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Knowledge management. Enabling poor rural people to overcome poverty
- Kerrie Todd
- 1 years ago
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1 Knowledge management STRATEGY Enabling poor rural people to overcome poverty
2 Knowledge management Strategy Enabling poor rural people to overcome poverty
3 All photographs by IFAD Printed by Palombi e Lanci, Rome September 2007
4 Contents Executive summary 6 Background 8 Why does IFAD need a knowledge management strategy? 10 The baseline: Assessing the barriers and challenges to overcome 12 The baseline: An inventory of IFAD s assets 14 Moving forward: A framework for IFAD knowledge management 17 What are the expected results? 23 What are the expected costs and risks? 24 Who will do what? 26 APPENDICES I Illustrative inventory of IFAD knowledge assets 28 II Valuing and stimulating local knowledge to enhance poor rural people s 32 knowledge assets: Some promising examples III Results framework 34 Abbreviations and acronyms CGIAR COSOP FAO M&E PES WFP Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research country strategic opportunities programme Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations monitoring and evaluation Performance Evaluation System World Food Programme 3
5 Knowledge is the only treasure you can give entirely without running short of it. African proverb Knowledge Management is about capturing, creating, distilling, sharing and using know-how. That know-how includes explicit and tacit knowledge. [ ] It is not about books of wisdom and best practices, it s more about the communities that keep know-how of a topic alive by sharing what they know, building on it and adapting it to their own use. [ ] Call it performance through learning, shared knowledge, or simply working smarter. C. Collison and G. Parcell In Africa, when an old man dies, it is a library that burns down. Amadou Hampâté Bâ 4
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7 Executive summary In fulfilling its mandate to enable poor rural people to overcome poverty, IFAD deals with many types of knowledge. The most critical knowledge for IFAD is related to development practice. It is embedded in IFAD-sponsored programmes and projects, its staff and partners and, more broadly, in the development community working on issues of rural poverty and rural development, including poor rural people and their own organizations (for example, rural community and farmers organizations). This knowledge management strategy is one of the key deliverables of IFAD s Action Plan for Improving Its Development Effectiveness, approved by the Executive Board in December Its aim is to provide IFAD with the framework and tools required for development effectiveness in a context of dramatic transformations that are changing the face of world agriculture and of rural poverty. Changing realities on the ground mean that IFAD will need to become more agile, devise appropriate innovations and improve its systems and its institutional readiness for more continuous learning and sharing. It is in the sense of improving its learning from development practice that IFAD will increasingly become a knowledgebased organization. In preparing this knowledge management strategy, IFAD has consulted widely both within and outside the organization; conducted a baseline assessment of its current knowledge situation; sought to gather, understand and apply the lessons learned from the efforts of other institutions; and obtained and incorporated guidance from its Executive Board. As a result, this strategy is based on two key premises: An institution s strategy for knowledge management must be firmly rooted in its core competencies, embedded in its work processes and linked tightly to its main products. Successful knowledge management strategies build on existing assets. While appropriate hardware is essential, the key to successful knowledge management is found in the culture and mindsets of an organization. The right mix of incentives is, therefore, critical. 6
8 This strategy: identifies a limited number of knowledge themes, derived from the IFAD Strategic Framework ; builds incrementally on IFAD s existing assets, processes and partnerships; identifies the specific instruments needed to improve learning and knowledge-sharing at the country programme level; identifies the cultural and behavioural changes needed for implementation and the incentives and training that must be put in place to bring these changes about; and seeks to ensure cost-effectiveness by harnessing resources and efforts and integrating them into a coherent and timebound results framework. The strategy has four strategic components: strengthening knowledge-sharing and learning processes; equipping IFAD with a more supportive knowledge-sharing and learning infrastructure; fostering partnerships for broader knowledge-sharing and learning; and promoting a supportive knowledgesharing and learning culture. Most knowledge management measures (country-level activities, regional and thematic networks, strategic partnerships) will be financed under the current country programme financing instruments or regional and global grants. The strategy will, however, require some modest additional costs to finance certain new initiatives. The IFAD knowledge management strategy embraces the following vision: Knowledge management vision statement IFAD is the only international development institution established exclusively to contribute to reducing poverty and food insecurity in the rural areas of developing countries. Within the scope of this unique mandate, IFAD will strive to be a learning organization. It will learn systematically and collectively from its own projects and programmes, and from the experience of its partners, particularly poor rural people, in order to deliver high-quality services and to enable its partners to find innovative ways to overcome poverty, and to use the knowledge acquired to foster pro-poor policy reforms. IFAD will share information and knowledge related to rural poverty in order to promote good practice, scale up innovations and influence policies, thus positioning the fight to reduce rural poverty as a global, regional and national priority. The strategy will be implemented through a clear distribution of roles and responsibilities within IFAD in order to provide for efficiency and accountability. 7
9 Background 1 1 World Bank, World Development Report: Knowledge for Development (Washington, D.C., World Bank, Oxford University Press, 1998), p World Bank, Operations Evaluation Department, Sharing Knowledge: Innovations and Remaining Challenges (Washington, D.C., World Bank, 2003), p. xv. 3 Ibid, p. xiv. Since the 1950s, a central question in international development has been how knowledge can best be generated, mobilized, made available, applied and adapted to improve the human condition. The centrality of knowledge systems to development effectiveness comprised the theme of the World Bank s World Development Report of 1998/99. The main argument in that report was that the development of poorer countries necessitated assigning the highest priority to building knowledge-based economies. Knowledge, as opposed to natural resources, the report stated, had become the most important factor determining standards of living. The report recommended that developing countries should assign high priority to knowledge strategies. It also urged development agencies such as IFAD to accord greater importance to knowledge transfer from richer to poorer countries as follows: developing countries need not reinvent the wheel Rather than re-create existing knowledge, poorer countries have the option of acquiring and adapting much knowledge already available in the richer countries. With communications costs plummeting, transferring knowledge is cheaper than ever. Given these advances, the stage appears to be set for a rapid narrowing of knowledge gaps and a surge in economic growth and human well-being. 1 This formulation met with criticism and scepticism from several quarters, mainly on the grounds that the report had erroneously treated knowledge like a commodity that could simply be packaged and transferred cheaply using new technologies. But the report did inspire many development agencies, including the World Bank itself, to pay greater attention to knowledge management. Five years later, in 2003, an independent evaluation of the World Bank s performance in knowledge management suggested that the original criticisms of the 1998/99 World Development Report had been well founded. The evaluation found that: the [Bank s] new knowledge-sharing activities and programs have had limited impact on Bank client countries. 2 It concluded further that the Bank s knowledge management efforts were attempting far too much and that for success, knowledge-sharing has to be embedded in work processes [and] tightly linked to the Bank s core lending and nonlending tasks. 3 8
