Paper on Intercooperation experience in Knowledge Management

In response to a call by Knowledge Management for Development (KM4Dev), a community of international development practitioners interested in knowledge management and knowledge sharing, Intercooperation reviewed its own knowledge sharing experiences.

This paper notes that participatory learning is strongly embedded in organisational practice, and has led in the past decade into more pro-active knowledge management. This is examined through the lens of the ‘multiple knowledge variables’ of gender, seniority, specific belief systems, field-head office interactions, working function, language and organisational culture. It further discuss a variety of impacts of KM, taking specific examples from Latin America, Madagascar, Pakistan, India and a specific crosscontinent knowledge sharing exercise. Lessons learned overall include that IT systems for promoting organisational KM should be kept simple; KM processes are generally highly appreciated by the organisation’s immediate clients (donors), and need to be planned systematically; and that KM can clearly work in support of Intercooperation’s ultimate clients, the poor and marginalised. The recent development of a KM policy strengthened recognition of existing KM practices in the organisation, but also heightened awareness of the need to increase South-South knowledge sharing and learning. (Abstract)

To read the article: Swiss roots with multi-cultural and multi-linguistic branches: the challenges of sharing and building on knowledge at Intercooperation by Jane Carter, Pascale Aubert, Arjumand Nizami, Alain Cuvelier, Julia Randimbisoa and Lorena Mancero