Learning for Change blog
This blog was set up by the IRC International Water and Sanitation Centre and is maintained by its staff, mainly Carmen DaSilva Wells. It is dedicated to learning for change. And it is focused on development cooperation, with special emphasis on the water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) sector.
The following concepts and initiatives are covered: Sector learning; Learning alliances; Resource centre networks;Sector-wide approaches and harmonisation; and Change management applied to complex sets of institutions.
Capturing sector learning through convincing stories
07 May 12
During our workshop last week we explored how Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Resource Centre Networks support learning in their WASH sectors and what change has resulted from their work so far. One of the ways we did this was by collecting, sharing and reflecting on change stories. During the 1st day of the workshop each country coordinator told a story [...]
The free actor, the chameleon & the baby
07 May 12
Over the past days we discussed the conditions that have to be in place for a Resource Centre Network (RCN) to act as a vehicle for WASH sector learning. One of the conditions is to have a strong facilitator or coordinator in place. RCN facilitators in the ideal world have the right background, with the [...]
Planning for change: getting sector learning on a sector agenda
07 May 12
This week has brough a lot of reflecting and sharing about the waysWASH Resource Centre Networks facilitate sector learning. Today, we spoke to Ton Schouten about the approach undertaken by the Triple-S project. Triple-S has developed a Service Delivery Approach for achieving sustainable water service delivery. It is working with a wide range of stakeholders [...]
RCNs and sector learning: with differences in the detail, but all with increased recognition
07 May 12
How different or similar are the activities and outcomes of the Resource Centres Networks (RCNs) that IRC is collaborating with on strengthening sector learning? What the resource centres from Ghana, Nepal, Uganda and Burkina Faso have in common is that All resource centres are carrying out activities to document lessons learned in the WASH sector, [...]
Mobilising knowledge in the WASH sector
07 May 12
The term ‘sector learning’ has been coined and promoted by IRC as a key element in improving the ability of WASH sector actors to provide sustainable services to all. It is an elusive concept with multiple meanings and layers or perhaps no meaning at all (some say that sector learning does not really exist. A sector [...]
Resource Centre(s) Network promote Sector Learning in WASH
07 May 12
Resource Centre(s) Network promote Sector Learning in WASH The PSO funded Resource Centres Network for Sector Learning (a.k.a. #RCN4SL) in the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene context is holding its final reflection, documenting lessons and formulating recommendations workshop at the IRC International Water and Sanitation Centre (IRC) in The Hague. I will blog in multiple ways about [...]
Revisiting theories of change for sector learning
07 May 12
IRC has supported WASH Resource Centre Networks in 5 countries (Burkina Faso, Ghana, Honduras, Uganda and Nepal) since 2003. In April 2011, we came together as a group to share our reflections about sector learning, theories of change and visions for the WASH sector in respective countries (and globally). Blogposts from that workshop can be [...]
What do we mean by development?
07 May 12
Reblogged from The giraffe: I’ve been thinking about that we actually mean by development, and came across this really good presentation on Slideshare which, I think, sums up the main issues and approaches commonly used to define development: 14 Development Definitions And Measuring Development View more PowerPoints from Ecumene According to Kurt Maton’s 2003 article [...]
Training and coffee
07 May 12
While busy writing and sorting my thoughts around helping to develop training on service delivery and governance in the WASH sector I ran into the blog post by Iconoclast explaining the Cynefin framework. A video is included if your preference is audio. The trainings I deal with occur in real life with real people and [...]
