Research and Knowledge Building

1. Research and Knowledge Building GeSCI Team Meeting 10 February 2010

2. RKB Programme 2010 • Refining and developing conceptual and methodological clarity for AKE programme to be modelled in Asia and LAM programmes based on the • Informing themes to be developed in regional workshops/ knowledge sharing • Pivotal support to regional and country programmes for knowledge building and sharing, strategic advisory services • Close linkage with CPFs and regional managers for developing and testing models, tools and frameworks to help partners create, share and use research • Putting in place research partnerships on areas of interest in national and regional programmes • Collaboration with CM function on organizational monitoring and evaluation facilitation and strategy for dissemination of research and knowledge sharing in national, regional and virtual platforms • Pillars: Research; knowledge building; capacity building; partnerships

3. Meta-review Findings disconnect between ICT in Education and mainstream research absence of the southern voice in the ICT-Education literature A Rationale in 2010 Programme Design

4. a living lab approach Research & Facilitation Conceptual Framework • Research-policy-practice triad • Experiment and test the potential value of models, tools & frameworks in practice • Evidence-based research/ research-based evidence to inform programming, strategic advice (capacities for policy formulation, decision making, implementation, evaluation) Living lab Change Domain Research GeSCI Action Domain ‘Lessons learned’ ‘Innovations’ Practice Policy ‘Policy framework’

5. Research Research is a process through which we in GeSCI will attempt to achieve systematically and with the support of data: • the answer to a question • the resolution of a problem • the generation of practical and innovative solutions through the production of new tools, methods, approaches and devices • knowledge building within and across disciplines • testing and validation of concepts and theories or • a greater understanding of a phenomenon Swarts 2008

6. Knowledge Building & Learning Tacit experience, information & research Turned into knowledge that is useable(toolkits, guidelines, frameworks, models) • Knowledge is used/ tested to address critical challenges • in selected partner engagements and to innovate Knowledge is embedded in products and services, and developed through new cycles of KB and KS in country and regional programmes Value is added to the strategic advisory products and services as a result Knowledge & Innovation for Education & Development

7. Capacity Developemnt ‘Capacity’ is understood as the ability of people, organisations and society as a whole to manage their affairs successfully (OECD 2006:12) and: ‘capacity development’ is understood as the process whereby people, organisations and society as a whole unleash, strengthen, create, adapt and maintain capacity over time’ (ibid)

8. Partnerships Building on and strengthening our partnerships with national, regional, international, public/ private agencies and networks to contribute to expansion & quality of research and Knowledge in ICT Education & Development. They are founded on principles that development of all societies is fundamentally based on human development, access to information and knowledge and innovation.

9. Research and Knowledge Building 2010 Overall Goal: To strengthen expertize and capacities in the Global South to do and use ICT in Education Research & Development and to contribute knowledge based on a consideration of development realities to ICT-Education & Knowledge Societies

10. Research and Knowledge Building 2010 Programme Goal / Purpose: • Promote a living lab approach for testing new and developing existing models, tools and solutions to address critical challenges in ICT4E and KS development in country and regional programmes • Research alternative models for building knowledge and capacity in leaders, policymakers, implementers and practitioners to use research to better inform decision-making on ICT utilization for Education & Development • Develop a dissemination strategy for communicating main messages & key implications from research results & knowledge building in a manner appropriate to target audience of policy makers and practitioners • Promote development of research networks & partnerships for strengthening country and regional capability to lead on ICT Education research and contribute to the scientific literature

11. Core RKB Team • Mary (Programme Manager) (70%) • Patti (70%) • Niamh (50%?) • Senthil (40%) • Roxana (40%) • Esther (10%) • Jyrki (10%) • ?/Contract Research Advisor (5%) • ?/ Contract consultants (5%)

12. Boundary Partners • Ministries of Education, Higher Education and other Ministries responsible for human resources development and innovation like Ministries for Science and Technology, ICTs and Research and their associated agencies as the primary beneficiaries. Within these Ministries, the focus will be on policy makers, current and future leaders and change agents at the managerial (education managers, directors) and practitioner level. • Research Communities (Public, Private and Academic) for ICT4E&D (e.g. global - UNGAID, UNESCO, infoDEV, SIDA, regional - IDRC Pan Africa Observatory-ERNWACA, UNECA, scientific community - North/South & South/South University Parntehip and NGO networks and private sector - business consortia and partners)

13. Outcome Challenge The Research and Knowledge Building Programme would like to see: Vibrant and dynamic regional and national knowledge building and sharing communities which will produce and share high quality evidence based research and experiences on ICT4E and KS. These communities will work with GeSCI in a pro-active and committed way to identify critical issues, develop appropriate solutions and support one another on a peer basis. They will make optimal use of the GeSCI resources, tools and expertise. They will commit themselves to participate in leadership capacity building for ICT4E and KS and acquire and apply critical identified skills in their respective fields for system transformation and innovation.

14. Outcome Challenge The Research and Knowledge Building Programme would like to see: Research communities (Public, Private and Academic) for ICT4E&D) sharing information on research models for ICT integration in GeSCI’s regional and national programmes. They collaborate with GeSCI to participate in workshops, peer exchanges, meetings in which they explore common interests for research collaboration. They participate in GeSCI's regional workshop programmes to share research and to better understand the needs and issues of partners. They are committing funding to GeSCI Research Trust fund for piloting and upscaling good practice research models across regional programmes.

15. Outputs • Strategic knowledge sharing & dissemination of GeSCI ICT Research and Development Framework and programme initiatives at global and regional levels • Research, tools, methodologies, instruments and models for - auditing of critical capacities and skills - Leadership capacity building - ICT-TPD Matrix skills ladder & curriculum - Rolling review of country programmes - ICT Policy Development - e-Content evaluation - measuring progress in capacity development 3) Dissemination of GeSCI research, case studies, toolkits, models in country and regional workshops, conferences/ seminars/ virtual platforms in AKE, RAP and LAM 4) Strategic partnerships (3-4) with global, regional, scientific community and private sector constituencies mobilized & committed to investment in Living Lab action research models for ICT Education & Development