10 Assessments of the knowledge management performance of other institutions seem to have come to similar conclusions. A recent study that examined five decades of international development efforts in knowledge management concluded that: the impact has been rather limited [the indicators show that]... most developing countries did not improve in any significant way during the past half century. 4 Thus, lessons from the experiences of the World Bank and other development agencies underscore the complexities, difficulties and pitfalls of knowledge management strategies for development. IFAD s experience, reflected in the findings of the Independent External Evaluation of IFAD (IEE), has been similar. The IEE found that IFAD s management of knowledge and innovation was unsystematic and inadequate given its corporate mission. 5 IFAD has taken this experience into careful account in preparing this knowledge management strategy. It has consulted widely both within and without the organization; conducted a baseline assessment of its current knowledge situation; sought to gather, understand and apply the lessons learned from the efforts of other institutions; and sought to obtain and incorporate guidance from its Executive Board. 4 Sagasti, F., Knowledge and Innovation for Development: The Sisyphus Challenge of the 21st Century (Cheltenham, Edward Elgar Publishing Ltd, 2004), p Office of Evaluation, IFAD, An Independent External Evaluation of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (Rome, IFAD, 2005), p. 6. 9
11 Why does IFAD need a knowledge management strategy? 2 The changing global context requires new approaches and new learning Dramatic changes in the global economy present both new opportunities and new threats to the prospects for rural development and rural poverty reduction. Trade liberalization is opening up market access for some small-scale producers, while for others, livelihoods are being lost to the changing market structure of agri-food chains and the rise of supermarkets. The explosion in remittances allows some people to diversify economically and escape from rural poverty, but for others it means social exclusion and community divisiveness. There are new uncertainties for smallholder farmers in the steady advance of biotechnology and the rising demands for biofuels. A recent report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warns of an imminent crisis for poor farmers in marginal areas as their traditional crops fall victim to climate change. At the same time, knowledge about new and more sustainable natural resource management approaches (for example, conservation agriculture, organic farming) are emerging. The face of rural societies and of rural poverty is also changing as a result of outward migration, the feminization of agriculture, withdrawal of government services and subsidies, and the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Given these rapid and often dramatic changes, knowledge becomes a vital asset to IFAD for achieving its mandate. IFAD s development effectiveness depends on improved knowledge capabilities IFAD is not primarily a knowledge organization and has few of the defining organizational characteristics of a research institution, a strategic studies centre or a policy institute. Its principal features are those of a technical agency and its core activities, as stipulated in its charter, are to address the needs of rural development by raising finances and applying those finances, through grants and loans, to projects in developing countries within the context of national poverty reduction strategies. In the conduct of its core activities, however, IFAD, like other technical agencies, deals with many types of knowledge. It learns from its clients and partners, and the programmes and projects it supports often generate new knowledge. Moreover, since the late 1980s, IFAD has evolved from simply cofinancing projects identified by other international finance institutions to supporting much more knowledge-intensive and innovation-based programmes aimed at institutional and policy transformation. This has generated a greatly increased need for new types of knowledge in order to address an expanded range, diversity and complexity of factors that will determine IFAD s development effectiveness. The essence of these shifts and new requirements is demand-driven, as more and more recipient governments and field partners emphasize that the value they attach to IFAD will depend increasingly on its ability to strengthen innovation and knowledge-sharing and learning. 10
12 IFAD will need to obtain and generate new knowledge in order to respond effectively to these pressures and to the rapid and often dramatic changes they produce. Where old ways and methods no longer respond to changed realities on the ground, IFAD will need to seek innovations from others and to generate them with its clients and partners. This means that IFAD must become more agile and must improve its systems and institutional readiness for more continuous learning and sharing. Therefore, it is in the sense of improving its learning from development practice that IFAD will increasingly become a knowledge-based organization. This will not transform IFAD into a policy centre or a research institute, nor will it require structures to be modified. It will, however, require better institutional incentives for learning, enhanced integration and horizontal linkages within the organization, greater investment in carefully targeted networks and, most centrally, improved efforts to embed learning in all of its activities from strategy to post-project evaluations. To achieve these objectives and to be able to track and measure its progress towards them, IFAD needs an overall guiding framework. That is the aim of this knowledge management strategy. 11
13 The baseline: Assessing the barriers and challenges to overcome 3 6 Bell, M., Technology Transfer to Transition Countries: Are There Lessons from the Experience of the Post-War Industrializing Countries? in D.A. Dyker (ed.), The Technology of Transition: Science and Technology Policies for Transition Countries (Budapest, Central European University Press, 1997). IFAD deals every day with many types of knowledge. Most is integral to its own work, deriving from interactions with its partner organizations (including rural farmers and community organizations) and, more broadly, from discourse with scholars, practitioners and international organizations involved in rural development. For the most part, however, this knowledge remains tacit that is to say, it is not systematic, explicit or codified. It is mainly held by individual members of IFAD staff. As a result, acquisition and exchange of knowledge are fragmented. IFAD knowledge is distributed among individuals, projects, countries, regions; and among partner institutions and organizations and instruments (information repositories, networks, working groups) that are not well connected to each other. This means that it is difficult for others whether within or outside the organization to locate and access IFAD s learning in costeffective ways. IFAD has tried to correct this situation in the past. A stated objective of IFAD s Strategic Framework for and of the IFAD V: Plan of Action ( ) was that IFAD would become a knowledge institution. Among the objectives of IFAD s Strategic Change Programme were: (i) generation and monitoring of a knowledge management strategy; (ii) installation of an organizational infrastructure with specific knowledge management roles and structures; (iii) implementation of processes and tools for staff to collect, store and share knowledge; and (iv) implementation of information technology support. Resulting from this were several initiatives and activities. For example, the Knowledge Management Support and Facilitation Unit was created in 2001 but disbanded in 2002; a knowledge management strategy was drafted but not finalized. A number of critical lessons emerge from an examination of IFAD s previous efforts in knowledge management and provide important guidance for the current effort: Knowledge management initiatives do not succeed when they are merely bolted to established activities: careful attention and institutional leadership are required to ensure that knowledge management initiatives are embedded in the organization s work processes and its main delivery instruments (i.e. loans and grants). IFAD s previous knowledge management initiatives tended to involve isolated activities or to be treated as add on activities without a clear unity of purpose. Unsurprisingly, efforts became fragmented and poorly integrated, resources thinly distributed and responsibilities diluted. Knowledge management activities were not planned or implemented with a clear strategic focus nor within a coherent sourcing, planning, reporting and results framework. A carefully constructed and valued inventory of knowledge assets is essential for improving an institution s capabilities and performance in knowledge management, and this must be the starting point for a knowledge management strategy. Experience in other organizations provides unequivocal proof that it is essential to build on what one has, integrate, learn and make incremental adjustments and improvements. This lesson has been forcefully stated by one analyst as follows: The main thing to recognize is that getting access to technology is less than half the problem. What happens after that will usually be much more important What you get depends on what you've got." 6 12
14 An institutional culture of learning and sharing knowledge requires appropriate human resource policies and practices, including incentives. Inadequate attention was paid to this factor in previous efforts. IFAD s incentive systems do not do enough to encourage collective and systematic learning across countries, regions, business lines and units. The roles, responsibilities, competencies and incentives to perform the knowledge management processes and practices need clear, careful and consistent (the three C s) attention and institutional support. IFAD s past efforts attached insufficient importance to these requirements. Unless competencies are clearly identified and related to performance measurement, it will be difficult to foster accountability. 13
15 The baseline: An inventory of IFAD s assets 4 Far from beginning from a low base, IFAD already has a wide range of knowledge assets. Some are more developed and advanced than others. Taken as a whole, however, these furnish the Fund with a strong latent comparative advantage of knowledge about rural development. The challenge is to build on these and to convert them from a latent into an effective comparative advantage. These institutional assets (see appendix I for a more complete review) include the following: A wealth of knowledge already exists. It has been accumulated through over 30 years of experience supporting agricultural and rural development and rural poverty reduction. As indicated before, however, most of this is tacit and needs to be systematized to ensure its availability to all as a public good. The Fund is more aware than ever before of the importance of enhanced knowledge management for development effectiveness. Staff awareness of this is now reinforced by strong senior management commitment and leadership buy-in. Numerous partnerships with acknowledged knowledge centres have been established. Among these are several of the agricultural research centres within the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) system (such as the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas, the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, and the Africa Rice Center), and others (such as the Consultative Group to Assist the Poor, the French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development, the Institute of Development Studies, the International Development and Research Centre, and the United Nations Capital Development Fund). For the most part, however, these partnerships have thus far been on a short-term, single-project basis. The challenge here will be to expand some of the existing relationships into ones that are strategically and systemically aimed at learning and sharing. IFAD has committed resources over many years in support of research on rural development (research-for-development grants), regional knowledge networks and specialized knowledge events. To date, these have been essentially one-off operations without horizontal linkages, but they furnish valuable foundations on which to build. IFAD s Information Resource Centre holds IFAD s institutional memory through its archival and records management role. To achieve full potential, however, IFAD needs to ensure that information is properly stored and easily retrieved for knowledge management purposes. Information technology platforms including Internet, Intranet, the recently launched Rural Poverty Portal, corporate Web-enabled workspaces and shared 14
16 drives have been improving steadily, but require more strategic alignment to the full range of IFAD operational activities. A range of knowledge-based instruments that IFAD has developed and enhanced in recent years such as the results-based country strategic opportunities programme (COSOP), the reports of implementation support missions, mid-term reviews, monitoring and evaluation (M&E) and project completion reports all furnish valuable platforms for systemic learning and sharing. However, these remain somewhat fragmented; the challenge of a knowledge management strategy is to achieve connectivity among them. Independent evaluation, including the annual report on the results and impact of IFAD operations, is a key instrument for distilling and institutionalizing some of the lessons learned while providing for accountability. A major challenge for independent evaluation is to find the right balance between the accountability/control and the learning functions. Knowledge events and research publications. IFAD regularly organizes informal and formal meetings around agricultural and rural development issues, with contributions from high-profile scholars and visitors from peer organizations. It also produces publications to share knowledge and research findings, some of which have been widely disseminated and recognized across the development community. These offer important potential, but need to be systematized within a broader framework of institutional knowledge management. At the policy level, there are an increasing number of corporate policies to guide IFAD Management and staff. Two processes contribute to distilling tacit and explicit knowledge into policies: (i) the IFAD Policy Forum, which furnishes discussion space and can act as a key link between knowledge held by staff and IFAD policy development; and (ii) IFAD policy reference groups (cross-departmental groups to address policy issues). At the operational level in IFAD headquarters, there are four main knowledge management mechanisms: - Learning Notes This is a relatively recent and promising initiative to provide concise guidance on the design and implementation of investments in rural development. - Project development teams This is a peer review and knowledge-sharing mechanism to improve project development and, increasingly, project implementation. The effectiveness of these teams has been constrained by limited interaction to date with fieldlevel partners. - Thematic groups To date, groups have been formed on gender, natural resource management and rural finance. These have functioned sporadically and inadequately, but they have considerable potential for enhancing knowledge-sharing and integration within IFAD. To do so, they will need to be planned strategically and scaled up to thematic networks. - Portfolio reviews These reviews monitor and self-assess loan and grant portfolios for impact, lessons learned and quality assurance. The grant portfolio review component has not as yet been addressed adequately. At the decentralized (regional, country and field) level, initiatives to stimulate knowledge-sharing and learning include the following: - A number of important regional networks 7 provide services to share ideas, issues and experience, and improve communication among projects, as well as between IFAD headquarters and other regionally based partner organizations. These networks need to be further strengthened and focused on delivering effective knowledge-sharing services to a larger number of projects and partners, and on fostering learning initiatives (at local or country level) among the partners. 7 For example, FIDAMERICA in the Latin America and the Caribbean region, FIDAFRIQUE in the Western and Central Africa region, the Knowledge Networking for Rural Development in Asia/Pacific Region (ENRAP), and the Knowledge Access in Rural Interconnected Areas Network (KariaNet) in the Near East and North Africa region. 15
