Access to timely and high-quality research outputs and knowledge products of ICIMOD by member countries and the wider regional and global community will inform, promote, and accelerate learning about and solutions to the challenges facing mountains ecosystems and their people. As a learning, knowledge, and enabling center for mountains, knowledge management and communication must be at the center of everything ICIMOD does.

1. Achieving Impact Through Knowledge
Management and Communication in
the Hindu Kush Himalayan Region—
Thoughts and Strategies
Olivier Serrat
2016

2. Why Invest in Sustainable
Mountain Development?
According to FAO (2011):
• Climate change, increasing natural disasters, food and energy crises,
population growth, water scarcity and desertification, loss of
biodiversity, degradation of ecosystems, migration, and growth of
cities—the planet is currently facing a multitude of challenges.
Mountain regions and their inhabitants are disproportionally affected,
but also offer significant opportunities for solutions.
• By providing key environmental services such as freshwater, biodiversity
conservation and hydropower to more than half of humanity, mountain
ecosystems play a critical role in world development. Mountain systems
are essential building blocks for long-term sustainable global
development, poverty alleviation, and the transition to a green
economy. In a world heading towards water, food and energy crisis,
sustainable mountain development is a global priority.

3. Why Invest in Sustainable
Mountain Development?
Cont'd
• Mountain people, who are among the world's poorest and hungriest,
are key to maintaining mountain ecosystems and their role in providing
environmental services to downstream communities. Mountain
communities need to be empowered and their livelihoods improved, to
enable them to take responsibility for the preservation of natural
resources and to fulfil their role as mountain stewards.
• In spite of the obvious importance of mountain areas, sustainable
mountain development does not receive the attention and priority it
deserves. Investing in sustainable mountain development is a global
priority for addressing the current challenges. It reaches far beyond
monetary terms to embrace increased attention to and support in all
aspects of mountain ecology and society.

4. The Hindu Kush Himalayan Region
Sustainable mountain development in the Hindu Kush Himalayan
Region faces enormous (and all the time more difficult) challenges.
• Four of the 8 most populated countries in the world, including the top
two, belong to the Hindu Kush Himalayan Region: they are the People's
Republic of China, India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, in decreasing order,
of which three have intermediate fertility (2.1 to 5 children). Another
regional country, Afghanistan, has high fertility (5 or more children).
• The demographic challenge to the Hindu Kush Himalayan Region, which
has transformed it from a nature-dominated landscape into a human
dominated environment, will accelerate environmental degradation
and natural resource use; it will exacerbate the vulnerability of
mountain communities from increasing demands for biodiversity,
energy, food, and water.
• Climate change will aggravate the Hindu Kush Himalayan Region's
socioeconomic and environmental challenges. To note, Himalayan
glaciers are receding faster than elsewhere.

5. ICIMOD's Purview
ICIMOD—A regional, intergovernmental
learning, knowledge, and enabling center
for mountains aiming—in partnerships—
to link science to policy making,
implementation, and development
Its Regional Member Countries—
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan,
People's Republic of China, India,
Myanmar, Nepal, and Pakistan
… its Vision—Men, women, and children
of the Hindu Kush Himalayas enjoy
improved wellbeing in a healthy
mountain environment
… and Mission—To enable sustainable
and resilient mountain development for
improved and equitable livelihoods
through knowledge and regional
cooperation
The Hindu Kush Himalayan
Region:
• … the world's highest mountains;
the largest body of ice outside the
Polar caps; 17% of the global glacial
area
• … the source of 10 large Asian river
systems; host to 28 Ramsar sites and
4 of the 34 global biodiversity
hotspots
• … ecosystem services to 210 million
people upstream (and 1.3 billion
downstream)
• … most sustainable development
goals are relevant; mountains
feature explicitly in SDG 6 and SDG
15 and Targets 6.6, 15.1, and 15.4

6. ICIMOD's Strategic Goals
Leading to the strategic impacts of reduced poverty, reduced physical
and social vulnerabilities, and improved ecosystem services—and
delivered through regional programs informed by expertise in four
thematic areas, ICIMOD's strategic goals are:
• Widespread adoption of innovations developed by ICIMOD and partners to
adapt to change leading to positive impacts for women, men, and children
• Substantial advances in the generation and use of relevant data, knowledge, and
analysis
• Significant advances made in approaches and knowledge that promote gender
equality and inclusive human development
• Significantly developed human and institutional capacity
• Policies and practices considerably influenced by the work of ICIMOD and its
partners
• Enhanced regional cooperation related to sustainable mountain development
• Global recognition of the importance of mountains and the need for more global
resources made available to mountain people to ensure improved and resilient
livelihoods and ecosystems

