The views expressed in this presentation are the views of the author/s and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Asian Development Bank, or its Board of Governors, or the governments they represent. ADB does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this presentation and accepts no responsibility for any consequence of their use. The countries listed in this presentation do not imply any view on ADB's part as to sovereignty or independent status or necessarily conform to ADB's terminology.

The views expressed in this presentation are the views of the author/s and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Asian Development Bank, or its Board of Governors, or the governments they represent. ADB does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this presentation and accepts no responsibility for any consequence of their use. The countries listed in this presentation do not imply any view on ADB's part as to sovereignty or independent status or necessarily conform to ADB's terminology.

Learning for Peace

Olivier Serrat2011

On Fragile States and Situations

DFID and OECD define fragile states by their (in)ability to provide basic services to the poor as a result of lack of political will or weak capacity, or both.CIDA, UNDP, and USAID define fragile states by the extent to which they are (un)able to provide basic functions for poverty reduction and development, including territorial authority and political legitimacy.The World Bank defines fragile situations in terms of a debilitating combination of weak governance, weak policies, and weak institutions.To ADB, states are fragile when their structures lack the political will and/or capacity to provide the basic functions needed for poverty reduction, development, and to safeguard the security and human rights of populations.

The Challenge of Peace-Building

Peace-builders work in

highly-charged crisis

settings that require both immediate action and long-term efforts to

produce change in root causes.

Deep-seated conflicts can

suddenly spiral into unexpected violence, destroying months or years of

peace-building work.

Peace is the outcome of a harmonious

convergence of activities and

actors in different

spheres and at different levels. It hinges on

relationships and trust.

Peace- and State-Building

Peace-building agendas focus on peace processes. They give incentives to protagonists to commit to agreements that build processes for political, social, and economic transition.State-building agendas focus on the nature and quality of the political processes through which state-society and power relations are negotiated. They reflect the need for a stable, legitimate, and effective state that offers basic services, security, access to justice, and the foundation for socioeconomic development.

• are acceptable to a majority of actors; and• can generate a legitimate political center.

Both peace-builders and state-builders aim to establish and/or strengthen institutions and arrangements that

The Contribution of State-Building

Approaches to Peace-Building

In fragile settings, national reconciliation through a peace process must be accompanies by the construction of• a state that is perceived as legitimate against a backdrop of mistrust, resentment, and/or antagonism;

• institutions that serve the public good rather than the interests of the powerful; and

• mutually reinforcing linkages between state and society that sustain an effective and resilient public sphere.

State-building and peace-building approaches share complementarities in terms of forging more peaceful, inclusive, representative, effective, and legitimate states and societies.

The Dimensions of Conflict

Personal Dimensions

Conflict changes individuals, personally,

emotionally, and spiritually.

Relational Dimensions

When conflict escalates,

communication patterns change, stereotypes are

created, polarization

increases, and trust decreases.Structural

DimensionsConflict impacts

systems and structures—how relationships are organized and who has

access to power—among families, communities,

entire societies, and

their institutions.

Cultural Dimensions

Violent conflict causes deep-

seated cultural changes, for

example in the norms that guide

interactions among the young and the elderly,

or men and women.

The Dimensions of Conflict

Personal DimensionsAttitudinal

changesBehavioral changes

Relational Dimensions

CommunicationsDecision making

CooperationConflict-handling mechanisms

Structural Dimensions

Social conditionsProcedural patterns

Cultural Dimensions

Cultural changesCultural

resources and patterns

Programs and activities

The Steel Fulcrum

Public debate over governance grows out of concern over the principles by which an economy ought to be governed. British artist Max Couper created a massive installation on the subject of balance that he displayed in Dusseldorf in 1997 and at the European Parliament in Brussels in 1998. The installation involved a 30 ton London barge on a steel fulcrum, sprung at each end and pivoted by the body weight of the public. The artwork can be seen as a simple metaphor of society as a room in which we are all together, a society whose equilibrium and future direction is determined by the way in which we decide to walk together.Source: Summarized from Peter Schwartz and Blair Gibb. 1999. When Good Companies Do Bad Things. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Reflective Peace-Building

for Learning• how things work; and• how particular actions or processes engenderconsequences in environments of conflict and changes.

A theory is an assumption about how something works. In the peace-building context, demystifying social change theory means making explicit underlying assumptions aboutPeace-building opens opportunities for learning. Continuous learning requires that peace-builders be curious.To test theory one must be annoyingly inquisitive, descriptive, comparative, predictive, systemic, and wide.To remystify practice one must watch out for the unexpected, hold discussions with different people, keep asking why, listen to "because", and embrace failure.