17 - The Project Development and Implementation Partnership is a mechanism for field-level stakeholders (including community and farmers organizations) to discuss key local development issues, exchange experience, steer projects, review lessons learned and guide IFAD country programmes. A variant on this is the Linking Local Learners initiative, which aims to facilitate local learning for small farmers. - The Learning Routes Training Programme is a programme with rural associations and peasant organizations in Latin America that aims to share and enhance knowledge accumulated in the implementation of rural development projects. Resources for knowledge management. The following instruments are used to finance activities and processes related to knowledge management: administrative budget; Programme Development Financing Facility (PDFF); and loans, grants and supplementary funds, or a combination of these. The majority of corporate-level activities and processes are financed under the administrative budget or supplementary funds, while activities at the decentralized level (country and regional) are funded by a combination of PDFF, loans, grants and supplementary funds. The resources are distributed among many partners (governments, field partners, grant beneficiary partners and IFAD units) and are not harnessed within one coherent planning, management and results framework. The grant programme is the major source of funding for decentralized knowledge management, including the setting up and running of key knowledge management assets such as the regional networks. The alignment, allocation and management of these resources are constrained by the same factors as the research-for-development programme. On the one hand, they are insufficiently focused on strategic priority knowledge areas, and, on the other, they are allocated on a short-term basis through a project approach. As a result, resources are distributed thinly to finance fragmented ventures without allowing for long-term and sustainable partnerships. 16
18 Moving forward: A framework for IFAD knowledge management It is clear from the foregoing that IFAD must improve its capabilities for learning and sharing knowledge in order to achieve its larger goal of development effectiveness. An enabling framework or strategy is essential to guide such improvements, but it is also clear that IFAD has many valuable assets on which its strategy can and should be based. It is also clear from IFAD s own experiences and those of others that the key to success in knowledge management is to ensure that all aspects of it are built on and tightly embedded in an organization s work processes and products. A further lesson that can be drawn from experiences elsewhere is that it is far too easy for institutions to get knowledge management wrong. The World Bank s experience illustrates the pitfalls that exist and the difficulty and complexity of knowledge management for development. For an organization such as IFAD, this suggests a strategy based on pragmatism and on selective and sequential steps. The framework that follows has been constructed on this basis. It aims to facilitate progress in knowledge-sharing and learning, both within IFAD and with its partners, via pragmatic (i.e. rooted firmly in IFAD assets), focused, selective and incremental measures. To do so, the framework: locates measures within thematic areas derived from the IFAD Strategic Framework , with a major focus at the country-programme level; focuses on the fundamental changes required to create a more conducive environment; selects a limited number of knowledge themes that build on the most robust existing assets and processes; seeks to ensure cost-effectiveness by harnessing resources and efforts and integrating them into a coherent results framework; and encourages regular monitoring and feedback mechanisms as the process evolves. These strategic components are presented in the following four broad headings: (i) strengthening knowledge-sharing and learning processes; (ii) equipping IFAD with a more supportive knowledge-sharing and learning infrastructure; (iii) fostering partnerships for broader knowledge-sharing and learning; and (iv) promoting a supportive knowledge-sharing and learning culture. It must be admitted that these headings are somewhat arbitrary and that the categories are interdependent and the boundaries between them permeable. Nevertheless, they provide an organizational basis for the presentation of a complex set of factors and planned measures. Strengthening knowledgesharing and learning processes Within the country programme cycle At the country level, three major processes will be strengthened or scaled up to improve impact through knowledge-sharing and learning: (i) the project cycle will be retooled to integrate knowledge management throughout; (ii) a knowledge-based policy development process will be tested; and (iii) specific local learning activities will be scaled up. Within the country programme, articulated through results-based COSOPs, better knowledge management should help improve country programmes by delivering better country programme design, better project design and better implementation support three key performance indicators in support of development effectiveness targets. Innovation, learning and scaling up together 5 17
19 form one of IFAD s six principles of engagement, which apply to all IFAD s country programmes: knowledge management is central to this agenda. In this respect, the COSOP articulates IFAD s knowledge management strategy relative to country-level objectives, and provides a platform to ensure that knowledge is fed back into corporatelevel knowledge management processes. Above all, it will ensure that local knowledge and experience are effectively mobilized in IFAD s country-level policy dialogue, programme implementation and programme development work. Learning and knowledgesharing will be improved by mainstreaming knowledge management at the country level using the revised framework for results-based COSOPs. Reporting on knowledge management activities will be part of the COSOP review exercise. The other programme cycle activities will be retooled to provide for learning and knowledge-sharing within the project, the country and beyond. Through M&E and supervision, implementation support and mid-term reviews, the lessons learned at the local and programme level will be directly used to improve the effectiveness of the country programme and further distilled and fed into the regional and thematic networks and the Rural Poverty Portal. Systematic dissemination of IFAD s Guide for Project M&E, together with stronger support through regional grant programmes for example, the Programme for Strengthening the Regional Capacity for Monitoring and Evaluation of Rural Poverty Alleviation Projects in Latin America and the Caribbean; the Regional Programme for Strengthening Management for Impact in Eastern and Southern Africa; and the Programme to Support IFAD-funded Projects Monitoring and Evaluation Systems in Western and Central Africa will further strengthen M&E as a learning tool. In implementing the new supervision policy, IFAD will take specific measures to draw the lessons learned from supervision missions and codify them in their reports. This will also provide the basis for stimulating, replicating and scaling up innovation through learning and knowledgesharing. Conversely, the country teams and the design and implementation support missions will make use of Learning Notes and the other knowledge available through the regional and thematic networks to design and implement the country programme along industry and IFAD s best practice. Agreements with cooperating institutions will be revisited to include specific knowledge management requirements. Project completion reports will focus on distilling the major lessons learned, and on the steps taken to mainstream these lessons. The knowledge gained from the various regional and thematic networks will be distilled in Learning Notes to be codified as best practice. These will be dynamic documents enriched by real-time examples and continuously updated using clear quality standards. Learning Notes will be shared extensively through the regional and thematic learning networks and the Rural Poverty Portal. They will be systematically provided to consultants, cooperating institutions and partners engaged in programme design, supervision or policy dialogue. Strong policy development and policy dialogue processes in the agricultural and rural development sector will be developed based on lessons learned from field experience especially from IFAD s country programmes and on sound research on agricultural or rural development issues. These processes will be developed selectively and sequentially in approximately ten countries distributed among five regions, and where there are opportunities for policy and institutional change, including through the poverty reduction strategy programme. One example is the systematization of microfinance good practice in preparing the Ghana microfinance policy under the Rural Financial Services Project cofinanced by the Government of Ghana, IFAD, the International Development Association and the African Development Bank. Processes will comprise 18
