KPSRL Distilling Series - Learning About Learning

KPSRL is finishing the 2021 – 2024 iteration of the platform. This article is part of a KPSRL ‘distilling series.’ It looks back at contributions of the network to KPSRL products (events, research, podcasts etc.) between 2021 and 2024 on four themes:

1. Locally Led Development (to be found here)

This paper collects findings on rethinking power relations and diverging interests within this sector, taking leadership and ownership, and navigating risks for local organizations and donors in times of donors focusing on domestic priorities and shrinking civic space in FCAS.

2. People Centered Approaches (to be found here)

This paper collects findings on bridging the gap between individual experiences and humane institutions, defining ‘people centeredness’, hybrid security and justice, fostering trust between communities and/or institutions, and taking needs instead of a system’s siloes and regulations as a starting point.

3. Roots of Disagreement and Polarization (in development)

This paper collects findings on the sources of polarization and diverging world views, identifying  arguments that parties to polarized SRoL debates use to justify their positions. Ultimately, the piece aims to suggest points of common ground to allow for useful dialectical opportunities rather than a clash of worldviews.

4. Learning About Learning (this piece)

This paper aims to reflect on the practice and results of knowledge management and organi sational learning for international cooperation. It builds on a literature review of documents produced by discussions among KPSRL network participants between 2021 and 2025 on the topics of knowledge management and organisational learning, as well as on deliverables from knowledge projects funded by the KPSRL and executed by KPSRL network participants during the same period. This literature review of sources internal to the KPSRL was complemented by a rapid scan of literature on organisational learning publicly available online (without the ambition of conducting a systematic review). The literature review identifies five models for organisational learning: the Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning paradigm, the Adaptive Management paradigm, the Learning Organisation paradigm, social innovation theory, and decolonial and feminist learning theory. 

The distilling papers’ goals are to bring together KPSRL’s 2021 – 2024 efforts on these themes, that can feed into KPAC24. It does not seek to give a comprehensive historic and academic overview of the debates. However, we do briefly touch upon the most recent state of this debate for our field, including some key dilemmas and definitions.

This distilling should solidify the overarching narratives and recurring recommendations over the years. This should facilitate further uptake with policy makers, researchers and practitioners within the KPSRL network.