Evaluation

Evaluation Presentations

Read Learning Lessons in ADB

Knowledge management in OED is about getting the right knowledge to the right people at the right time, and helping them to apply it. This relates to what operational and developmental results are being achieved, what improvements should be considered, and what is being learned.

Audiences for evaluation products and services are inside and outside ADB. Internal audiences include ADB's Board of Directors; its Management; and operations departments. External audiences are in developing member countries and the international evaluation community.

Core knowledge activities relate to the identification, creation, storage, sharing, and use of knowledge. Knowledge management solutions should not focus on activities in isolation. Also, they should be aligned with business processes.

Knowledge management is more effective where the specific context, knowledge, and relationships of an organization, and the external environment it faces, are looked at holistically.

The architecture of knowledge management must support organization-wide initiatives. Leadership drives values. Organization supports these. Technology collects and connects data, information, and knowledge. Learning cultivates and utilizes virtual teams and exchange forums.

In ADB, key audiences for lesson learning are OED itself, the operations departments, developing member countries, and the international evaluation community. Each operates in its own milieu.

Organizational performance is defined by competency in five areas. They are strategy development, management techniques, collaboration mechanisms, knowledge sharing and learning, and knowledge capture and storage.

In OED, elements of context, knowledge, relationships, external environment, interfaces, and architecture provide the operating framework within which decisions on knowledge management initiatives are taken and implemented.

Knowledge management solutions need to be tied to the core issues of an organization. There are no one-size-fits-all solutions. Knowledge audits provide fact-based assessments of where organizations must cluster knowledge management efforts.

In 2007, OED conducted a knowledge audit targetting each interface. The areas of competency selected in future knowledge audits will be based on the lessons of experience and evolving priorities.

OED emphasizes organizational learning to conduct and disseminate strategic evaluations, harmonize performance indicators and evaluation methodologies, and develop capacity in evaluation and evaluative thinking.

Knowledge management is a dynamic process. People live through distinct stages before committing to change. They hear, then understand the change. Based on the actions of peers and leaders, they opt to support it and act in the desired manner. Commitment is built when they use the new way of working in regular activities and own the change in their environment.