20 research, workshops, field visits and study tours, and will include political leaders, policy analysts and decision-makers, stakeholder organizations (for example, farmers organizations, microfinance institutions), researchers, consultants, the private sector and other donor agencies. Valuing local knowledge and scaling up local innovations will be carried out in approximately ten countries, distributed among five regions, where innovative mechanisms have already been developed. Examples are local innovation in the Niger, marketing in the United Republic of Tanzania and ethno-botanical knowledge in the Philippines (see appendix II for a brief account of these). Products aimed at valuing, protecting and sharing local knowledge while stimulating local innovation in areas such as natural and genetic resources, natural resource management, small-scale rural businesses and smallholder agriculture have a high potential in terms of impact. They can become a distinctive product line for IFAD provided the relevant segment of knowledge management is given due consideration and equipped with sufficient resources especially grants. The learning process will include all stakeholders: IFAD and the country programme teams; farmers and community organizations; indigenous peoples organizations; civil society organizations; and the private sector. Building on these experiences and learning from them, and working with relevant thematic networks (such as the one on indigenous peoples), IFAD can develop other, similar knowledge products in various development areas. Regional networks At the regional level, IFAD intends to invest in learning from the experience of existing grantfinanced regional networks by selecting two of these FIDAMERICA in the Latin America and the Caribbean region, and FIDAFRIQUE in the Western and Central Africa region for scaling up and further development. The goal will be to harvest, distil and share regional knowledge, including knowledge related to programmes (for example, strategies/approaches, research and development programmes). The networks will provide a foundation for learning, for the measurement and evaluation of the knowledge value and potential of the networks, and for informed judgements on future replications. Linkages with the thematic networks will be strengthened. These regional networks will continue to be financed by grant resources but in a more continuous way to provide for sustainability of services. The Rural Poverty Portal will serve these networks and the links among them. Thematic networks 8 At the headquarters level, building on the existing thematic groups, IFAD will initially develop two thematic networks, choosing from among the themes of gender, rural finance, natural resources management and indigenous peoples. The networks will serve as laboratories for systematic learning by IFAD on the linking of knowledge development at the local, regional and corporate levels with IFAD s policy. They should better position IFAD to distil knowledge and experience through such processes as best-practice reviews and the IFAD Policy Forum, and share knowledge through Learning Notes and informal knowledge-sharing for use in policy dialogue, programme development and implementation activities. The thematic networks will expand the membership of the thematic groups to relevant staff and to external partners. Facilitation of these networks will be financed by grant resources. IFAD will learn from the experience gained in running these two thematic networks before deciding whether or not to build additional thematic networks. Learning events and publications Building on existing events, such as policy seminars, round-table conferences during the Governing Council, the Farmers Forum and the many other intermittent and informal seminars and workshops, IFAD will launch a cycle of seminars in order to provide 8 Also called communities of practice. 19
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28 January, 2016; Minister of Foreign Affairs H.E. Ms Dunya Maumoon has called on H.E. Mr. Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, Prime Minister of Pakistan.
During the Call, held at noon today at the Prime Minister's Secretariat, Minister Dunya conveyed warm greetings from President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom, to the Prime Minister. Minister also thanked the Prime Minister for the warm welcome extended by the Government of Pakistan and expressed hope to receive the Prime Minister in the Maldives, at a mutually convenient date.
During the call PM of Pakistan noted that the Maldives has a special identity of its own and welcomed the positive changes in the country. PM also reflected on his personal ties with the leadership since the 80s and 90s.
Minister Dunya hand-delivered a letter from President Yameen and expressed appreciation to the Government of Pakistan, for its continued support to the Maldives. Prime Minister reiterated assurance of Pakistan's support to the Maldives.
Minister Dunya was accompanied by H. E. Mr. Ahmed Saleem, High Commissioner of Maldives in Pakistan, Ms. Farzana Zahir, Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

subset: commoncrawl


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Shop and browse the best Climbing Gear brands. Black Diamond Climbing, Petzl, Metolius, Trango and more. Climb High has all the climbing gear you need to stay racked up! Shop for ropes, climbing harnesses, carabiners, climbing shoes, we have it all! Have fun and stay safe out there!
Black Diamond: Axis 33 Backpack
Regular Price: $169.95
Special Price: $118.97The Black Diamond Axis 33 is built to handle it all, from clipping in Catalunya, alpine summits above Zermatt and splitter cracks in the Utah desert—life as a climber can cover a lot of ground. Designed with the same versatile, guide-style platform as the Epic packs with a zippered top opening in place of a lid, the Axis features the ergoACTIV suspension system to move with you whether you're approaching the crag or carrying the pack on route. Learn More
Black Diamond: Epic 45 Pack - New
Regular Price: $189.95
Special Price: $132.97Black Diamond Epic 45 Pack is a climbing pack to do it all, the Black Diamond Epic 45 is a versatile pack built to handle the full 365 days of sunny rock routes, frigid icefalls and foreboding alpine faces. This guide-style, top-loading pack employs our ergoACTIV suspension system, which uses an active, pivoting hipbelt for dynamic, responsive movement over variable terrain. Ice-tool PickPockets™ and ladder-lock crampon straps secure your technical gear on the approach and the descent. Learn More
Hansen Rope Bag$13.99One of the most functional rappel rope bags ever, the Hansen rope bag was designed by technical guru, Doug Hansen. Designed specifically for the needs of Search and Rescue teams, cavers, or any situation where rope management is vital. Holds up to 60m of 11mm rope. Features webbing shoulder straps, haul loop, and internal tie-in loop. Learn More


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35' Sea Ray Express Cruiser 1991 Yacht for Sale
Yacht Broker Name:
Michael Lesko
Broker Phone Number:
Sea Ray Information:
- 35 Sea Ray 1991
- Vessel Name: Madness
- Vessel Length: 35 feet
- Vessel Builder: Sea Ray
- Vessel Model:
- Vessel Year: 1991
- Vessel Type: Express Cruiser
- Vessel Price: $ Contact for Price
- Vessel Location: Ruskin, FL
- For additional details please scroll down
Get More Info:
35 Sea Ray 1991 Details:
Owner says to present all offers, this 350/370 Sundancer shines like a new boat. Pride of ownership shows in every area, including a brand new 8KW Westerbeke. Don't delay call today and go cruising this summer.
