A Systems Approach to Knowledge Management Capacity Strengthening to Achieve Health Program Objectives

Knowledge management (KM) is all about connecting the dots—whether the dots are people who have knowledge and experience who can learn from each other, or the dots are different types of data, information, and knowledge that, when combined, can paint a holistic picture of a situation to inform sound program and policy decisions. By connecting these dots, KM can help create smarter family planning and reproductive health (FP/RH) programs (and organizations more broadly) by accelerating the flow of knowledge and improving decision making, and ultimately help the FP/RH workforce find solutions to complex problems.

At Knowledge SUCCESS, we do a lot of connecting the dots ourselves, and we also weave capacity strengthening in KM throughout our work so that other individuals, projects, and institutions working in FP/RH can better connect the dots.

A Systems Approach to Strengthening KM Capacity

We approach our KM capacity strengthening work as a partnership, based on mutual respect and reciprocity, drawing on USAID’s effective programming and partnerships principles. Furthermore, we start with the end goal in mind—to improve KM performance, not just capacity. In other words, we aim to help people, organizations, and networks apply their KM capacity to develop and implement more effective, efficient, and equitable KM initiatives in their health programs.

To make this happen, we recognize a systems approach is needed to sustain and institutionalize KM—one that considers not only individual knowledge and skills in KM but also the organizations within which individuals work as well as the overall network in which organizations operate (see Figure).

FIGURE: Knowledge SUCCESS Capacity Strengthening Systems Framework 

Individual Level: Immersive Training with Opportunities to Learn by Doing

At the individual level, we host virtual and physical training workshops to strengthen practical skills in KM among FP/RH professionals. We typically host these workshops at a regional level to also foster networking, sharing, and learning among professionals working in similar contexts.

Our workshops use a tailored strengths-based approach that considers participants’ existing KM capacities and needs rather than assuming one size fits all. In our Asia KM Champions program, for example, we start our work with cohorts by conducting a rapid needs assessment among the participants to identify existing KM capacity and desired areas of focus for training sessions. Furthermore, training sessions are flexible and inclusive to allow learning and connections across the diverse backgrounds of the participants who come from a range of organizations and countries. One KM Champion from Asia referred to this approach as “immersive”:

It’s called the immersive experience, not capacity strengthening … So as part of the immersive experience, I liked how it was tailored for each one, because everybody’s needs were different. 

We also facilitate peer-to-peer learning and networking among and between our regional KM champion groups and provide opportunities for KM champions to apply what they’re learning to transform capacity into actual performance, based on their needs and interests. For example, a KM champion from Asia worked with Knowledge SUCCESS staff to organize and host a webinar on strategies to engage the private sector in FP/RH and wrote a blog post on engaging private providers to support high-quality FP/RH services through peer-to-peer learning. In East Africa, FP/RH professionals who have participated in our Learning Circles program have gone on to co-facilitate subsequent Learning Circles cohorts.

Organization Level: Learning Resources and Technical Assistance on KM Systems, Processes, and Outputs

To support KM capacity strengthening at the organization level, we have developed and shared learning tools and resources to support other KM trainers and health program managers to provide training in KM. One of our key learning resources, the Knowledge Management Training Package for Global Health Programs, includes more than 20 ready-to-use and adaptable training modules on foundational KM topics, like developing a KM strategy and monitoring KM interventions, and on specific KM approaches like storytelling and learning from failure.

We also provide consultative assistance to organizations to help ensure the various human, physical, financial, and technological elements of KM are functional and resourced. For example, we’ve provided technical assistance to organizations on best practices for website development, crafting high-impact dissemination strategies, and developing indicators to monitor and evaluate KM activities, to name a few areas.

Finally, we have provided modest, time-bound grants to local organizations, through The Pitch competition, to address challenges in their country’s FP/RH programming that stem from knowledge and information flows. For example, Blind Youth Association Nepal used the grant funding to develop national disability-inclusive FP/RH guidelines, in partnership with Nepal’s national Family Welfare Division, to address the physical and cultural barriers that persons with disabilities face with accessing services. The Pitch has supported 12 organizations in total between 2021 and 2024.

Network Level: Infusing KM Into Collaboration Structures and Strategies

At the network level, we aim to strengthen coordination and collaboration structures, such as national coordinating bodies, technical working groups, and communities of practice (COPs), by infusing KM practices into their work to take advantage of what is already known, better share and use knowledge from a variety of sources, and discuss strategic areas for coordination, cooperation, and collaboration. For example, we worked with five francophone African countries to integrate KM interventions in their countries’ family planning costed implementation plans (CIPs)—a capacity strengthening intervention we refer to as “collective impact” in our framework. Collective impact, according to the capacity development interventions guide from the Strengthening Civil Society Globally program, refers to a structured approach that brings together multiple stakeholders from different sectors to pursue a common agenda and promote collaboration and sustainable change. Participants in CIP working groups included KM because they realized that activities like coordination among stakeholders and documentation of program lessons and best practices were essential to avoiding duplication of effort, maximizing use of limited resources, and achieving their FP/RH objectives. Similarly, we provided technical assistance to the Philippines national population agency, the Commission on Population and Development (POPCOM), to develop a national KM strategy because they recognized the critical role of KM in facilitating effective collaboration among partners to achieve the country’s population and development goals.

