Practice Papers in Brief
Practice Papers In Brief are produced by the Impact and Learning Team (ILT) at IDS, with contributions from both team members and partners.
The In Briefs aim to share our experiences and learning around ideas we are exploring in the context of our work on knowledge brokers and information intermediaries.
The knowledge broker and information intermediary sector comprises those who seek to improve flows of knowledge between actors in decision making and change processes in order to generate better development outcomes. We have found that these intermediaries act in a range of ways: enabling access to information; helping people to make sense of it; facilitating connections that enable knowledge to be shared between stakeholders.
Our experiences contribute to the body of knowledge, and are not intended to be read as offering incontestable insights or providing perfect models. For this reason, the In Brief papers should not be read in isolation, and should be seen as complementary to other work conducted on related issues of capacity development, knowledge management, and policy influence, including other ILT publications.
Learning about Reflecting on Knowledge: an Approach for Embedding Reflective Practice in an Action Research Team
This paper shares the experiences of the Impact and Learning Team in juggling the pursuit of an action research agenda alongside its practitioner role. The team formulated a self-facilitated group learning format, calling this a Learning Lab, to ensure reflective practice remained embedded in its day-to-day activities. More details
Learning about Patterns of Learning within the Mobilising Knowledge for Development Programme Phase 2 (MK4D2)
This paper captures some of our ideas about the patterns of learning established within the DFID-funded programme Mobilising Knowledge for Development (Phase 2, MK4D2) and some of the processes we have in place for capturing learning. More details
Learning about Mainstreaming Gender in Knowledge Intermediary Work
This paper is prompted by our own gender review of Knowledge Services (KS) and the Mobilising Knowledge for Development (MK4D) programme at the Institute of Development Studies (IDS). More details
Learning about How to Communicate ‘Learning’ from and Within a Multi-sited Organisation
This paper draws on a study conducted on capturing innovation and lessons from across a 'multi-sited' organisation. More details
Learning about the Large Conference Re-Imagined and Re-visited
This paper revisits a study commissioned by IDRC on large conferences. Vast amounts of funds, effort, time, and different types of resources and energies are invested in large conferences. More details
Learning about an Alternative Approach to Strategic Discussions
This paper looks at the use of graphic facilitation to support strategic discussions More details
Learning about New Technologies and the Changing Evidence Base for Social Science Research and Decision Making in International Development
New technologies are opening up exciting possibilities for the intermediary sector to produce, share and remix information and change the evidence base for research and collective action. More details
Learning about Analysing Networks to Support Development Work?
Exploring the use of network analysis to understand our own, our partners' and the intermediary sector's networks. More details
Learning about ‘Learning Styles’ in Getting Research into Policy Use and Practice?
Can the lessons from the adult education sector on learning styles and preferences add anything to our understanding of how our work might reach decision makers? More details
Learning about the role of Culture in Research Policy Intermediary Work
Can being a ‘cultural investigator’ add key insights to our understanding of how intermediary work might reach decision makers? More details