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Many development programs aim to build capacity of individuals and organisations as part of its targeted development outcomes. While the term capacity building is considered a “contested” concept in development literature because of its colonial origins and the seeming disregard of local “capacities”, hence the need to “build”, it continues to be a significant component…
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I have always been fascinated by the story of the Seven Blind Men and the Elephant. While others hammer on the lesson of limitations on how we perceive reality, this is not what fascinates me about the story. What makes me stand in awe of this great epic is how joining our limited perspectives can…
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I was in Nanyuki when I had an interesting conversation with somebody passionate about documenting learning conversations. I argued that learning conversations—those that you do with people (in organisations) to reflect on their experiences and realise the implications for the future—should be used to inform strategic thinking and the strategies of organisations. She did not…
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I was surprised when a friend of mine said that he likes monitoring visits because it gives him the opportunity to go out of the office, travel, meet new people, and relax. Well, the first three parts, yes, but the last one? Definitely no. I think there is that common misunderstanding that field visits are…
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I had the opportunity to work with a group of amazing individuals to craft one of the thematic strategies for their organisation. There are several challenges related to the task. First, we come from at least 4 time zones – where one’s morning is the other’s night, and somebody else’s afternoon. Second, the timeline is…
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Five months ago, I was on a plane for Malaysia for a research project and happened to sit beside a senior-level executive of a philanthropic foundation who said she was “attending an annual workshop.” The choice of words may not have been intentional, but I was struck that several of us use the word “attend”…
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I visited WWF-Australia’s floating rice project in the Mekong Delta. There, they used agricultural drones to plant floating rice over a hundred hectares of flooded wetlands, working with farmers to adapt the innovative practice and learn from the process. I was amazed at the level of innovation and the insightful use of data to inform…
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Some four weeks ago, I was invited to facilitate a day’s discussion on learning and impact to roughly 80 people, representatives of around 40 civil society organisations from Kenya, South Africa, and Nigeria. The rule of thumb? No slides. No use of online tools as Menti or Miro. I found the task daunting at first.…
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This year marks the 10th year since I started researching on open data. Some 10 years ago, I wrote, in the context of the Philippines, that On the supply side, incentivising openness is a critical aspect in ensuring that local governments have the interest to disclose financial data.…….On the demand side, there is limited awareness…
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I once thought that establishing collaboration is straightforward, not until I had an opportunity to facilitate a conversation between two mission-driven organisations whose work has been significantly influential in helping women realise their roles as agents of change. I was in Taipei for a Christmas holiday with my wife and kids when, out of the…
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