Other interesting yachts for sale


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I don't know about you but I'm still learning how to apply makeup. I try new techniques and products all the time and I've been trying to master the contour so when I saw the Tarte Sculptor I had to try it out and I am loving it! I've been contouring with a bronzer and brush but had never tried anything like this stick. Contouring always looks easier than it really is so if you are not an advanced makeup artist, I think this is the stick for us! I highly recommend to get the brush too so you can blend well.
I love before and afters of contouring and contouring tutorials. I am always pinning them on my pinterest board.
3 comments
I'm so jealous! This looks too good to not try but can't probably get it that perfect...ReplyDelete
have you tried Vain Pursuits? My friends are all talking about it and I'd love to hear your opinion!
Haha seriously, contouring changed my life!ReplyDelete
xx Alyson
The Beauty Vanity
I haven't tried this but I'm looking to start learning how to use make-up so I look older in professional settings. Good luck on your adventure!ReplyDelete
Vessi :: arts & petite style blog


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Get the young ones behind the AFL Women's League with this Melbourne Demons Kids' Guernsey, a retail replica worn throughout the 2017 AFLW season. Showcasing the Melbourne Demons colours proudly throughout this design with chest sponsorship prints. This Guernsey holds a lightweight polyester/ elastane blend providing a slim fit, with the upper panelling in a sports mesh for improved ventilation. The Melbourne Demons AFL Women's Guernsey has a durable construction with reinforced collar and trims allowing you to play harder.
The fresh design of the Melbourne Demons Guernsey is inspired by the clubs true colours, but adds more of the devilish red to the back of the body. Finishing off the design bringing an authentic feel sits a jock tag on the right hip, listing the establishment year and AFLW logo next to the teams.


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Senior SQL DBA
Our client is a leading provider of innovative and cutting edge solutions to the health care sector. They now require a Senior Database Administrator to join their team. Responsibilities of the Senior SQL DBA: Provide excellent technical expertise on all database related activity. Working as a focal point for 3rd line support issues, database optimisation,and mentoring of junior colleagues. Plan, enhance and deploy clinical applications. Ensure databases are designed, developed and tested in accordance with best practice. Hands on approach focusing on the deployment, support and administration of production databases. Identify areas of improvement for production functionality, performance and monitoring. Work closely with Product Management assisting with ideas for product improvement. Provide out of hours technical support. Escalate issues, when appropriate, to the Operations Director. Skills and Experience for the Senior Database Administrator: Excellent experience as acting as a DBA. In depth knowledge of relational database design, development, testing, deployment and administration. Experience administering large, high availability, transnational databases including performance tuning, back up/restore and disaster recovery. Excellent experience of SQL Server 2008 or later. Strong understanding of T-SQL. Experience must include: creating/maintaining/tuning stored procedures, scripts and functions) Experience of manipulation, transformation and exploration of large multi-dimensional database. Good all round knowledge of Data Warehouse development. Knowledge of SSIS packages and SSRS reports. Experience of .Net framework and ideally C# development. The Senior DBA position is based in Milton Keynes. The Senior Database Administrator will pay a salary in the region of £47,000 depending on experience. For further information on this opportunity, contact the team at Lewis Paige on 44 (0)20 7871 9909 or visit our website at www.lewispaige.com Calls may be recorded for training and monitoring purposes. This job was originally posted as www.cwjobs.co.uk/job/66885494


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A Circular Problem in Current Information Security PrinciplesSecurity
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Sunderland have turned to Manchester City's former director of football as they attempt to bring an end to their on-field struggles.
Wilson, who spent 10 years at City after a four-year stint at Southampton, will work alongside Moyes and chief executive Martin Bain as the club's new chief football officer, with the Black Cats looking to improve performance across the board.
Wilson said:"I am excited by the opportunity to join a club that is embarking on a journey of development and improvement.
"My role will be to ensure that we have the best practices, systems and people in place in order to give the club the best platform to achieve its goals.
"There is a great team of people at the club and I want to galvanise the good work that I know is already being done in order to ensure that we are doing everything we can to support the manager and chief executive in their aim of building a better football club."


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NBA Live 2003 Xbox
- Publisher: Electronic Arts
- Release Date: Oct 8, 2002
- Also On: PC, PlayStation 2
- Critic score
- Publication
- By date
The emphasis in this game is on scoring and creating spectacular plays, a job that once belonged to the NBA Jam/Showtime series. People enjoyed watching Live 2003 as much as they enjoyed playing it.
Focuses on the up-tempo aspects of the sport of basketball as opposed to the half-court set, and the result is plenty of fast breaks, quick passes, and few shot clock violations.
A variety of gameplay issues end up overshadowing the majority of improvements.
Is it better than NBA 2K3? Well, no, not really, though some of you will find the faster-paced gameplay to be more enticing, and even doubters should check it out for the Freestyle control alone.
Sim fans will be disappointed with the under-powered defense, but for twitch players, NBA Live 2003 is a dream come true.
With improved graphics, better animations, and a control system that, like their commercials say, allows players to fully express themselves anyway they want, Live 2003 is unbelievably solid.