7. Regional Programs and Strategic
Thematic Areas of ICIMOD
Thematic Areas Livelihoods
Ecosystem
Services
Water & Air
Geospatial
Solutions
RegionalPrograms
Adaptation to Change
Climate Services & Disaster
Risk Reduction
Sustainable Energy
Transboundary Landscapes
River Basins & Cryosphere
Atmosphere
Mountain Environment
Regional Information System
Mountain Youth
Empowerment

8. On Knowledge Management and
Communication
As a learning, knowledge, and enabling center
for mountains, knowledge management and
communication must be at the center of
everything ICIMOD does. There are two key
considerations: (i) knowledge is most valuable
when it is actually used, not just identified,
created, stored, and/or shared; and (ii) in step
with what motives drive knowledge
management initiatives the perspectives that
conduce the latter can be ecological—focusing
on interactions, organizational—focusing on
knowledge processes, and/or technocentric—
focusing on storage and sharing (the list to the
right suggests ICIMOD's approach thus far has
been technocentric).
Communication
CoPs
Document Repositories
Extranet
Intranet
ICT4D
Impact Stories
Good Practices
Information Center
Knowledge Forums
Knowledge Park
Multimedia
Publications
Photo Gallery
Social Media
Social Networks
Training
Web
Workshops

9. "Data smog", "infobesity",
"infoxication", and
"information glut" describe
the deluge of information
that overloads our brains.
Information is ubiquitous
because producing,
manipulating, and
disseminating it is easy.
A wealth of information
creates a poverty of attention
and a need to allocate that
efficiently. A straightforward
way of measuring how much
scarce resource a message
consumes is to note how
much time a recipient spends
on it.
Effective dissemination of knowledge is arguably more important than
its production. So, (i) develop a dissemination policy; (ii) adopt a
strategic approach to dissemination; (iii) formulate generic, viable
dissemination plans and tactics that can be adapted to serve different
purposes; and (iv) monitor and evaluate accomplishments.
The Great Information Glut

10. Dissemination
Policy
Establishes a research
center's vision and
values, and measures
these to engage.
Explains how efforts at
disseminating research
results link to their
utilization.
Ties research to practice
through dissemination
strategies, dissemination
plans, and the
application of
dissemination tactics.
In the overall
context of a public
communications
policy (or
framework), a
research agenda
requires:
• A dissemination
policy
• A dissemination
strategy
• A dissemination plan
• Dissemination tactics
Developing a Dissemination Policy

11. Journal, Magazine
Library
Website
Databases
Basic Dissemination Tactics
Desk Launch
News Releases
Press Conference
Professional
Conference
Verbal Feedback to
Contributors
Verbal Briefings
More Advanced Dissemination Tactics
Meetings
First Qualification
Post-Qualifying
Courses
Other Courses
The Research
Report
Summary
Article
Dissemination
In-House Press
Release
Referencing
Material
Dissemination
Tactics
Launch
Verbal Feedback
Consortium and
Network
Integration into
Training
Research Findings
Evolving Dissemination Tactics

12. Policy is a deliberate course of action to guide decisions and achieve
outcomes. Policy change can be: (i) discursive—involving new concepts and
terminology; (ii) procedural—altering the way policy makers do things; (iii)
content-oriented—inducing modifications in strategy or policy documents;
and behavioral—transforming attitudes.
In theory, policy makers make decisions based on research that has already
delivered results, and the best experience and knowledge available. In
reality, poor research circulates and is acted upon while good research is
ignored and disappears. Policy makers need to determine what information,
evidence, or belief is true or valid. They are driven by the Five S's: speed,
superficiality, spin, secrecy, and scientific ignorance.
Researchers miss opportunities to turn inquiries into lasting change because
of the weak rapport between investigations, recommendations, and the real
world of policy makers and policy making.
On Policy: Myths and Reality

