One of the main roles of the CEF is to be a knowledge broker and support knowledge exchange among practitioners in public financial management and central banking in South East Europe. We believe that knowledge exchange is a powerful tool for accelerating reform processes in our member countries.

There are several ways how we support knowledge exchange:

1. by designing high-quality, practical and learning-centered training events;
2. by organizing conferences, and high-level policy dialogues;
3. by promoting networks of professionals; and
4. by stimulating regional cooperation.

To assure that the knowledge exchange is meaningful and effective, we looked at how other institutions are nurturing knowledge exchange and came across the World Bank’s The Art of Knowledge Exchange. They have designed a systemized guide that takes knowledge brokers as well as knowledge providers and seekers through steps to ensure that knowledge exchange can develop capacities, confidence and conviction of individuals to act. Potentially this leads to changes at the institutional and systemic levels, which is in line with our understanding how capacity development can be supported.

 

The World Bank’s Art of Knowledge Exchange approach

Here is a short summary of the five steps to knowledge exchange activities as proposed by The Art of Knowledge Exchange guide.

1. Anchor the knowledge exchange

• Agree on the goal that the knowledge exchange will support
• Identify the major challenges limiting achievement of this goal, such as weak environment for change, inefficient policy instruments, ineffective organizational arrangements
• Consider what will change as a result of the knowledge exchange initiative

2. Define the knowledge exchange

• Identify the groups of people who are needed to achieve the change: who will lead, influence, convene, and act
• Determine the intermediate outcomes participants will seek from the change in terms of new knowledge, enhanced skills, improved consensus, enhanced connectivity, and new and improved actions
• Identify groups and individuals with relevant and transferable knowledge and experience to share

3. Design and develop the knowledge exchange

• Select the participants
• Verify the change objective and desired outcomes
• Organize the design and delivery team, including instructional designer, administrative support, professional facilitator, project leader, and communications coordinator
• Assemble the initiative by combining different learning instruments, activities, and delivery modes (see Figure on the right)

 

You might also want to refer to the Toolbox to learn more about different learning instruments and activities: http://wbi.worldbank.org/sske/guide/toolbox

The World Bank Art of Knowledge Exchange: Assembling the Knowledge Exchange Initiative

 

4. Implement the knowledge exchange

• Guide the participants along the learning journey
• Orchestrate engagement and build relationships
• Systematically document your implementation and track results

5. Measure and report the results

• Synthesize the implementation data
• Measure effectiveness across expected and unexpected results
• Report results

If you want to learn more about The Art of Knowledge Exchange, have a look at the webpage where you can also access a 90 minutes long self-paced e-learning course on this topic: http://wbi.worldbank.org/sske/art-knowledge-exchange

For more information on how the CEF supports knowledge exchange, feel free to contact us.