Improving Knowledge
Transfer
Communication for Development
Introduction
This research project is part of the UK Government's
Department for International Development (DFID), Urbanisation Knowledge
and Research programme designed to achieve urban poverty reduction. The
aim of this project is to explore ways in which the transfer of knowledge
can be improved to facilitate the reduction of urban poverty.
The initial focus of the research
was on knowledge produced by urban development researchers themselves
and how this could be better communicated and disseminated.
The first phase included gathering primary information on research knowledge
transfer. To this end, the Charney
Manor Seminar, the 16th Inter
School Conference and two web based peer reviews, gathered contributions
from the major academic and professional researchers involved in the past
DFID poverty research programmes.
A second phase, in the years 2000-2001, generated practical guidelines
which synthesised the suggestions and feedback provided by the national
and international researchers who participated in the primary research.
Parallel with the development of practical guidelines for improving knowledge
transfer, further in-depth research based on case studies was undertaken
into particular aspects of knowledge communication.
The final phase produced recommendations related to improving communication
for development. These may be summarised as follows.
1. The communication flow to achieve development for poverty reduction
needs to have a primary focus on poor communities themselves including
an understanding on their specific culture and existing knowledge - explicit
and tacit - and communication resources and networks.
2. An understanding of the complexity of the communication process is
essential to identify what barriers and gaps in the information flows
between the producers of development knowledge, intermediaries and key
local actors may be encountered during the communication process.
3. Intermediaries and social networks are ideal vehicles for communicating
or transferring knowledge, but active encounters (spontaneous exchanges
and face-to-face meetings, partnerships, best practice demonstrations,
workshops and seminars) focused on development needs are necessary. They
need to be held with sufficient time for people to understand fully and
connect their needs to what is being discussed. Otherwise, barriers and
gaps in the communication process will occur.
4. Knowledge generated in a shared manner will be trusted by the recipients
as it will be more suitable to their specific community context and needs.
Trust, can only be generated over time, by finding effective ways for
people to talk and listen to one another.
5. Building on the use of local, national and international social networks
to communicate and update development co-operation at all levels can replicate
development in a very efficient way.
It is recommended that these recommendations and those encompassed by
the Improving Knowledge Transfer Guides should be applied and evaluated
through pilot programmes. More research is needed to develop methods by
which research on knowledge generation and transfer might be more efficiently
communicated through the recognition of the urgent needs of various communities'
pressing needs, identification of social networks and the generation of
new partnerships between local governments, intermediaries and civil society
groups.
Last Updated: 15 February 2008
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