Following is a template for a basic KM plan. It can be adapted and used by project staff, or by IFAD staff working in country offices and hubs. Examples of project and country programmes can be found here.
You can download the template as a Word file right here!
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A BASIC TEMPLATE
1. Current situation / background |
Before you map out where you want your KM Plan, find out where you are now. Is the project just starting? Or has it has been going for a number of years. If so, what has been accomplished so far from a KM point of view? How effective have previous efforts been? |
2. Overall programme / project objectives |
This KM Plan must support the Programme/Project objectives. Use this section to list the goal, objectives, major expected outcomes and targets of the Programme/Project. |
3. Purpose, objectives and expected results |
Define why KM is important, what you hope to achieve as a result of your KM and sharing activities. In line with IFAD’s corporate KM strategy, the overall objective could be to improve the project/country programme’s ability to generate, use and share knowledge to: achieve high quality project performance and results; support policy engagement, scaling up and partnership building; build awareness of the project among stakeholders; raise visibility of results and impact. Specify the main expected outcomes and outputs Clear, specific, and measurable objectives are key to the success of the KM plan. When setting these objectives, you should:
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4. Activities, approaches and tools |
Cluster the main activities under broad action areas, and specify responsibilities for implementation, milestones, budget and timelines at least for Year 1, with an indicative plan covering the subsequent 2-3 years, to be updated annually. The planned activities should at a minimum support: capture, analysis, use and sharing of lessons learned and results during implementation; development of knowledge products; internal process for broad consultation with IFAD target groups; analytical work building on project M&E data; dissemination of knowledge products to increase visibility of project results and successes. Describe the main approaches and tools that may be used to facilitate implementation of the KM plan. Include a summary in the project/country programme AWPB. |
5. Knowledge sharing & knowledge products |
Identify knowledge products to be developed and their purpose, including publications, studies, lessons learned, etc. Define target audiences, and communications and dissemination plans for knowledge products at the outset, before investing time and resources in developing products that may be unsuitable for your intended end users. Knowledge products may not always be the most effective way to share results, lessons, evidence and so on generated by a project or country programme. It is important to consider what may be the best ways to reach and influence key stakeholders such project participants, government policy makers or partners. In these cases, events such as knowledge fairs, roundtable discussions, or easily accessible information materials could be other options to consider. Networks and communities are ideal vehicles for knowledge sharing, collaboration, learning and co-creation of knowledge. |
6. KM in project management |
Define clear roles and responsibilities for KM of project managers and staff, and implementation partners. A sample terms of reference for a KM officer is here. Describe how data and information from project M&E will be used for decision-making, to answer learning questions, and in developing knowledge products. Describe the project information management system: how documentation and data will be organized into easily accessible repositories. |
7. Work plan and budget |
In addition to section 3, you may wish to present the activities, responsibilities, milestones, timelines in table format. A results framework is also optional. At a minimum, the budget for your KM plan should be presented clearly and in a standard format recognized by project/country programme managers. |
8. Evaluating success |
It's important to assess your plan regularly so that any changes, if necessary, can be made as needed, or at least annually. In this section, describe indicators and monitoring methods, ideally for inclusion in the project M&E system, in order to track results and impact of KM activities. Sample indicators and monitoring methods are here [LINK]. |