13. Political Context
Political structures and
processes, institutional
pressures, prevailing concepts,
policy streams and windows,
etc.
Links
Policy makers and other
stakeholders,
relationships, voice trust,
networks, the media and
other intermediaries, etc.
Evidence
Credibility, methods,
relevance, use, how the
message is packaged
and communicated, etc.
External Influences
International factors,
socioeconomic and cultural
influences, etc.
Campaigning and
Lobbying
Analysis and
Research
Scientific Information
Exchange and Validation
The RAPID Framework

14. The RAPID
Framework of
the Overseas
Development
Institute
intimates
that research-
based and
other forms
of evidence
can enrich
policy if:
It fits within the political and
institutional limits and pressures
of policy makers, resonates with
the policy makers' assumptions,
or sufficient pressure is exerted
to challenge them.
The evidence is credible and
convincing, provides practical
solutions to pressing policy
problems, and is packaged to
attract the interest of policy
makers.
Research and policy makers
share common networks, trust
one another, and communicate
effectively.
Grooming Policy Entrepreneurs
Toward this, researchers
must become policy
entrepreneurs who can:
• Operate in highly political
environments.
• Distill powerful policy
messages from research
results.
• Use networks, hubs, and
partnerships and build
coalitions to work
effectively with all
stakeholders.
• Maintain long-term
programs that pull all these
together.

15. Define
(and Redefine)
the Policy
Objective
Identify
the Key
Stakeholders
Identify
Desired
Behavioral
Changes
Develop a
Strategy
Analyze
Internal
Capacity to
Effect Change
Establish a
Monitoring and
Learning
Framework
Map the Policy
Context
Tools include the alignment,
interest, and influence matrix;
stakeholder analysis; influence
mapping; social network analysis;
and force field analysis.
Tools include progress
markers; opportunities
and threats timeline; policy
objectives; the alignment,
interest, and influence
matrix; and force field
analysis.
Tools include force field
analysis; communication
strategies; advocacy
campaigns; the network
functions approach;
structured innovation; and
research strategies.
Tools include drivers of
change; power analysis;
strengths, weaknesses,
opportunities, and threats
analysis; influence mapping;
and force field analysis.
Tools include the logical
framework (flexible);
outcome mapping;
journals or impact logs;
and internal monitoring
tools.
Tools include the policy
entrepreneur questionnaire;
strengths, weaknesses,
opportunities, and threats
analysis; and internal
performance
frameworks.
The RAPID Outcome Mapping
Approach

16. • A reorientation from academic achievement to policy
engagement
• Grappling with the policy community
• Developing a research agenda focusing on policy issues rather
than academic interests
• Acquiring new skills and building multidisciplinary teams
• Establishing new internal systems and incentives
• Working in networks, hubs, and partnerships
• Producing a range of knowledge products and services aimed
at different segments of the external environment
• Spending more on knowledge management and
communication
Research centers must transform themselves
into policy-focused think tanks staffed with
entrepreneurs. This involves:
Toward Policy-Focused Think
Tanks

17. Knowledge Partnerships
• Are associations and networks
of individuals or organizations
that share a purpose or goal.
• Are comprised of members
who contribute knowledge,
experience, resources, and
connections, and participate
in two-way communications.
• Thrive when there is a
strategic, structural, and
cultural fit, and when
members embrace a
collaborative process, behave
as a coherent entity, and
engage in joint decision
making and action.
Knowledge partnerships
• Filter—Organize and manage information
that is worth paying attention to.
• Amplify—Take new, little-known, or little-
understood ideas, give them weight, and
make them more widely understood.
• Invest and Provide—Offer a means to
give members the resources they need to
carry out their main activities.
• Convene—Bring together different,
distinct people or groups of people.
• Build Community—Promote and sustain
the values and standards of individuals or
organizations.
• Learn and Facilitate—Help partners carry
out their activities more efficiently and
effectively.
The specific functions of knowledge
partnerships, not necessarily
mutually exclusive, are to:

18. Purpose/Goal
What is the
partnership's
value
proposition?
What will the
partnership
produce?
What values and
principles will
guide it?
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?
Structure
What will the
structure of the
partnership look
like?
What will the
partnership's
development
path look like?
A Design Checklist for Knowledge
Partnerships

