WATER AND SANITATION PROGRAM: LEARNING NOTE 56968 Global Scaling Up Handwashing Project Key findings Emergent Learning · Intentional learning requires a culture of learning and a learning strategy. About Learning · Learning should be integrated into March 2010 the Results Framework, program management, and monitoring systems. INTRODUCTION PROBLEM STATEMENT The Millennium Development Goals Intentional learning takes place through · Effective learning is forward (MDGs) include benchmarks related to iterative cycles of looking. The application of lessons children's health and sanitation. Gov- learned and insights gained should ernment and non-governmental organi- · Doing be practiced with clear intention. zations working to meet these goals by · Reflecting · Learning is continuous. It happens 2015 continue to face many challenges. · Making meaning before, during, and after doing. Learning about effective approaches · Generating hypotheses of what to that result in sustainable behavior do differently · Learning tools such as a Team change in sanitation and hygiene--in · Planning for the next round of doing Charter, Learning Strategy, particular handwashing with soap-- Learning Action Plan, Emergent As people reflect together they share could strengthen efforts and have a Learning Maps, and After-Action different perspectives, experiences, positive impact on the well-being of Reviews can be used to support and learning styles. New insights, data, millions of people, especially the poor. emergent learning. and knowledge can emerge as a re- In December 2006, the Water and sult. However, pausing to reflect, cap- Sanitation Program (WSP) launched ture, and share knowledge is difficult in the Global Scaling Up Handwashing a fast-paced, implementation-oriented Project to apply innovative promo- environment (See Box 1). tional approaches to behavior change to generate widespread and sustained Another challenge, especially for proj- improvements in handwashing with ects that are being implemented at soap at scale. Intentional learning is a scale and in multiple countries, has core activity and lessons learned are been to capture and disseminate a result in and of themselves. Since learning in a way that is systematic, 2006 we have learned--and continue timely, and of benefit to country teams, to learn--about learning. clients, partners, and programmers. www.wsp.org 2 Emergent Learning About Learning Global Scaling Up Handwashing Project reviews with stakeholders and request BOX 1: HOW REFLECTION ACTUALLY HAPPENS IN BUSY TEAMS and receive technical support to en- Finding time to pause to reflect is a challenge. Supportive conditions hance learning and capturing learning. include: They are responsive to initiatives from · A project that has been planned, with preliminary implementation DC and global meetings. underway · A catalyst from the outside To produce timely and effective · Managers put learning first knowledge products, the DC team · Team members have had exposure to facilitation, participatory ap- continuously tracks learning from proaches, and learning country teams to tell a global story · Organizational support to develop learning and reflection skills and advises country teams on knowl- · A person designated to facilitate reflection, capturing, and sharing--and edge products. The DC team harvests team members willing to listen knowledge, identifies opportunities for · Learning is an integral part of implementation ­ of processes put in knowledge sharing, and develops and place, of meeting agendas, of technical assistance, and of collaborative disseminates knowledge products. work. Country teams implement and gen- erate in-country learning and share within their country and with DC. They use learning tools with partners and This challenge is compounded by the team members in terms of contributions include stakeholders and partners in fact that, while each project is aligned to learning in their own country as well their learning. In addition to support- around global learning goals and a as to each other's global learning. ing the goal of learning, these actions global Results Framework, each country support two other project goals: sus- has additional, local learning goals, and The headquarters team based in tainability and replication. country-specific Results Frameworks. Washington, DC ("DC team") nurtures a learning culture and encourages ACTION country-to-country exchanges. Learn- KEY LEARNINGS To foster intentional learning, the project ing is integrated into interactions at ap- Alignment is key. Global team meetings has implemented two strategies: propriate times. For example, technical have played a critical role in building rela- while lessons learned at the end of assistance can include the use of learn- tionships and gaining alignment around the program are important and will ing tools (such as a Team Charter, Learn- global results and learning goals. It is provide the evidence for success ing Strategy, Emergent Learning Maps, important for the team to recognize that through ongoing studies and an impact After-Action Reviews), identification of all countries and teams need to work to- evaluation, emergent learning will allow opportunities for learning with partners, gether to achieve shared project goals. a continuous testing of key assumptions revisiting a country's Learning Action Learning must be integrated into the re- that are underlying the program design Plan, and periodic reflections with local sults framework, program management, and activities. It will also allow other teams on how the learning process is and monitoring and evaluation systems. partners to benefit from initial insights, working. The DC team pays attention to questions, and failures, and allows them gaps in learning and supports country Emergent learning is a useful frame- to become active learning partners as teams as they identify learning actions work. The framework of emergent well as start replication at an early stage. to bridge these gaps. learning is useful for reflection within teams and as an overall concept to To coordinate and share learning across Country teams engage in reflection on monitor evidence, track learning, and multiple countries requires clear roles the learning processes and try new plan new learning activities and oppor- and responsibilities among the global approaches. They undertake learning tunities (See Box 2). www.wsp.org Global Scaling Up Handwashing Project Emergent Learning About Learning 3 Accountability and feedback are need- BOX 2: EMERGENT LEARNING MAP PROCESS ed to encourage and sustain efforts. Collecting, capturing, and sharing C D Insights Hypotheses stories can be outsourced. While E reflection