Official Xbox MagazineQuite simply the best two-player basketball game ever made. [Dec 2002, p.108]
Play MagazineDebuting in this '03 renewal is the EA Sports "freestyle" control. Wihout question, it WILL change the way you play basketball games...forever. [Nov 2002, p.88]
Electronic Gaming MonthlyI still wholly recommend "NBA 2K3," but Live looks like it's back on the upswing. [Dec 2002, p.258]
With the solid on-court graphical presentation, fast-paced gameplay and variety of game modes, many may actually see it on even par with "NBA 2K3."
If you're looking for a realistic and fun basketball game, then NBA Live 2003 will not disappoint.
EA went with the idea that if they put in the freestyling option, everyone would love the game this may set the game alight, but by no means does it make the game stand out from the crowd there just isnt enough quality in the rest of the game.
Its hard to diss a game that looks so realistic (Iversons still rocking rows), but theres just something wrong when the only way to stop anyone from driving to the bucket is by taking away their keys to the stadium.
Xbox Nation MagazineIf up-tempo action and innovative control are more important to you than realism and online play, this may be your b-ball baby in 2003. [Winter 2002, p.99]
The Gameplay reminded me more of a charity All-Star game than an actual NBA game.
A huge improvement from NBA Live 2002, bringing back the enjoyment that had been missing before. Obviously the FreeStyle Control has a huge role in this revival.
Awards & Rankings
#83 Most Discussed Xbox Game of 2002
User Score
Generally favorable reviews- based on 6 Ratings
User score distribution:
Positive: 4 out of 4
Mixed: 0 out of 4
Negative: 0 out of 4
SamJ.Feb 25, 2003THE GREATEST GAME EVER PLAYED!!!!!
JessicaM.Dec 11, 2002Wow this is a great game.
ChadS.Dec 4, 2002I think is just about the same as NBA2K3 only for the free style. that made everything jump up a lil on the scale.


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Category:SA NC Doing Investigations/Templates
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Phi Psi Black Full-zip Hoodie with Sewn On Letters
As low as $48.95! See quantity discounts below.
You can't beat the versatility of a full zip hoodie. What's even better is this one shouts Phi Kappa Psi front and back. Sewn on letters back design and embroidered left chest. Cotton/poly blend, runs true to size.
Below are the available bulk discount rates for each individual item when you purchase a certain amount
- Buy 4 - 9 and get $3.00 off
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- Buy 20 or above and get $9.00 off


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Sandy Weber
Best Ever Sleepover!
Never have a dull sleepover party again with help from this idea-filled DVD. You and your best pals can join Lauren, Jessica, Zoe, Alex and Dana as they giggle through a super-fun night of games and activities. Watch as the girls play Truth or Dare, put on a fashion show in their pajamas, pamper themselves with facials and much more. They also have fun making healthy midnight snacks and playing a joke on Jessica's pesky little brother.


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If an item you ordered from TextbookRush does not meet your expectations due to an error on our part, simply fill out a return request and then return it by mail within 30 days of ordering it for a full refund of item cost.
Learn more about our returns policy
Description: As historian Miguel Antonio Levario explains in this timely book, current tensions and controversy over immigration and law enforcement issues centered on the US-Mexico border are only the latest evidence of a long-standing atmosphere of uncertainty and mistrust plaguing this region.Militarizing the Border: When Mexicans Became the Enemy, focusing on El Paso and its environs, examines the history of the relationship among law enforcement, military, civil, and political institutions, and local communities. In the years between 1895 and 1940, West Texas experienced intense militarization efforts by local, state, and federal authorities responding to both local and international circumstances. El Paso's "Mexicanization" in the early decades of the twentieth century contributed to strong racial tensions between the region's Anglo population and newly arrived Mexicans. Anglos and Mexicans alike turned to violence in order to deal with a racial situation rapidly spinning out of control.Highlighting a binational focus that sheds light on other US-Mexico border zones in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries,Militarizing the Borderestablishes historical precedent for current border issues such as undocumented immigration, violence, and racial antagonism on both sides of the boundary line. This important evaluation of early US border militarization and its effect on racial and social relations among Anglos, Mexicans, and Mexican Americans will afford scholars, policymakers, and community leaders a better understanding of current policy . . . and its potential failure.
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All the information you need in one place! Each Study Brief is a summary of one specific subject; facts, figures, and explanations to help you learn faster.
List price: $38.95Copyright year: 2012Publisher: Texas A&M University PressPublication date: 9/1/2012Binding: HardcoverPages: 256Size: 6.00" wide x 9.25" long x 0.75" tall Weight: 1.320Language: English
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All quotes tagged Hour
(1592 quotes found)
"Spending an evening on the World Wide Web is much like sitting down to a dinner of Cheetos, two hours later your fingers are yellow and you're no longer hungry, but you haven't been nourished."
"I can not understand why ministers presume to deliver sermons every week at appointed hours because it is humanly impossible for inspirations to come with clock-like regularity"
"Here is a mental treatment guaranteed to cure every ill that flesh is heir to: sit for half an hour every night and mentally forgive everyone against whom you have any ill will or antipathy"
"A lost but happy dream may shed its light upon our waking hours, and the whole day may be infected with the gloom of a dreary or sorrowful one; yet of neither may we be able to recover a trace"
"We cannot be kind to each other here for even an hour. We whisper, and hint, and chuckle and grin at our brother's shame; however you take it we men are a little breed."
"Beauty's a doubtful good, a glass, a flower, Lost, faded, broken, dead within an hour; And beauty, blemish'd once, for ever's lost, In spite of physic, painting, pain, and cost"
"My arms have mutinied against me — brutes!
My fingers fidget like ten idle brats,
My back's been stiff for hours, damned hours.
Death never gives his squad a Stand-at-ease."


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Just hours before he is scheduled to speak at the group's annual conference in New York City, President Obama has named an NAACP lawyer to head the Equal Opportunity Employment Commission.
Obama has chosen Jacqueline Berrien, a lawyer with the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund.
He said Berrien "has spent her entire career fighting to give voice to underrepresented communities and to protect our most basic rights."
A Harvard Law School graduate, Berrien also has worked at the Ford Foundation's Peace and Social Justice Program and the American Civil Liberties Union. She has taught courses at Harvard, New York Law School and Fordham University's School of Law.