Working in Teams

As a Community

AskI ask questions. Inquiring minds

are welcome here.

We check first to see what

already exists.

We question accepted wisdom.

Every Single One of Us

ShareI share personal details,

roles, and skills.

We share experience,

evidence, and feedback.

We share achievements, outcomes, and

pride.

LearnI

contextualize learning to

make it real.

We connect and take

opportunities to learn.

We review lessons as we go and apply our learning.

Reflective Peace-Building

for Learning

Reflective Peace-Building

for LearningThe circumstances in which peace-builders operate can hinder their ability to plan, act, reflect, and apply learn.

Learning is digesting. Peace-building is greatly enhanced by reflective learning.

Reflective Peace-Building

for Learning• creative thinking and responses amongst staff and partners;

• enhanced relevance and effectiveness of projects and programs;

• projects and programs that respond to unexpected events;

• opportunities to strengthen relationships and partnerships; and

• opportunities to enhance organizational capacity and maximize limited staff and financial resources.

The benefits for peace-building of a learning approach include

The Link Between Learning

and PracticeLearning

improves

Practice

and enhancesConflict

Transformation(in the local and regional contexts)

On Data, Information,and KnowledgeData are discrete and objective facts, measurements, or observations that can be analyzed to generate information.

Information is data that have been categorized, analyzed, summarized, and placed in context in a form that has structure and meaning.Knowledge is a combination of data and information, to which is added expert opinion, skills, and experience, resulting in a valuable asset that aids decision making.Knowledge is what you learn from experience—before, during, and after the event.

Knowledge AssetsTacit Knowledge• is knowledge that people carry in their heads;

• is rooted in skills, experiences, insights, intuition, and judgment; and

• is hard to communicate but can be shared in discussions, storytelling, and personal interactions.Explicit Knowledge• is codified knowledge;• can be expressed in writing, drawings, computer programs, etc.; and

• can be transmitted in various forms.

Knowledge Assets

Explicit Knowledge = Media-based

Tacit Knowledge = In people's head

Paper-based, multimedia, digitally indexed, digitally

active, etc.

Core Knowledge ActivitiesCore knowledge

activities are identified as widely used by an organization.

• activities should be aligned or integrated into business processes; and

• activities should be balanced according to the specificities of each process and organization.

Requirements are that

A knowledge management solution should not focus only on one or two activities in isolation.

Identify

Knowledge

Create Knowled

ge

Store Knowled

ge

Share Knowled

ge

Use Knowled

ge

Knowledge Management

Knowledge management

is

• the explicit and systematic management of processes enabling vital individual and collective knowledge resources to be identified, created, stored, shared, and used for benefit;

• the fusion of information management and organizational learning; and

• providing the right knowledge to the right people at the right time, and helping them apply it in ways that improve organizational performance.

Knowledge Management Architecture

Pillar Function Typical Activity

Leadership

Drive values for knowledge

m anagem ent.

Identify knowledge critical to learning in ADB. Conduct work-centered analysis. Plan high-level strategic approach. Establish goal and prioritize objectives. Define requirem ents and develop m easurem ent program . Prom ote values and norm s. Im plem ent strategy.

Organization

Organize to support

values for knowledge

m anagem ent.

Identify critical knowledge gaps, opportunities, and risks. Develop business process m odel. Engage key audiences with incentives.

Technology

Collect and connect knowledge.

Enhance system integration and access. Deploy intelligent agents for people. Exploit sem antic technologies. Reuse existing capabilities in new ways. M onitor, m easure, and report knowledge perform ance m etrics.

Learning

Cultivate and utilize virtual team s and exchange forum s for knowledge m anagem ent.

Enliven collaboration. Facilitate com m unities of practice. Encourage storytelling. Recognize and reward knowledge sharing.

Learning

Learning is

• the acquisition of knowledge or skills through study, experience, or instruction;

• an integral part of knowledge management and its ultimate end; and

• driven by organization, people, knowledge, and technology working in harmony—urging better and faster learning and increasing the relevance of an organization.

Model of Learning Progression

Data WisdomInformation

Knowledge

Know WhyKnow HowKnow What

Reductionist

Systemic

Results-Driven Management Model

Future

State

Current

State

Hear

Understand

Support

Act

Use

Own

Strong Personal Connecti

on Intensif

ies

The Five Competencies Framework

Strategy Development—A strategy is a long-term plan of action designed to achieve a particular goal.Management Techniques—Leadership is the process of working out the right things to do. Management is the process of doing things right.Collaboration Mechanisms—When working with others, efforts sometimes turn out to be less than the sum of the parts. Too often, not enough attention is paid to facilitating effective collaborative practices.Knowledge Sharing and Learning—Two-way communications that take place simply and effectively build knowledge.Knowledge Capture and Storage—Knowledge leaks in various ways at various times.