19. Measures
What is success? What
are its specifics?
How will the partners
know when success is
achieved?
How will success be
rewarded?
Formation
Who will build the
partnership?
Will an outside
facilitator be used to
facilitate alignment and
production plans?
Who will operate the
partnership?
Production
What hypotheses will
the partnership test?
How will joint
undertakings be
designed?
How will results be
evaluated?
What will give
confidence to scale
results up?
A Design Checklist for Knowledge
Partnerships

20. Communications
Are open
communications and
information a visible
indicator of the level of
trust?
Is the power of
information and
communication
technology harnessed
in support?
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?
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

21. The OECD-Development Assistance
Committee has set five criteria for
evaluating development programs
and projects.
Relevance
Efficiency
Effectiveness
Impact
Sustainability
The OECD-DAC criteria
provide a useful framework
for evaluating knowledge
partnerships but also—it
follows—for designing and
monitoring them.
Evaluating Knowledge
Partnerships

22. A Knowledge Management and
Communication Agenda
Sharpen the Knowledge
Focus in ICIMOD's
Operations
(Add value at regional,
country, and project levels)
Strengthen External
Knowledge Partnerships
(Align and leverage
external knowledge)
Further Enhance Staff
Learning and Skills
Development
(Multiply opportunities for
staff to learn)
Empower Communities of
Practice
(Collaborate for knowledge
generation and sharing)
The four pillars are
closely related: the
set of actions/outputs
under the first would
focus on adding value
to ICIMOD's
operations; the other
three sets would deal
with how that might
be sped. A knowledge
management results
framework would
specify expected
actions/outputs and
related specific
activity indicators and
useful results
indicators with
targets and sources of
verification.

23. A demand-led and user-focused orientation would separate out
what mountain topics ICIMOD should assuredly lead from those
it can explore in collaboration with partners. Irrespective, all
areas for investigation should be practical and applied, with the
explicit goal of creating value for clients, audiences, and
partners.
By actively involving learners in the experience, we increase
the chances they will retain and use learning; if not, what
knowledge has been acquired will be forgotten. Modalities for
knowledge generation and sharing that conduce knowledge
retention and use, such as socially interactive processes for
learning from peers and in small groups, should be prioritized.
A learning charter, e.g., statement of intent, purpose and
results, commitments to corporate action, commitments to
individual action, may help. Training in learning in
partnerships, learning in teams, reflective practice, etc. may
help too.
A Postscript on Organizational
Learning

24. If only because of climate change (and the burgeoning of
climate change modalities), self- and independent evaluations
should be ramped up to capture learning (especially real-time)
and disseminate that for more effective formulation of regional
programs and delivery of results. After-action reviews and
retrospects can be conducted too.
Tenuous organizational roadblocks can slow the uptake and
application of learning. (They include a bias for action,
"undiscussables", commitment to the cause, the funding
environment, the role of leadership, organizational structure,
multiplying agendas, complexity, etc.) Defining roadblocks,
however numerous they may be, is half the battle to removing
them: it might make them part of the solution instead of part
of the problem.
A Postscript on Organizational
Learning

25. Selected References
• FAO. 2011. Why Invest in Sustainable Mountain Development?
Rome, Italy: FAO.
www.fao.org/docrep/015/i2370e/i2370e.pdf
• ICIMOD. 2012. A Strategy and Results Framework for ICIMOD.
Kathmandu. lib.icimod.org/record/28290
• David Molden and Eklabya Sharma. 2013. ICIMOD's Strategy
for Delivering High-quality Research and Achieving Impact for
Sustainable Mountain Development. Mountain Research and
Development. Vol. 33 (2); pp. 179–183.
• Muriel Ordoñez and Olivier Serrat. 2009. Disseminating
Knowledge Products. Manila.
www.adb.org/publications/disseminating-knowledge-
products

26. Selected References
• Arnaldo Pellini and Olivier Serrat. 2010. Enriching Policy with
Research. Manila. www.adb.org/publications/enriching-
policy-research
• Olivier Serrat. 2008. Linking Research to Practice. Manila.
www.adb.org/publications/linking-research-practice
• Olivier Serrat. 2010. Showcasing Knowledge. Manila.
www.adb.org/publications/showcasing-knowledge
• Olivier Serrat et al. 2011. Guidelines for Knowledge
Partnerships. Manila. www.adb.org/publications/guidelines-
knowledge-partnerships

27. Quick Response Codes
@ADB
@ADB Sustainable
Development Timeline
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