Adaptation Fund Readiness Webinar to Share Best Practices on Knowledge Management Systems for Climate Adaptation

Washington, D.C. (April 24, 2019) — To support the quality of adaptation actions through effective knowledge sharing, the Adaptation Fund will host its 8^th Readiness Webinar this week, focusing on the theme of knowledge management (KM) for its 29 accredited National Implementing Entities (NIEs) around the world.

In particular, KM systems and knowledge products for adaptation will be the focus of the webinar.

The webinar will include discussions of best practices to accumulate, manage and share knowledge to advance learning in managing and implementing effective climate change adaptation projects and programmes.

Often Adaptation Fund projects are among the earliest dedicated adaptation projects in many countries. Each of the Fund’s 84 concrete adaptation projects also has a set of KM activities that help capture valuable lessons learned from the ground.

“The history of adaptation to climate change as a dedicated area of work is still fairly short, and the Adaptation Fund, with its over 10 years of experience, has been a frontrunner in compiling crucial experiences on ‘what works’ in adaptation in developing countries around the world,’ said Mikko Ollikainen, Manager of the Adaptation Fund.  

Speakers include programme managers who will share project experiences from a couple of the Fund’s NIEs through its pioneering Direct Access modality, which empowers country ownership in adaptation. Sheila McDonald, of the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ), and Violeta Leiva, of the Agency of International Cooperation of Chile (AGCID), will share practices and lessons from country-level KM systems. Both Jamaica and Chile have projects underway that are funded by the Adaptation Fund, and are making tangible impacts in helping vulnerable communities adapt to climate change.

Rita Kumar, of Bridge Consulting Group, will also discuss how to simplify  systems and knowledge products, while Cristina Dengel, the Adaptation Fund’s Knowledge Management Officer, will talk about the Fund’s growing and evolving ‘Learning and Sharing’ pillar, as well as new KM products from the Fund such as a recent publication highlighting lessons, best practices and key information and knowledge from 13 project monitoring missions.

Adaptation Fund staff will further provide an overview of the Fund’s approach to KM and the support that is available for NIEs to improve their KM practices.

“It is important to keep track of experiences gained from the projects and analyze them periodically to help understand what kinds of adaptation support are needed,” said the Adaptation Fund’s Climate Finance Readiness Programme Coordinator Farayi Madziwa, who will moderate the event. “The NIEs will be able to learn helpful information on how a good KM system can address people, process and technology to facilitate sharing knowledge.”

“A KM system can utilize different IT technologies that are the most practical for the given region,” added Cristina Dengel. “It is important that it allows the information to be easily accessible and shared both internally and externally. It should also go beyond knowledge accumulation to facilitate effective knowledge sharing among people.” 

As one of the pillars of the Adaptation Fund’s Medium-Term Strategy, ‘learning and sharing’ is a consistent and growing aspect of the Fund’s work as it cultivates and shares valuable experiences from its projects. Further, the Fund’s Board recently approved US$ 2 million in new “learning micro-grants”  and has started to receive applications.

In an effort to facilitate knowledge sharing among NIEs, the Fund also supports south-to-south cooperation, communities of practice and country exchange visits under the Fund’s Readiness Programme, with a country exchange visit scheduled next month in Chile.

“We often witness successful innovative adaptation actions on the ground, which we are also happy to share with others working on developing adaptation actions. This develops opportunities to enhance or replicate projects and multiply the impact of the Fund’s work,” said Ollikainen. “The Fund’s Results-Based Management framework also incorporates the importance of KM and encourages transformation of knowledge into action through various tools.”

Since being introduced in 2015, the Adaptation Fund’s Readiness webinars have offered NIEs the opportunity to learn from each other’s experiences by exchanging knowledge, as well as delving deeper into and engaging in timely thematic issues. They are facilitated by the Fund’s Readiness Programme for Climate Finance, which helps vulnerable countries and national institutions build readiness through technical assistance and south-south grants, as well as webinars and in-person workshops to become accredited as implementing partners of the Fund and develop effective adaptation projects on the ground.

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