and learning cannot be Action steps outsourced, capturing what has been B A learned and sharing learning in various Ground truths Opportunities ways can be outsourced to a consultant. Several teams have taken steps to hire consultants who have the requisite skills Key: and time to help develop knowledge products that can be disseminated. A Focus on one or more concrete events that will take place in the near future related to a framing question (Opportunities) Capturing and sharing is personality B Look back at similar, past events (Ground Truths) driven. Capturing learning seems to C Reflect on insights gained from past events such as results and reasons happen more easily through interview- for results (Insights) ing and in conversations within teams D Formulate hypotheses (a shared theory of success) about what can be and stakeholders than through indi- done to ensure that upcoming events are successful (Hypotheses) vidual reflections and writing. Select E Match hypotheses with upcoming events to create robust and testable individuals have a natural tendency to actions (Action Steps). write down their learning and share it. Source: © 2007, Signet Research & Consulting, LLC Personality drives capturing and shar- ing. Some individuals are more comfort- able using communication tools such as Web-based virtual platforms, facilitating Tracking learning is critical. Learning designed to record evidence and learn- learning conversations, or maximizing needs to be tracked at both global and ing can serve as reminders to reflect opportunities to partner with others. country levels. The DC team has divided and capture. responsibility for distinct learning goals Keep at it. Persistence and modeling and tracks progress on these goals to Systematic knowledge sharing is are keys to focusing attention on learn- identify gaps, additional study, and new challenging and happens more ing and making it important. It can be questions. readily upon request. There are natu- frustrating when there is little up-take ral ebbs and flows in sharing of learn- of suggestions for learning activities, of Systematic knowledge capturing is ing depending on project activities and sharing across countries, or of post- challenging and happens more read- the stage a team is in. Capturing and ing on the website. And yet, meetings, ily upon request. Since learning is sharing across teams has happened phone calls, country visits, coaching continuous, it is always taking place, most successfully in response to a in learning activities and use of tools, both within the team and with stake- concrete event such as a report, con- acknowledgement of learners, and op- holders. However, it often happens in ference, presentation, or request from portunities for joint presentations have informal conversations or in meetings a manager, and there is a direct cor- paid off. When fast-action is the norm, where the focus is often on implemen- relation: when more opportunities to taking time to pause, reflect, capture, tation. This learning is not routinely share knowledge are generated, more and share truly amounts to behavior captured. Templates or tracking tools knowledge sharing can take place. change, and this takes time. www.wsp.org 4 Emergent Learning About Learning Global Scaling Up Handwashing Project Gather evidence and stories. Reflect- and the question then is: What can be ing on the perceptions and experiences done to facilitate this process? One Related reading The ideas shared in this Learning of stakeholders and team members is approach is to build capacity through Note are explored in greater critical for replication. At the same time, the dedication of new resources, includ- detail in the Global Scaling Up learning to implement, sustain, and ing consultants and technical assis- Handwashing Project's Global replicate behavior-change programs at tance, and through new and improved Learning Strategy Working Paper, scale requires rigorous research and tools. For example, a Web-based virtual available on the project Web site. evidence-based analysis. learning platform is used more by the DC team than country teams. Moving WHAT ELSE DO forward, we need to understand how to About the project Global Scaling Up Handwashing WE NEED TO KNOW? improve this platform to increase use so is a WSP project focused on In the first three years, the Global Scal- that this is a viable and robust work- learning how to apply innovative ing Up Handwashing Project has suc- space. Currently, each country team promotional approaches to cessfully created a culture of learning. and the DC team are working on a glob- behavior change to generate Significant learning has taken place al knowledge product roadmap to iden- widespread and sustained at both country and global levels. tify 3-, 6-, and 9-month knowledge improvements in handwashing However, team members find it difficult product goals. This process will also with soap at scale among women to take time out and reflect. Activities identify areas of collaboration. In anoth- of reproductive age (ages 15­49) related to learning such as capturing er effort to increase capacity, editorial and primary school-aged children and documenting learning, developing and design templates for two knowl- (ages 5-9). The project is being knowledge products based on learn- edge products have been developed implemented by local and national ing, and disseminating knowledge and disseminated--and more are governments with technical support products continue to be a challenge. planned. These templates will stream- from WSP. For more information, line the production of knowledge please visit www.wsp.org/ Reflection, capturing, and sharing needs products and create a standard look- scalinguphandwashing. to take place on a more regular basis and-feel for published works. --By Christiane Frischmuth Contact us For more information please visit www.wsp.org or email Christiane Frischmuth at wsp@worldbank.org. WSP is a multi-donor partnership created in 1978 and administered by the World Bank to support poor people in obtaining affordable, safe, and sustainable access to water and sanitation services. WSP's donors include Australia, Austria, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Ireland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States, and the World Bank. WSP reports are published to communicate the results of WSP's work to the development community. The boundaries, colors, denominations, and other information shown on any map in this work do not imply any judgment on the part of the World Bank Group concerning the legal status of any territory or the endorsement or acceptance of such boundaries. © 2010 Water and Sanitation Program www.wsp.org