if organizations do not have the capacity for onward sharing and application.

TOPS/ FSN Network Survey of Knowledge Sharing Practices

The survey sought to assess organizational capacity and practices that foster knowledge sharing and program learning amongst implementers of USAID Office of Food for Peace Title II PL480 (TII) programs.

Twenty five interviews were done among eleven international nonprofit organizations: ACDI/VOCA, ADRA, CARE, Catholic Relief Services, Counterpart International, Food for the Hungry, Freedom from Hunger, Land O’Lakes, Save the Children, Technoserve and World Vision.

Survey of Knowledge Sharing Practices – Main Findings

• Making time for and valuing benefits of knowledge sharing are key as is senior leadership commitment

• Donor funding can be key catalyst to spur collaboration but many organizations still rely on unrestricted funding.

• Organizational commitment is needed for sustained knowledge sharing

 • Improved understanding of promising practices for

sharing and learning is critical – and staffing is needed at all levels

 

• Mechanisms for sharing can be low-tech or high-tech, both are needed for developing country and inter-generational context

• Knowledge sharing requires more than technology.

Appreciation of the value of sharing – human connections - to create new knowledge is key

• Knowledge leaders recognize that sharing lessons with other organizations to further the industry has benefits vs. capturing proprietary kudos

Survey of Knowledge Sharing Practices – Main Findings

Survey of Knowledge Sharing Practices – Main Findings 

Recognition of and rewards for knowledge sharing are often insufficient but are motivating and required for organizational and project level knowledge sharing and learning to improve:

This includes: • Donor to implementer through the procurement

process• Implementing organizations to staff in

incentives systems

This presentation was made possible by the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents are the responsibility of the TOPS Program and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.