Regional : Knowledge for Solutions - South-South Knowledge Sharing Program (Subproject 2)

Agriculture, natural resources and rural development / Agricultural policy, institutional and capacity development

Education / Education sector development

Energy / Energy sector development and institutional reform

Transport / Transport policies and institutional development

Water and other urban infrastructure and services / Urban policy, institutional and capacity development

Strategy 2020 of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) mandates ADB to develop, mobilize, and apply knowledge solutions to help the poor in our DMCs. The midterm review of Strategy 2020 highlights that _DMCs increasingly seek ADB's knowledge to address complex challenges, improve the development impact of operations, and develop into knowledge economies._ The midterm review of Strategy 2020, the President's 10 points in his 21 November 2013 memorandum on Reforming ADB's Institution-Wide Knowledge Management, the Planning Directions: Work Program and Budget Framework 2015 2017, and the first Knowledge Operations Review Meeting (KORM) all provide fresh impetus and direction for taking a unified _One ADB_ approach to sharing knowledge with DMCs and serving as a source of best practices. A special evaluation study recommended ADB improve its approach to capturing, sharing, and using knowledge. The Knowledge Management Directions and Action Plan (2013 2015) (KMAP) builds on those findings by defining ADB's goals in this area and providing a plan for transformational actions. The KMAP specifically recognizes the need for strategic and programmatic partnerships with COEs and knowledge hubs, expanded ADB operations for innovation and pilot-testing, greater South South knowledge sharing, and easier access to data and information.

Multilateral organizations, including through interregional knowledge sharing, are becoming increasingly important for enhancing effectiveness in development through capturing and sharing good developmental experiences common to developing countries. ADB, in its Midterm Review (MTR) of Strategy 2020, proposes country directors of resident missions as _Knowledge Custodians_ (MTR 3.4) and the _Country Knowledge Management Plans (CKP)_ (MTR 1.2.4.3) as a mandatory component of the Country Partnership Strategy (CPS). In this context, the Middle Income Countries (MICs) and Upper Middle Income Countries (UMICs) have specific demand for knowledge from within the region in areas such as (i) mitigating inequalities; (ii) addressing demographic change; and (iii) boosting productivity and competitiveness by developing the private sector. Including these areas, SSKS plays a much more important role than any investment or financial assistance ADB could possibly extend to UMICs. In addition, UMICs also have vast amounts of successful economic and social development experiences that could be more widely shared with other DMCs. To meet the objectives of enhancing knowledge solutions (defined as case studies, research, big data analysis, pilot demonstration activities, experimentation, and information used to solve development problems) in DMCs, a platform that would enable faster and more flexible responses to country knowledge needs to support SSKS activities as _One ADB_ is required more than ever.

The main issues of current SSKS arise from lack of financial resources to readily respond to the knowledge needs and demands of DMCs, absence of an internal mechanism for assembling existing knowledge and experience of ADB, and unclear monitoring, capturing, and sharing of project-based SSKS. (See the supplementary attachment for more information.) Subsequently, the approach on SSKS taken by ADB as a regional development institution has several areas that can be improved by (i) linking efforts at the project level to each other to ensure knowledge flows out of one DMC and into another; (ii) creating an operational mechanism to understand and respond to knowledge demand and supply of DMCs across the boundaries of ADB's regional departments; (iii) creating a platform by which knowledge (including third-party content) held by ADB staff and consultants, DMCs, and development partners can be freely exchanged; and (iv) systematically capturing the use of knowledge by DMCs and the impact of knowledge sharing.

1. Knowledge solution and sharing mechanism (KSSM) developed

2. Pilot knowledge solution exercises conducted

3. Documentation of solutions shared via dedicated knowledge portal

1. The Asian Development Bank (ADB), through the regional cluster capacity development technical assistance (TA) Knowledge for Solutions, is taking fresh approaches to peer-to-peer sharing, learning, knowledge capture, and problem solving in order to work more efficiently with its DMCs to solve development problems faster. A team of staff will oversee the subproject. A consultancy input will, however, be needed to supplement staff inputs. The subproject will require the services of an individual national consultant. The consultant will be recruited through the consultant management system, following ADB's Operations Services and Financial Management Department guidelines.

2. South South knowledge exchange logistical coordinator (individual, national,

12 person-months, intermittent over 18 months). The coordinator will

(i) assist with logistical coordination for knowledge exchanges,

(ii) ensure all materials are collected for documentation of exchanges,

(iii) assist in preparing materials about exchanges for uploading,

(iv) conduct survey of impact of exchanges, and

(v) assist in preparing the final report to record lessons learned.