A large HIF grant award!

We were thrilled to learn that KnowledgePoint will be supported by a large HIF grant award for a platform to deliver collaborative, timely and high quality technical support to humanitarian and development operations.  This follows on from KnowledgePoint’s small HIF award for the Invention Phase of this innovation.  With that phase nearing completion, we are looking to move from the prototyping to the delivery of a robust, user-ready tool.  We see the route forward not just in our project proposal, but also from the lessons of the HIF process itself, and seeking the continued, invaluable support and participation of others in the sector.

A quick guide to KnowledgePoint KnowledgePoint is being led by a collaboration that includes WaterAid, RedR, Practical Action, IRC Water and Sanitation Centre and EngineerAid.  If KnowledgePoint is new to you, you may be asking what it’s all about!  Here are a few key points about what KnowledgePoint will do:

• Provide a process and platform for organisations to answer requests for technical support collaboratively, providing clear and searchable records of previously answered questions;
• Expand the network of engineers, scientist, and local and international humanitarian actors who can work together to deliver solutions;
• Make the flow of information more two-way, making boundaries between an ‘expert’ and ‘enquirer’ less fixed;
• Analyse enquiry data such as topics, enabling technical support services to gather information on emerging issues or training needs;
• Provide a mechanism for partnering with existing knowledge bases and service providers;
• Work with old and new ways to communicate (from paper-based enquiries to web-enabled smart phones);
• Support the many organisations and individuals in the sector who have expressed a keen interest in KnowledgePoint.

The innovation process KnowledgePoint is the culmination of a process that began with the Global WASH cluster, and the current, core KnowledgePoint team.  Two years ago, we began to put in place plans for delivering a solution, but we had difficulty finding ways and means to move ahead.  The HIF not only appeared to provide unique financial support for innovation, but the process of applying for the HIF grant brought new perspectives on processes for delivering the innovation itself.  We drew a line under the inception phase work that had been completed (recognition of a problem), received support to take our next step (invention of a solution), and now we can plan for the delivery of an openly tested, robust solution (the purpose of the large HIF grant).  In this way, the HIF has not only supported the initiative financially, but helped in providing a conceptual framework for the development of KnowledgePoint.

The proposal, in brief It is vital that we move this initiative from the stage of an interesting invention to being a reliable, usable tool.  Firstly, KnowledgePoint will need to be subjected to numerous tests prior to its first implementation.  Secondly, the process of releasing the solution to the sector could bring problems in itself, so a staged process of implementation will be necessary.  Third, the project will need to be bound together by a solid Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) process.

Through our Invention phase work, we have created an early prototype.  KnowledgePoint now needs to be both innovative and robust to support humanitarian actors and organisations.  To grow in this way, three key areas are addressed in the development phase, namely: strengthening our own organisational structure without losing its ‘start-up’ feel; further developing our core process and software in readiness for testing; and conducting a range of challenging pilot studies, refining our process and software in response.

By the end of the development phase, KnowledgePoint will have been tested among in many demanding situations by demanding users.  It is essential that we know how to implement KnowledgePoint reliably and effectively, particularly at the organisational level.  The implementation phase is therefore designed to address this by identifying candidate organisations as early implementation partners; monitoring a controlled, phased implementation process with them; and providing support once the process is in place

Our MEL process runs in two strands.  Stream 1 takes place as a part of the regular project monitoring and reporting on activities, outputs and milestones and the narrative evaluation of outcomes.  It will include data collection of evidence and communicating this with sector stakeholders, answering questions around effectiveness, efficiency and coverage of the project. Stream 2 takes place with the help of an external learning facilitator (ELF) in order to ensure that a neutral outside party can help identify areas for change and provide insights that insiders may not be able or quite so willing to find on their own.

The schedule Our large HIF project plan will begin with the completion of our small HIF award.   While the small HIF project is progressing well, there is still work to do in completing our prototype system.  Updates for both projects will continue on this blog page, and I look forward to giving a full update on our Invention Phase in my next post.  We aim to complete this and begin the Development Phase this September.

We are hugely excited to be given this opportunity, and through the support of the HIF, completing our planned proposal, and the greatly valued involvement of people in the community, we look forward to delivering an exciting new approach to advice and support services.

If you have any questions at all about the current project, or our large HIF grant, please get in contact directly at [email protected], or post a comment on this blog.  We would welcome any enquiries about the project or how to get involved.

Many thanks for following us, and I look forward to keeping everyone updated in future blog posts.