She began her career as a clerk for U.W. Clemon, the first African American appointed to the U.S. District Court in Birmingam, Ala.
(Posted by Mimi Hall)
David's journalism career spans three decades, including coverage of five presidential elections, the Oklahoma City bombing, the 2000 Florida presidential recount and the 9/11 terrorist attacks. He has covered the White House for USA TODAY since 2005. His interests include history, politics, books, movies and college football -- not necessarily in that order. More about David
Follow the Oval on Twitter: @The Oval, @djusatoday.
Also contributing to the Oval: Richard Wolf @richardjwolf; Aamer Madhani @AamerISmad


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This talisman features a trio of stars for truth, clarity, and guidance surrounding a crescent moon, for new beginnings.
Swap a classic chain for a Charm Holder Necklace and build a personalized charm stack with any Signature Talisman or charms of your choice.
Collections: Celestial, Charm Holder Necklaces, Charm Holders, Personal Growth
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Read more.
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Latest News
|Blackjack Tips for Beginners
|Friday, 16 November 2007
The game of blackjack favors the dealer; if both you and the dealer bust (i.e., exceed 21), you lose. Still many people win money at the 21 tables, and there are as many experts on the subject as there are people willing to listen to them. If you want to prolong your ride at the table, the following elementary rules may prove useful.
1. Find a table whose minimum is no more than 5% of you total stash. In picking a table, consider rule variations that help the player like the option of doubling down on any two cards, or the dealer having to stand on soft 17. Even if you don't completely understand them, these rule variations can work to your advantage.
2. Start with the basics: Since the dealer has to hit (take a card) on any hand 16 or lower, you'll never win with less than 17 unless the dealer busts. Take a hit on any hand below 17 when the dealer shows ace, K, Q, J, 10, 9, or 8, cards that are unlikely to make the dealer bust. Stand on any hand above 11 when the dealer shows a 4,5, or 6, cards that will lead then dealer to bust more than 40% of the time.
3. "Doubling down" involves doubling your bet and receiving one additional card when your suspect strongly that you will beat the dealer by doing so. This is the player's chief advantage, so don't ignore this option. Doubling with 10 against a 9 or lower and with any hand of 11. Rules permitting, double with 9, or with "soft" hands (hands that count an ace as 11) of 13-17 against a 4, 5, or 6.
4. If you are dealt two cards of the same value, you may "split" them, doubling your bet and playing two hands. Never split 10's or 5's. Always split 8's or 7's against a dealer's card of equal or lower value. Always split 2's or 3's against a 4, 5, or 6. Always split aces. Never split face cards, 10's, or 5's.
5. Tip (or "toke") the dealer. Unless you're winning serious stakes, a dollar chip every twenty or so hands is generally appropriate. If you want to make sure the dealer has your best interests at heart, place the tip right in front of your wagering circle, essentially turning it into a side bet on your hand. If you win, the dealer's tip doubles.
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My Nonprofit Reviews
Review for LitWorld, New York, NY, USA
I interned with this organization this summer and had an excellent experience. The LitWorld staff is organized, passionate, thoughtful, and dedicated to doing good domestically and internationally. Each individual has clearly internalized the mission to advocate for literacy as a human right. I was astounded by how collaborative the organization is; staff were constantly meeting with potential collaborators and fostering partnerships to achieve common goals.
As a camp counselor for LitWorld's Harlem Litcamp, I witnessed first-hand how the programming provided at no cost to the attendees brought learning, joy, and personal growth. As an intern, I felt quickly and deeply absorbed into the LitWorld culture. My time was not spent running errands, nor was I excluded during board meetings. I was assigned meaningful tasks and my input was valued. The staff worked hard in thoughtfully planning the internship, as they do for all of their programming, to ensure an excellent experience
More Feedback
If I had to make changes to this organization, I would...
upgrade them to a larger office. However, they are indeed moving to a bigger office in mid August.
Would you volunteer for this group again?
For the time you spent, how much of an impact did you feel your work or activity had?
Did the organization use your time wisely?
Very Well
Would you recommend this group to a friend?
When was your last experience with this nonprofit?


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Warm casseroles are the epitome of comfort food. We gave shepherd's pie—usually made with lamb and potatoes—a facelift.
Our healthy Mini Shepherd's Pies [7] recipe uses lean beef and creamy squash to cut fat and calories and boost vitamins and nutrients. We also added sautéed spinach for extra iron, calcium and folate. And another twist: these are individually portioned little pies (which helps keep the cooking time short).
If you love the idea of individual portions, or if you just need a little help with portion control, try some of these recipes that are also baked in just the right size: Mini Chile Relleno Casseroles [8], Muffin Tin Crab Cakes [9] or Turkey Mini Meatloaves [10]. For help with portion control, check out our portion control video of helpful tricks for estimating portion sizes.
Who knew comfort food could be so healthy? For other cozy and healthy recipes, visit our comfort food collection. And if you're a huge shepherd's pie lover and ready for more after trying this one, take a look at this delicious Turkey and Leek Shepherd's Pie. [11]
[1] http://www.eatingwell.com/user?destination=print/1848
[2] http://www.eatingwell.com/print/1848
[3] http://www.addtoany.com/share_save?linkurl=healthy_cooking/quick_healthy_cooking/quick_healthy_casseroles&linkname=Quick, Healthy Casseroles
[4] http://bed56888308e93972c04-0dfc23b7b97881dee012a129d9518bae.r34.cf1.rackcdn.com/sites/default/files/mini_sheperds_pie.JPG
[5] http://www.eatingwell.com/healthy_cooking/quick_healthy_cooking/quick_healthy_casseroles
[6] http://www.eatingwell.com/healthy_cooking/quick_healthy_cooking/quick_healthy_casseroles?section=comments#tabs
[7] http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/mini_shepherds_pies.html
[8] http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/mini_chile_relleno_casseroles.html
[9] http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/muffin_tin_crab_cakes.html
[10] http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/turkey_mini_meatloaves.html
[11] http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/turkey_leek_shepherds_pie.html
[12] http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes_menus/collections/healthy_casserole_recipes
[13] http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes_menus/collections/healthy_comfort_food_recipes