Presentation by Arno Boersma to the SIKM Leaders Community on Dec. 17, 2019; Bridging Islands of Knowledge (both real and metaphorically)

1. Arno Boersma (Island Impact)
@ SIKM Leaders Community Call 17/12/2019
Bridging Islands of Knowledge
(both real and metaphorically...)

2. Case: KM meets Sustainable Development
The case of the COE knowledge centre,
an initiative of the UNDP, the Kingdom of the
Netherlands, and the Government of Aruba.
[now being absorbed by the University of Aruba]
The knowledge centre’s objective:
• Leverage the expertise and experience of
Small Island Developing States (SIDS)
in sustainable development
to strengthen their innovation and resilience by:
• exchange of knowledge on sustainable
practices such as energy, tourism,
environment, water, and innovation
• incl. through an online platform.
2

3. 3. Knowledge
&
Development
1. Cross-
cultural
Management
2. International
Marketing
How did I get here?
 1995
2000  …
1995 - 2000
3ME

4. Why focus on sustainable development of SIDS?
4
Videolink: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNC5um1_VUE

5. 5
Why focus on sustainable development of SIDS?

6. Why knowledge sharing between islands is especially
important for their sustainable development…
• Similar challenges, such as dependency on
imports and narrow economies;
• Climate change brings an existential threat to
many islands;
• Often overlooked, so good to leverage the
‘wisdom of crowds’;
• Could be laboratories for innovation if
complementarities/synergies are identified.
But…
• Limited resources and capacity to address the
issues;
• Relative higher impact of failures;
• Relative higher impact when reinventing wheels;
• Limited scalability to make solutions viable. 6

7. Why knowledge sharing between islands
often doesn’t happen…
• People with the knowledge are too busy to
capture knowledge;
• People who need the knowledge are too busy
to look for it;
• People assume it is not relevant to their own
specific context;
• There are cultural differences between the
islands (Caribbean – Pacific);
• People would rather invent it themselves
(not-invented-here syndrome);
• There is no measurement mechanism or data.
7

8. • There is competition between islands for
resources, capacity, markets;
• Peers on islands are too geographically
dispersed, face-to-face meetings difficult;
• Due to brain drain people with the knowledge
may no longer be there;
• The mechanisms for knowledge exchange are
not always user-friendly;
• …
Why knowledge sharing between islands
often doesn’t happen…
8

9. So we gathered insights on
how best to share knowledge…

10. The kick-off event of the Centre
Attended by:
• Antigua and
Barbuda
• Aruba
• Barbados
• Belize
• Comoros
• Cuba
• Curacao
• Dominican
Republic
• Grenada
• Guyana
• Jamaica
• Marshall Islands
• Mauritius
• Nauru
• Niue
• Palau
• Saint Lucia
• Saint Vincent and
The Grenadines
• Samoa
• Seychelles
• St. Maarten
(Dutch)
• Tonga
• Trinidad And
Tobago
• Tuvalu
• Vanuatu
Video: https://vimeo.com/192521818
10

11. Emerging knowledge exchange activities
Virtual Platform
(www.sustainablesids.org)
Inaugural Training “Roadmaps
for Sustainable Development””
(14-16 Nov. 2016; 26 SIDS)
Case studies
on Renewable Energy,
Sustainable Tourism, and PPPs.
11
Technical Assistance visits
to 7 SIDS.

12. Working on our ‘wicked’ knowledge problems
(tackled at the KOAM K-Jam in DC in 2017)
12

13. 1. How to engage (very) busy policy-makers - who
are (very) geographically spread - in relevant ways?
• Bite-sized content;
• Gamification tactics;
• Habit-forming tactics;
• Support-network buildup;
• Custom networks (private groups);
• SME directory;
• Superstar endorsements.
13

14. 2. How to manage the breadth of knowledge topics
(i.e. SDGs) with a small team in ways that are timely
and relevant? Or should we focus more?
• Stakeholder (priority) analysis;
• Learn from similar organizations;
• Build a supporting ecosystem;
• Continuous stakeholder engagement;
• Be knowledge broker (as opposed to creator);
• Test your communications.
14

15. 3. How to effectively leverage the portfolio of
communication channels, both on- and offline to
raise awareness around the Centre?
• Branding Assessment;
• Community Surveys;
• Community Development Strategy;
• Relationship Channel Strategy.
15

16. 10 ways by which the Centre facilitated
knowledge sharing between islands
16
Video: https://vimeo.com/317040575

17. Going for sustainable impact

18. 18
Going for sustainable impact

19. 19
Looking back: Lessons (from a UNDP article)
1. Focus on knowledge
demand;
2. Leverage complementary
networks;
3. Create smart
combinations.
Article:
https://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/
blog/2018/3-lessons-from-a-small-innovative-
centre-supporting-big-ocean-states.html

20. 20
Looking back: Tips (from an IISD article)
1. Ensure High-level Commitment;
2. Think Big, Start Small;
3. Show Quick, Tangible Results;
4. Use What Exists, Before You Invest;
5. It’s about People, Not Technology.
Article:
https://sdg.iisd.org/commentary/guest-articles/smart-sids-
share-sdgs-5-tips-for-islands-to-leverage-its-most-
renewable-resource-for-the-2030-agenda/

21. Thank you.
Questions?
Contact me on LinkedIn
Arno Boersma (Island Impact)
www.linkedin.com/in/arnoboersma