Knowledge partnerships are about joint purpose in the identification, creation, storage, sharing, and use of knowledge; sadly, the state of the art in creating, managing, monitoring, and evaluating them remains immature.

1. Designing an Effective Knowledge
Partnership Process
Olivier Serrat
2017

2. The Partnership Ideal
A partnership is a dynamic
relationship pursuing—in varying
degrees of formality—a joint
purpose or goal through shared
understanding of the most
rational division of labor based
on the comparative advantages
of each partner.
A partnership balances
organizational identity and
mutuality in a reciprocal
framework of respect, decision-
making, accountability, and
transparency.

3. Activities of Partnerships
Capacity Building
& Training
Cofinancing
Conferences,
Seminars, &
Workshops
Evaluation
Information
Exchange
Policy Dialogue
Projects Publications
Research Secondment
Staff Exchange
• Filter
• Amplify
• Invest and provide
• Convene
• Build community
• Learn and facilitate
Specific functions of
knowledge partnerships,
not necessarily mutually
exclusive, are to:

4. Six Partnership Principles
Make out and celebrate the need for partnership
Develop and maintain clarity and realism of joint purpose or goal
Ensure ownership and commitment
Create and maintain clear and robust partnership arrangements
Establish and continuously fortify trust
Monitor, measure, and learn

5. Case Study: Knowledge Sharing
for Development
The Sustainable Development Goals—
officially known as Transforming Our
World: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable
Development—were approved on 25
September 2015 by the 194 Member
States of the United Nations. They give
the lion's share of attention to
partnering. SDG 17 (Partnerships for the
Goals) binds the 16 other goals, aiming to
"strengthen the means of
implementation and revitalize the global
partnership for sustainable
development“. It recognizes that multi-
stakeholder partnerships are important
vehicles across capacity building, finance,
systemic issues, technology, and trade.
In June 2015, in advance
of the expected approval
of the 2030 Agenda, the
United Nations called an
expert group meeting on
Multi-Stakeholder
Partnerships in the Post-
2015 Development Era:
Sharing Knowledge and
Expertise to Support the
Achievement of the
Sustainable
Development Goals.

6. Case Study: Knowledge Sharing
for Development
A
background
paper (UN-
DESA, 2015)
reviewed 64
grand global,
specialized
global,
independent
global,
regional,
national, and
subnational
partnerships.
The bulk (82%) of the partnerships was engaged in sharing news
on the topic of the partnership.
Only half (51%) shared information about what the other partners
were doing.
Two-thirds (60%) went beyond news to provide in-depth reports,
studies, and other analysis-related knowledge.
Less than one-third (28%) offered active skill- or capacity-building
(knowledge transfer) services of any kind.
A few gave access to statistical databases (9%), registries of
commitments (3%), or specialized knowledge-sharing tools such
as software applications or diagramming platforms (3%).
Partnership reports on "usage" concentrated on website visitors, document
downloads, course participants, Facebook posts and "likes", etc.

7. A knowledge partnership places a particular emphasis on
the role of knowledge in accomplishing a joint purpose or
goal.
A knowledge partnership involves generating and sharing of
new ideas and understanding within the partnership and
communicating and applying that knowledge beyond the
partnership.
In a knowledge partnership as in any partnership, partners
rely on the partnership to reach the joint purpose or goal.
What Are Knowledge
Partnerships?

8. Learning in Partnerships
One-Way Learning Two-Way Learning

9. Assess and value partner knowledge
Determine knowledge tacitness and transferability
Forge knowledge connections
Draw on existing knowledge to facilitate learning
Designing Learning into
Partnerships

10. Purpose/Goal
What is the
partnership's
value
proposition?
What will it
produce?
What principles
will guide it?
Resources
What resources
will fuel the
partnership?
What
contributions will
members make?
What are all the
possible sources
of funding?
Who will manage
the cash?
Membership
Who will the
members be?
What are the
membership
criteria?
Will there be
different classes
of members?
What will be the
obligations and
benefits of
members?
Governance
What decisions
will need to be
made?
Who will make
decisions?
How will
decisions be
made?
A Design Checklist for Knowledge
Partnerships

11. Structure
What will the structure
of the partnership look
like?
What will the
partnership's
development path look
like?
Communications
Are open
communications and
information a visible
indicator of the level of
trust?
Is the power of
information and
communication
technology harnessed?
Evaluation
What do the
partners want to
assess?
Who will conduct
the evaluation?
How will the
partners design
evaluation at the
front end?
A Design Checklist for Knowledge
Partnerships

12. Success Criteria for Knowledge
Partnerships
Informal Leadership
• Coordinators are active and committed, give space to others, act as
leaders of the cause the partnership stands for, build connections,
facilitate relationships, and make good use of resources.
• The partnership relies on a core group of coordinators with
complementary skills and usually includes a governing committee,
secretariat, and working groups.
Alignment and Identity
• The partnership connects individuals across functions, locations, and
organizations and creates a third space for learning, creativity,
innovation, and development of joint practice.
• The partnership fosters the emergence of collective identity among
members.
• In the partnership, legitimacy is earned (meaning, not declared).

