National Evaluation of the Capacity Building Programme in English Local Government: Annex 4: Follow On Study of Progress in Seven Case Study Improvement Partnerships

This report is one of a series of outputs from the national evaluation of the Capacity Building Programme for local government in England (CBP), being undertaken by a team of researchers at the Policy Research Institute (PRI) at Leeds Metropolitan University and the Cities Research Unit at the University of West of England. This report summarises the findings from the second phase of fieldwork with regional and sub-regional Improvement Partnerships, established to facilitate capacity building and improvement activity in local authorities. The research underpinning this report was undertaken in seven case study Improvement Partnerships (see Section 2) in October and November 2006 and follows a similar – baseline – exercise undertaken during the same period during 2005. It thus both draws on the earlier research (see Section 3) and identifies evidence of progress and impact (see Section 10) since the baseline phase

Design thinking and innovation: synthesising concepts of knowledge co-creation in spaces of professional development

This paper explores how design thinking connects to concepts of knowledge creation and innovation. A case study of a knowledge sharing network in the social services sector is used to illustrate how design thinking supports Ba, the spaces for knowledge creation. Further exploration of the four enabling conditions for Ba resulted in delineation of two distinct types: relational and structural. Relational enablers support three groups of enabling conditions: interaction, shared values and communication. It is proposed that design thinking aligns well with relational enabling conditions for Ba to create the ideal spaces for knowledge creation. The group of structural enablers can assist or obstruct change and relate to the culture and management approaches of an organization, which may or may not be assisted by design thinking. However, to ensure that design thinking is not undermined, and innovation is achieved, the presence of an appropriate structural enabler is critical for success

Collaboration in the Semantic Grid: a Basis for e-Learning

The CoAKTinG project aims to advance the state of the art in collaborative mediated spaces for the Semantic Grid. This paper presents an overview of the hypertext and knowledge based tools which have been deployed to augment existing collaborative environments, and the ontology which is used to exchange structure, promote enhanced process tracking, and aid navigation of resources before, after, and while a collaboration occurs. While the primary focus of the project has been supporting e-Science, this paper also explores the similarities and application of CoAKTinG technologies as part of a human-centred design approach to e-Learning

Kenya: Data Strategy and Capacity Building

Kenya has undertaken much work to date on data and knowledge issues, and has advanced this through the Kenya Data Forum—a national initiative managed by the Deputy President's office that aims to develop and implement a long term sustainable local data strategy. Kenya, however, lacks an organized framework for collecting reliable and comparable data on philanthropy in the country; to help meet this need, the Philanthropy Sector in Kenya has come together over the decades through the creation of the East Africa Association of Grantmakers (EAAG) and more recently the Kenya Philanthropy Forum (KPF) and its Data Sub-group. In June 2015 the KPF organized a Philanthropy Data Management convening that brought together over 30 foundations and trusts to explore opportunities for strengthening data collection, management, and sharing data in the philanthropy forum for greater impact and influence on national development efforts in Kenya. As a result, certain outcomes and aspirations were agreed upon. They included:Establishing the principles for data management for philanthropy.Expanding the forum so that participation reflects the size and diversity of existing forms of philanthropy.Developing a standardized tool for data collection.Actively engaging in the existing philanthropy data initiative.Partnering with the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) to establish data sets that effectively capture the contribution of philanthropy in Kenya's development.The June 2015 meeting highlighted the urgent need for philanthropic data and that "Kenya lacks an organized framework for collecting reliable and comparable data on philanthropy in the country." To begin systematically addressing these recommendations, Foundation Center (a philanthropic support organisation based in New York) designed a multi-stage Data Strategy and Capacity Building Program, working in partnership with KPF, EAAG, Kenya Community Development Foundation (KCDF), and the Sustainable Development Goals Philanthropy Platform (SDGPP). This initiative was kicked off at a special "Data Scoping Meeting" of the KPF on 28 April 2016, attended by a total of 51 participants representing across section of Kenyan foundations, trusts, and support organisations. As reflected in the meeting agenda (see Appendix A), the objectives of the Data Scoping Meeting were as follows:1. Establish principles for collaborative data and knowledge management2. Understand the core data needs of philanthropy in Kenya3. Leverage available technologies for collecting and sharing data and knowledge4. Leverage global knowledge for local purposes5. Identify data challenges and set local goalsThis report summarizes the outcomes of the Data Scoping Meeting and outlines next steps in preparation for a follow-up meeting on Data Capacity Building in the coming months

Building Networks of Practice

{Excerpt} Extensive media coverage of applications such as FaceBook, MySpace, and LinkedIn suggests that networks are a new phenomenon. They are not: the first network was born the day people decided to create organizational structures to serve common interests—that is, at the dawn of mankind. However, the last 10–20 years have witnessed rapid intensification and evolution of networking activities, driven of course by information and communication technologies as well as globalization. These make it possible for individuals to exchange data, information, and knowledge; work collaboratively; and share their views much more quickly and widely than ever before. Thus, less and less of an organization’s knowledge resides within its formal boundaries or communities of practice. Knowledge cannot be separated from the networks that create, use, and transform it. In parallel, networks now play significant roles in how individuals, groups, organizations, and related systems operate. They will be even more important tomorrow. Since we can no longer assume that closely knit groups are the building blocks of human activity—or treat these as discrete units of analysis—we need to recognize and interface with less-bounded organizations, from non-local communities to links among websites. We should make certain that knowledge harvested in the external environment is integrated with what exists within, especially in dynamic fields where innovation stems from inter-organizational knowledge sharing and learning. Therefore, the structure and composition of nodes and ties, and how these affect norms and determine usefulness, must become key concerns. This makes the study of networks of practice a prime interest for both researchers and practitioners