Tanner, Thomas M, Jackson, Carl, Seballos, Fran and Clark, Jane (2013) Learning to tackle climate change: innovative approaches to knowledge sharing and co-production in highly dispersed development organisations. Knowledge Management for Development Journal, 9 (1). pp. 9-23. ISSN 1871-6342

PDF - Published Version Available under License Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial. Download (364kB)

Abstract

Tackling climate change in the context of development requires particular attention to reflection and learning. In part this is because of the new sources of additional uncertainty and cross-sectoral complexity that it introduces, but also because of the limited experience of what works and what doesn’t. This poses significant challenges for many development organisations, which tend to function on the basis of bureaucratic principles of accountability and a cycle of planning, implementation, impact and evaluation.

This paper presents findings and reflections from a climate change learning programme with the UK Department for International Development. The programme combined external facilitation with staff knowledge exchange, reflection and problem solving to co-produce knowledge on climate change and development rather than following a set of prescribed technical solutions. We argue from this experience that knowledge management for tackling climate change requires much greater use of explicitly collaborative and improvisational learning approaches, rather than conventional supply-driven knowledge platforms. While there remains space for orthodox technical responses, such learning approaches are better able to situate the climate change and development problem within the diverse range of personal, organisational and problem contexts in which it is encountered.

Item Type:	Article
Schools and Departments:	Institute of Development Studies
SWORD Depositor:	Mx Elements Account
Depositing User:	Mx Elements Account
Date Deposited:	21 Jun 2022 12:49
Last Modified:	21 Jun 2022 13:00
URI:	http://sro.sussex.ac.uk/id/eprint/106488

View download statistics for this item

📧 Request an update