13. Success Criteria for Knowledge
Partnerships
Resources
• Cooperation increases when the roles of individuals are sharply
defined.
• The partnership is able to tap the technical expertise and
professionalism of members and connects them to the joint purpose
or goal that motivates them.
• The partnership offers possibilities for individuals to use their
knowledge outside their organizations to create knowledge and spark
energy for change that, potentially, can be used by others.
• The partnership is looked to and recognized by key stakeholders, e.g.,
policy makers, as a place to visit or consult for deep expertise.
• Resources come in various forms. "Sweat" equity is the key.

14. Success Criteria for Knowledge
Partnerships
Coordination
• Coordinators are both task- and relationship-oriented.
• Coordinators focus on serving partnership members. They earn and
maintain the trust and commitment of members by making sure the
partnership responds to explicit—not constructed—needs.
• Coordinators create a gift culture by coaching and mentoring. They
encourage activity and interaction among members of the
partnership and build networks to foster a sense of community.
• Coordinators provide technical advice and scan the environment for
opportunities to advance the partnership's purpose or goal and
benefit its members.

15. Success Criteria for Knowledge
Partnerships
Communication Systems
• The partnership leverages information and communication technology
to facilitate rapid and broad-based interaction among members.
• The partnership strengthens and supplements online communications
with face-to-face interactions.
Adaptive Capacity
• The partnership invests in information and communication technology,
relies on information exchanges to gather intelligence from a range of
sources, and establishes spaces for processing and sharing of data,
information, and knowledge.
• Coordinators anticipate and act on changing circumstances.
• The partnership adjusts its working forms as needed.

16. Drivers of Transparency
Motive
• Experience of previous relationship
• Willingness to share knowledge
• Understanding of the importance of sharing
• Degree of familiarity with partner
• Recognition of the power of synergy
Means
• Social and cultural context (including language,
customs, and organizational culture)
• Abilities and tools with which to share
knowledge
• Communication capacity
Opportunity
• Embeddedness of knowledge in context-specific
relationships
• Prioritization of time and creation of "space" for
learning

17. Drivers of Receptivity
Motive
• Levels of trust (related to track record and
awareness of each partner's learning strategy)
• Strength of intent to learn (related to
understanding of value of new knowledge)
• Willingness to absorb knowledge
Means
• Adequacy of knowledge management
architecture
• Abilities and tools with which to absorb
knowledge
• Knowledge is far outside the organization's area
of expertise
Opportunity
• Prioritization of time and creation of "space" for
learning

18. Simple Rules to Make Partnerships
More Effective
Defining the right
arrangements
Creating "ends" metrics
Eliminating differences
Establishing formal
management systems and
structures
Managing the relationship
with the partner
Not Just …
Developing the right
working relationships
Creating "means" metrics
Embracing differences
Enabling collaborative
behavior
Managing internal
stakeholders
… But Also

19. The OECD's Development Assistance Committee's criteria
for evaluating programs and projects provide a
framework for designing and monitoring knowledge
partnerships.
• Relevance—Examines to what extent the objectives of
an intervention match the priorities or policies of
major stakeholders, including beneficiaries.
• Efficiency—Assesses outputs in relation to inputs.
• Effectiveness—Examines whether outputs led to the
achievement of the planned outcome.
• Impact—Assesses what changes, intended and
unintended, have occurred as a result of the
intervention.
• Sustainability—Looks at how far any changes are likely
to continue in the longer term.
Evaluating Knowledge
Partnerships

20. Books, Media, & Articles
Serrat, O. (2008). Creating and running partnerships. Knowledge Solutions 9.
ADB. Manila. www.adb.org/publications/creating-and-running-
partnerships
Serrat, O. (2009). Managing virtual teams. Knowledge Solutions 55. ADB.
Manila. www.adb.org/publications/managing-virtual-teams
Serrat, O. (2009). Learning in strategic alliances. Knowledge Solutions 62. ADB.
Manila. www.adb.org/publications/learning-strategic-alliances
Serrat, O. et al. (2011). Guidelines for knowledge partnerships. ADB. Manila.
www.adb.org/publications/guidelines-knowledge-partnerships
Serrat, O. et al. (2012). Creating and running partnerships. ADB. Manila.
[Video file]. Retrieved from vimeo.com/67184320
Serrat, O. (2012). Designing knowledge partnerships better. Knowledge
Primers. ADB. Manila.
www.researchgate.net/publication/266798127_designing_knowledg
e_partnerships_better

21. Books, Media, & Articles
UN-DESA. (2015). Multi-Stakeholder Partnerships in the Post-2015
Development Era: Sharing Knowledge and Expertise to support the
Achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals: Background
Paper. New York.
Serrat, O. (2017). Knowledge sharing for development: Dead slow ahead?
ResearchGate.
www.researchgate.net/publication/314255768_knowledge_sharing_
for_development_dead_slow_ahead

22. Presentations
Britton, B. and Serrat, O. (2013). Learning in partnerships. SlideShare.
www.slideshare.net/celcius233/learning-in-partnerships
Serrat, O. (2014). Essentials of knowledge partnerships. SlideShare.
www.slideshare.net/celcius233/essentials-of-knowledge-
partnerships
Serrat, O. (2015). Building strong, virtual teams. SlideShare.
www.slideshare.net/celcius233/building-strong-virtual-teams

23. Quick Response Codes
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