Knowledge for Change - learning about knowledge brokering

Knowledge for Change - learning about knowledge brokering

Share this:
Project detail:
Timeframe:
-
Status: Active
Countries: Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean
Themes: Learning from CDKN's experience

Context

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has called for systems-wide transitions, resilience building and an urgent all-of-society response to address the climate change crisis. While research information and its tailoring into accessible knowledge products plays an important role in informing climate decision-making and action, strong knowledge and innovation brokering are also essential to navigate a complex environment that encompasses a range of sectors and stakeholders with different values and priorities, at multiple scales.

Knowledge brokering is the process of moving knowledge into action, where knowledge brokers link producers and users of knowledge to facilitate the generation, dissemination and eventual use of that knowledge. The range of activities they are involved in can be understood along a spectrum that goes from working with information flows to seeking to bring about systemic change (see Figure below).

Spectrum of Knowledge Broker Roles
Spectrum of knowledge broker roles, adapted from Harvey et al. (2012) and Shaxson et al. (2012)

Project objectives

The Knowledge for Change series reflects on the common challenges, lessons and successes CDKN and its partners have encountered in facilitating evidence-based decision-making to accelerate climate action. The aim of this work is to better understand how knowledge and evidence on climate change can inform and translate into policy and implementation. This reflection process has investigated different tools and approaches for enhancing the use of knowledge in decision-making, the barriers encountered in facilitating change, and lessons useful for others who navigate similar challenges.

Project outputs

The project’s key outputs are:

Related

Feature
2nd December 2024
How do we surface and address power dynamics for more inclusive and equitable co-creation processes? The CDKN and CLARE teams share some collective knowledge on holding co-creation processes with diverse participants, particularly when it comes to surfacing and addressing power dynamics.
Feature
22nd October 2024
Democratising knowledge for transformative climate action Making knowledge systems more diverse to meet the needs of multiple stakeholders and audiences has been at the forefront of the climate change conversations, especially for adaptation. This blog explores how knowledge brokering could be co-created in an inclusive and innovative manner for resilience building at the local level.
Feature
11th September 2024
Reflecting as we go – Lessons from designing and delivering CDKN’s knowledge brokering workshops CDKN Learning Lead, Lucia Scodanibbio, reflects on what she’s discovered so far from developing and facilitating the first knowledge brokering workshops of the third phase of CDKN.
Feature
19th June 2024
The (ongoing) journey to the ‘All hands on deck’ card experience CDKN’s Learning Lead, Lucia Scodanibbio, describes the evolution of the knowledge brokering reflection cards that have been developed to facilitate more dynamic, playful meetings that yet focus on serious issues.
Feature
4th August 2023
Practising what we preach: CDKN’s own co-creation adventure CDKN Learning lead, Lucia Scodanibbio, reflects on a recent three day co-creation process the CDKN team undertook to develop a capacity strengthening programme to assist knowledge brokers to be more effective facilitators of climate action. While acknowledging the challenges associated with co-creation spaces, Lucia emphasises the sustainable, inclusive and effective solutions that can emerge from them.
Resource
13th February 2023
The role of knowledge brokers in advancing climate action In the climate arena and more widely, there are many terms to describe activities within the ‘knowledge-to-action’ spectrum – what CDKN terms ‘knowledge brokering’. This CDKN journal article and accompanying Essentials brief summarises how CDKN defines and understands climate knowledge brokering.
Resource
5th August 2022
Learning Story: Collaborative urban water management bridges knowledge and action in Nepal This learning story shares the work done by the Southasia Institute of Advanced Studies (SIAS) to promote evidence-based action on sustainable water resource management in Dhulikhel, Nepal.
Resource
5th August 2022
Learning Story: How research and engagement influenced Uganda’s climate change adaptation landscape This learning story shares lessons from undertaking an economic assessment study of the impacts of climate change in Uganda, including how it has since been used to inform policy and planning.
Resource
5th October 2021
Learning Story: Lessons from mainstreaming climate change in Namibia This learning story recounts the lessons learned by researchers and practitioners in Namibia over seven years of implementing different research projects on climate adaptation and resilience.