Wider choices, smarter development
In development discourse, there always seems to have been an inclination towards adopting a "push" strategy when it came to dissemination of knowledge. We want to find solutions from around the world, but many a times find it difficult to apply international practices in the local context.
In this ever-evolving world of globalisation, where the world is getting smaller and people are coming closer, it still holds true that every development scenario requires a unique and tailor-made solution. Outside knowledge may provide a different and wider perception, but home-grown indigenous knowledge provides the necessary insight in devising a practical solution.
With this in mind, UN has conceptualised and put into place an online knowledge sharing network for practitioners called "Solution Exchange," where great minds do not only meet virtually, but also connect with individuals from the grass roots. Solution Exchange was first launched in India in 2005 as a UN initiative.
It is a UN convened space where development practitioners and others with similar interests connect online to share knowledge and experiences to address common challenges by providing practical solutions. Individuals are grouped according to their areas of expertise and practice. These groups are commonly known as "Communities of Practice," where members are engaged via email to discuss, share and devise practical solutions to address day-to-day challenges.
Members of the community connect, collaborate and share applied practices and learning based on trust, professional insight and real life experiences. Tangible results are the yardstick in these communities. After all, practical solutions usually result in substantive positive outcomes.
As practitioners experienced the value of participation, Solution Exchange membership has grown to over 20,000 members in 13 thematic Communities of Practice. Based on this success Solution Exchange was replicated in countries like Bhutan, Cambodia, Thailand, Pacific Islands, with Bangladesh being the latest addition.
Community members are encouraged to post "queries" on pressing issues in their field of practice for practical solutions and/or innovative ideas and comments from other members. A community facilitator processes the query and sends it out to all the members in the community. It is then up to the members to provide inputs or answers to the query, based on their personal experiences, or provide innovative ideas or solutions with substantive backing.
Meanwhile, if the moderator deems it a requirement, special experts may be consulted and secondary desk research is also carried out by the hosts themselves for further analysis. At the end of the e-discussions, the facilitator provides the whole community with a "consolidated reply" which comprises of a detailed summary and analysis of all the responses, including anything constructive that may have surfaced during the secondary research.
What all this results in is an accumulation of wealth of knowledge, which has been extracted from practitioners' personal experiences and which forms the basis of a practical solution. It also gives a wider perception from the ground-up point of view. Solution Exchange directly works on transforming knowledge to policy. This network allows for practitioners to connect the dots between their micro-level inputs to macro-levels impacts.
Asking a question, getting a solution is just a tip of the iceberg. It also serves the purpose of offering consultancy services where a policy document might be floated, and it gets vetted by some of the most experienced individuals in the sector. Solution Exchange is also a place for discussion. All this exchange of knowledge and information may lead to identification of knowledge gaps, and this could lead to carrying out action research in a collaborative manner.
Solution Exchange comes at a time when Bangladesh is changing the way "we do business." With the drive in becoming a "Digital Bangladesh," Solution Exchange functions with the principle of providing knowledge services to policy makers and practitioners in their inboxes. The entire purpose of Solution Exchange is to find ways to be better at working towards the development of the nation and achieving the Millennium Development Goals.
The Urban Poverty Reduction Community (UPRC or Urban Community in short) is the first Solution Exchange Community of Practice to be launched in Bangladesh. The Urban Community links practitioners who are interested in issues of pro-poor urban development and emerging urban challenges in Bangladesh.
Members include government representatives, development partners, private sector, civil society, and academics working in urban poverty, development and planning in Bangladesh. Community membership has already grown to over 250 members, comprising of some of the best minds in the urban sector as well as field level workers working in different urban poverty related projects from around the country.
The Urban Community has just concluded its first discussion on a "query," which centered around the conception of the Bangladesh Urban Forum (BUF). BUF will be by far the biggest event of the year in the urban sector, and by popular demand Solution Exchange became the platform for further consultations and discussions with regard to identifying priority areas in urbanisation and in designing the actual event. This led to thorough and extensive exchange of ideas with contributions coming in from a wide array of practitioners establishing a way forward in organising the BUF.
If you are an urban practitioner and feel that your experiences may lead to finding out practical solutions in addressing urban challenges, please join the our community and help build a better urban tomorrow.
Comments