Tools, Methods, and Approaches for Peace-

Building

External

Note:

Internal

Auditing KnowledgeBuilding a Learning OrganizationBuilding Institutional Capacity for

DevelopmentCreating and Running PartnershipsCulture TheoryDesign ThinkingEnhancing Knowledge Management

StrategiesFrom Strategy to PracticeLearning Lessons with Knowledge

Audits

Strategy DevelopmentLinking Research to PracticeMarketing in the Public SectorOutcome MappingOvercoming Roadblocks to LearningReading the FutureSeeking Feedback on Learning for

ChangeSocial Network AnalysisThe Future of Social MarketingThe Most Significant Change

TechniqueThe Sustainable Livelihoods Approach

Good Potential

Tools, Methods, and Approaches for Peace-

BuildingA Primer on Organizational CultureA Primer on Organizational LearningA Primer on Talent ManagementConducting Effective MeetingsCrafting a Knowledge Management

Results FrameworkEngaging Staff in the WorkplaceFast and Effective Change ManagementFocusing on Project MetricsForestalling Change FatigueGrowing Managers, Not BossesLeading Top Talent in the WorkplaceManaging by Walking AroundManaging Knowledge WorkersNew-Age Branding and the Public

Sector

Management TechniquesNotions of Knowledge ManagementOutput Accomplishment and the Design

and Monitoring FrameworkPicking Investments in Knowledge

ManagementSeeding Knowledge Solutions Before,

During, and AfterSparking Innovations in ManagementThe Five Whys TechniqueThe Perils of Performance MeasurementThe Reframing MatrixThe Roots of an Emerging DisciplineThe SCAMPER TechniqueUnderstanding and Developing

Emotional IntelligenceUnderstanding ComplexityValue Cycles for Development Outcomes

Tools, Methods, and Approaches for Peace-

BuildingAction LearningAppreciative InquiryA Primer on Corporate ValuesA Primer on NeuroscienceBridging Organizational SilosBuilding Communities of PracticeBuilding Trust in the WorkplaceCollaborating with WikisDistributing LeadershipDrawing Mind MapsEnriching Knowledge Management

CoordinationExercising Servant LeadershipImproving Sector and Thematic

ReportingInformal Authority in the Workplace

Collaboration MechanismsLeading in the WorkplaceLearning in Strategic AlliancesManaging Virtual TeamsSparking Social InnovationsWearing Six Thinking HatsWorking in Teams

Tools, Methods, and Approaches for Peace-

BuildingAsking Effective QuestionsBuilding Networks of PracticeCoaching and MentoringConducing Peer AssistsConducting After-Action Reviews and

RetrospectsConducting Effective PresentationsConducting Successful RetreatsDimensions of the Learning

OrganizationDisseminating Knowledge ProductsDrawing Learning ChartersE-learning and the WorkplaceEmbracing FailureEnriching Policy with ResearchHarnessing Creativity in the

Workplace

Knowledge Sharing and Learning Identifying and Sharing Good

PracticesLearning and Development for

ManagementLearning from EvaluationPosting Research OnlineSocial Media and the Public SectorStorytellingUsing Plain English

Tools, Methods, and Approaches for Peace-

BuildingAssessing the Effectiveness of

Assistance in Capacity DevelopmentConducting Exit InterviewsCritical Incident TechniqueGlossary of Knowledge ManagementHarvesting KnowledgeMonthly Progress NotesShowcasing KnowledgeStaff Profile PagesTaxonomies for DevelopmentWriting Weblogs

Knowledge Capture and Storage

• ADB. 2010. Compendium of Knowledge Solutions. Available: www.adb.org/publications/compendium-knowledge-solutions

• ADB. 2010. Learning in Development. Available: www.adb.org/publications/learning-development

• Catholic Relief Services. 2007. Reflective Peacebuilding – A Planning, Monitoring, and Learning Toolkit. Available: www.crsprogramquality.org/publications/2007/3/9/reflective-peacebuilding.html

Further Reading

Olivier SerratPrincipal Knowledge Management Specialist

Regional and Sustainable Development Department

Asian Development Bank

knowledge@adb.orgwww.adb.org/knowledge-managementwww.facebook.com/adbknowledgesolutionswww.scribd.com/knowledge_solutions

www.twitter.com/adbknowledge