Self-Assessment Questions
Now that you have completed this study session, you can assess how well you have achieved its Learning Outcomes by answering these questions.
Explain what is meant by knowledge management and briefly describe why it is important in the WASH sector.
Knowledge management means collecting, recording, sharing and using knowledge in a way that is helpful to you and to others. It is important in the WASH sector so that information can be shared by all types of stakeholders with different experiences and knowledge of the issues and challenges facing the sector. Effective knowledge management provides a means to share best practice so that mistakes are not repeated and successes can be replicated and developed.
Which of the following statements about documentation are false? In each case explain why it is incorrect.
- Documentation involves collectively analysing, interpreting, and evaluating individual and group observations.
- Documentation should use multiple languages.
- Documentation shouldn’t involve the use of subheadings, which are distracting.
- Documentation should avoid the use of long and complicated sentences.
- Documentation should repeat important content regularly.
- Documentation is an important element of best practice in knowledge management.
2 is false. It’s possible for documentation to be produced in multiple languages but it is not essential. The driver should be your understanding of the audience with which it needs to be shared. If all key stakeholders are confident in one shared language then it would be most efficient to produce the documentation in that language alone.
3 is false. Whilst it is true that too many subheadings can be distracting, sensible use of headings is important and helpful in making the writing easy to follow.
5 is false. Some repetition might be necessary, for example from an executive summary to the main content of a paper, but generally you should avoid repeating anything in a document. Keep it as simple as possible!
The following statements refer either to forums or events. Cluster or group the statements according to which of the two they describe.
- formal meetings of a large number of participants representing a wide range of stakeholders
- usually focus on a single identified theme
- sometimes given the title of ‘festival’
- usually held over several days
- public events
- their purpose is to share knowledge and experience on multiple WASH sector themes.
Forums:
- formal meetings of a large number of participants representing a wide range of stakeholders
- usually held over several days
- their purpose is to share knowledge and experience on multiple WASH sector themes.
Events:
- usually focus on a single identified theme
- sometimes given the title of ‘festival’
- public events.
Describe how the Multi Stakeholder Forum and Joint Technical Review can contribute to meeting the goals of the OWNP.
The Multi Stakeholder Forum (MSF), as the name suggests, brings together many different stakeholders so they can share and discuss their experiences. The Joint Technical Review (JTR) informs this process by identifying key issues for the next MSF so that discussion items can be prioritised. The JTR members make field visits and document their trips to ensure the MSF is accurately informed and can therefore discuss knowledgeably based on facts. Reporting on and publication of the proceedings of the MSF ensures that information is shared and available to others. The undertakings by the MSF provide targeted action points for moving ahead with OWNP targets.
Describe how an international conference might be a good opportunity for learning and sharing to promote scaling up effective WASH services and interventions.
An international conference would bring together delegates from different countries with a range of experiences to share. For example, you might learn how people have already faced challenges that you are currently experiencing, and how they dealt with them successfully. Others might be reporting on pilot activities, and, through discussions with an expert community, can reflect on their learning and make informed decisions about the next step in scaling up those activities.