Evaluations Suggest Strengthened Capacity and Improved Performance

In recent internal evaluations of our KM capacity strengthening work in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, participants described having a better understanding of how to implement KM systematically and being able to apply this new understanding to the way they manage and implement their FP/RH programs. They also described adopting KM practices like stakeholder involvement and information sharing before, during, and after an intervention, as well as hiring of KM staff, to better achieve their FP/RH program objectives.

Earlier, we didn’t quite have a good understanding of KM. Even though we were incorporating KM in our work, in our projects, we were not more systematic about it. So, when I participated in this cohort of KM champions, we had several discussions about it among our team members and we also decided on drafting our KM strategy for our organization.

—KM capacity strengthening participant from Asia

We’ve changed the way we do things, involving stakeholders from the very beginning of the activity, and sharing information at every stage, right through to the end of the publications. I think that’s something we didn’t know before.

—KM capacity strengthening participant from Francophone West Africa

Furthermore, a participant in our East Africa Youth KM Champions program explained that their participation in Knowledge SUCCESS’s capacity strengthening program not only enhanced their KM abilities but also provided opportunities for career advancement:

I’ve been growing in [my country] as a very unique young professional who influences other young professionals to learn from me. Just 26 years old, been moving as program officer, now as a program director in a youth-led organization … it’s because of the engagement of these kinds of activities and … capacity strengthening workshops… These kinds of platforms are very, very important in growing our careers.

—KM capacity strengthening participant from East Africa

What’s Next?

Recently we have been working with the East, Central, and Southern Africa College of Nursing and Midwifery (ECSACONM) —a professional association serving over 5,000 nurses and midwives across 17 African countries —to build on and grow their existing KM capacity to advance their overall goal of promoting and strengthening professional excellence in nursing and midwifery in the region to improve health systems and the overall health of communities.

We adopted a co-creation approach with ECSACONM, leveraging its existing systems to enhance effectiveness and efficiencies with the core KM components of people, platforms, and processes. Starting with a KM capacity assessment using the KM Index, we identified several areas of strength in KM. For example, ECSACONM had a web presence and shared regular newsletters where members could access the latest news and educational resources. They also offered online continuing professional development courses for their members and convened biennial conferences to share insights and strategies to advance nursing and midwifery across the region. The capacity assessment also identified priority areas that ECSACONM wanted to improve, including optimizing their website and enhancing opportunities for knowledge sharing, creation, and dissemination with their members. Together, we decided on a short list of meaningful indicators to track and assess whether our capacity strengthening efforts lead to improvements in KM performance, such as the ability of ECSACONM members to apply the knowledge shared through the ECSACONM website and convenings to the members’ own nursing and midwifery work. These indicators reflect the ultimate outcomes that KM initiatives aim to achieve—improved learning about what works and what doesn’t work in global health and application of that learning to improve decision-making, practices, and programs.

With this plan, we have worked closely with the ECSACONM Secretariat to develop an audience-responsive website and to connect their members with important nursing and midwifery knowledge through a variety of engaging KM techniques and tools. For the website, we supported ECSACONM to conduct a user experience assessment and usability testing, which they used to inform website improvements to make it easier for members to find the information they need. For example, the refreshed website now includes an enhanced mechanism for members to pay their membership fees and access courses—features that are in high demand from their members. We also improved peer-to-peer technical knowledge sharing among ECSACONM members by integrating Knowledge SUCCESS’s Learning Circles program within ECSACONM platforms. For instance, an upcoming Learning Circles cohort with members will focus on what has changed in midwifery training and practice and how to make it better. In addition, we mentored and collaborated with ECSACONM to share examples of effective programming and lessons learned on priority topics, such as the role of nurses and midwives in accelerating postpartum family planning in East Africa, through engaging webinars.

Implementation of our capacity strengthening work with ECSACONM is ongoing, but early markers suggest a strong commitment to KM among ECSACONM and an acknowledgement of its power for the institution and its membership. In fact, at the recent ECSA-HC Best Practices Forum, an ECSACONM Secretariat member shared their reflections on how our KM capacity strengthening partnership has helped increase stakeholder engagement at a presentation titled, Leveraging Technology and Innovation to Strengthen Knowledge Management and Stakeholder Engagement for ECSACONM.

We also have been supporting the FP2030 Regional Hubs to improve the FP2030 commitment process and the use of diverse KM tools and techniques, including peer-to-peer learning methods, to facilitate knowledge sharing, adaptation, and use among its audiences. Our support has focused on systematically integrating KM into the regional networks in order to sustain and institutionalize KM. For example, we provided technical assistance to the FP20320 East and Southern Africa and North, West and Central Africa Hubs to conduct KM needs assessments, which will inform the development of KM strategies for the two hubs.

As we continue this exciting work with ECSACONM, the FP2030 Hubs, and other partners, we are embracing a capacity sharing mindset in recognition that we are also learning from our partners how to best contribute to and measure institutionalization of KM, which we will feed into a strengthened and refreshed capacity sharing systems framework for the project—and inform the broader FP/RH and global health community.

For more information about our regional KM work, including capacity strengthening initiatives, visit our regional landing pages: