Published by the West Africa Rural Foundation (WARF) with IFAD support. The following participated in the preparation of this guide: Ndèye Coumba FALL; Adama Abdoulaye NDIAYE ; Abdou FALL; Ousmane Touré TIMERA; Ngagne MBAO; Thierry F. BARRETO

2. Capitalization and enhancement of the experiences of IFAD-funded development projects and
programmes in West and Central Africa
Methodological Guide
Published by the West Africa Rural Foundation (WARF) with IFAD support
The following participated in the preparation of this guide:
Ndèye Coumba FALL
Adama Abdoulaye NDIAYE
Abdou FALL
Ousmane Touré TIMERA
Ngagne MBAO
Thierry F. BARRETO
Many thanks to:
- Messrs. Boubacar DIAO - Mouhamed BA associate consultants,
- All West and Central African projects funded by IFAD for their contribution to the preparation of
this guide.
Illustration: Cheikh BA, Designer
This publication was made possible by Grant 1035 from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).
Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official view of IFAD.
© FRAO/WARF - Dakar, 2009
FRAO/WARF – FIDAfrique/IFADAfrica Coordination
Fondation Rurale de l’Afrique de l’Ouest/ West Africa Rural Foundation (FRAO/WARF)
N° 10075, Sacré- Cœur III- VDN - C.P. 13 DAKAR-Fann, SENEGAL
Tel: (221) 33 865 00 60 - Fax: (221) 33 860 66 89 -
E-mails: secretary@frao.info; contact@fidafrique.net
Web site: www.frao.info; www.fidafrique.net
2

3. CAPITALIZATION AND ENHANCEMENT
OF THE EXPERIENCES OF DEVELOPMENT
PROJECTS AND PROGRAMMES
-
METHODOLOGIAL GUIDE
Dakar – FRAO/WARF – 2009
3

4. CONTENTS
ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMES ............................................................................. 5
INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................... 6
FOREWORD ............................................................................................................................ 7
- For whom is this guide intended ....................................................................................... 7
- What this guide is not ....................................................................................................... 7
- What does this guide represent ......................................................................................... 8
PART ONE – DEFINITION OF CONCEPTS ..................................................................... 9
DEFINITION .......................................................................................................................... 10
- Experience capitalization, a resource enhancement process .......................................... 10
- Capitalization, a component of knowledge management ............................................... 11
- Capitalization, a formalization process ........................................................................... 11
- Capitalization, a learning process ................................................................................... 12
- Capitalization, an act of sharing, solidarity and generosity ............................................ 13
PART TWO – EXPERIENCE CAPITALIZATION AND ENHANCEMENT
APPROACH ........................................................................................................................... 14
2.1 Diagnostics of capitalization and communication practices within projects .................. 16
2.1.1 Self-assessment of organizational variables............................................ 17
2.1.2 Self-assessment of project practices........................................................ 23
2.2 What should we capitalize on? .............................................................................. 27
2.2.1 Identify knowledge within the project .................................................... 27
2.2.2 Identify capitalization themes ................................................................. 32
2.2.2.1 Definition of criteria for the selection of capitalization
themes ..................................................................................... 32
2.2.2.2 Choosing capitalization themes .............................................. 34
2.3 How to capitalize? ................................................................................................ 36
2.3.1 Some capitalization tools ........................................................................ 36
2.3.1 Systematic experience analysis ............................................................... 52
PART THREE – KNOWLEDGE SHARING METHODS ................................................ 54
3.1 The sharing levels and tools .................................................................................. 55
3.2 Evaluation of the performance of sharing tools .................................................... 56
3.3 Some sharing tools ................................................................................................ 58
3.3.1 A description of some sharing tools in the villages and area of
intervention ............................................................................................ 58
3.3.2 Description of some sharing tools used by projects ................................ 69
3.3.3 Description of some sharing at both national and international levels ... 73
BIBLIOGRAPHY .................................................................................................................. 77
4

5. ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS
ACEP : Alliance de Crédit et d’Epargne pour la Production/ Credit and Savings
Alliance for Production
ASUFOR : Association des Usagers de Forages /Association of Borehole Users
WADB : West African Development Bank
CERP : Coopérative d’Exploitation et de Répartition
CLEC : Caisse Locale d’Epargne et de Crédit /Local Savings and Credit Fund
CMS : Crédit Mutuel du Sénégal
RC : Rural Community
IDRC : International Development Research Centre
CRETEF : Centre Regional d’Enseignement Technique Féminin/Regional Technical
Education Centre for Women
CTA : Centre Technique de Coopération Agricole ET Rurale /Technical Centre
for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation
DIDFE : Début ; Introduction ou Information ; Discussion ; Fin ; Evaluation /
Commencement, Introduction or Information, Discussion, Conclusion,
Evaluation
DPH : Dialogue for Human Progress
FAO : United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization
IFAD : International Fund for Agricultural Development
FPH : Foundation for Human Progress
WARF : West African Rural Foundation
MFI : Microfinancing institution
MARP : Méthode d’Analyse Rapide ET de Planification Participative / Rapid
Analysis and Participatory Planning Method
MER/RMB : Rural Micro-Business
NICT : New Information and Communication Technology
OCB /GCO : Grassroots Community Organization
NGO : Non- Governmental Organization
PADV : Project d’Aménagement ET de Development Villageois /Village
Planning and Development Project
UNDP : United Nations Development Programme
PRAAP : Programme de Recherche et d’Appui aux Organizations Paysannes
/ Research and Farmer Organization Support Programme
PROMER : Project de Promotion des Micro-Entreprises Rurales/Rural Micro-
Business Promotion Project
PTBA/WPAB : Plan de Travail et de Budget Annuel/Work Plan and Annual Budget
SEPO : Succès ; Echecs ; Potentialités ; Obstacles /Accomplishments, Failures,
Potentials, Obstacles
SIC/ICS : Information and Communication System
IUCN : International Union for the Conservation of Nature
UMEC : Union des Mutuelles d’Epargne et de Crédit /Savings and Credit Union
UNESCO : United Nations Organization for Education, Science and Culture
5

6. INTRODUCTION
Why this guide?
The IFADAfrica network was set up in West and Central Africa in 1999 by the International
Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) with the aim of improving the management of
projects through the linkage of persons and networks to facilitate learning, experience and
innovation sharing and thus reduce rural poverty in this region.
«The issue of rural development and poverty reduction is among the key concerns of the
International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). Its strategy is as follows: «To increase
the income of the rural poor of West and Central Africa and improve living conditions, IFAD
will tackle the critical mass of priority needs (...). To that end, it will prepare and implement
projects and programmes based on results and flexible, participatory and equitable learning,
which is attentive to gender issues, sustainable both from the environmental and institutional
standpoints, and capable of providing elements that are useful for policy analysis and
consultation».
Knowledge management is an important process in the implementation of this strategy. It entails
providing projects and programmes with a conceptual and methodological framework to enable
them to build on the lessons of their experiences, in order to step up the efficiency of their
interventions relative to development. Such a framework is meant to:
« i) - enable the rural poor make the most of the acquired knowledge in order to improve
their living conditions;
ii) – provide IFAD partners who are in direct contact with the rural poor, with the
knowledge they need; and
iii) - build on the experience acquired through projects, and ensure their broader flow at
national and regional levels, with a view to guiding decisions relative to investments and
policies ».
In the sustainable development and poverty reduction sector, efficiency lies in the increased
capacity to generate and disseminate knowledge, best practices and lessons learnt from projects.
This guide has been designed in a bid to satisfy IFADAfrica’s strong demand for such a
knowledge management support instrument.
For WARF which has, for several years, put a lot into the sustainable development and poverty
reduction sector, knowledge management has become a major axis for learning and innovation.
For this reason, after proving itself in the area of participatory diagnosis (PD) in the 1990s, it has
been engaged, over the past few years, in the methodological research of knowledge
management.
6

7. FOREWORD
For whom is this guide intended?
This guide is, first and foremost, addressed to personnel of IFAD projects and programmes in
West and Central Africa. This document will provide project management units and their partners
with an approach that will assist them in the implementation of an internal reflection, experience
and knowledge sharing process. It is also intended for project teams in the field whose role in the
transmission of information to the management units is essential for the monitoring-evaluation of
project indicators.
Moreover, this document and some of its participatory media could prove useful to cooperating
institutions and IFAD officials when they engage in reflection, during supervision missions
and/or those undertaken to prepare the Work Plan and Annual Budget (WPAB).
It perfectly fits into the strategy of IFADAfrica’s network consisting in devising an approach for
IFAD projects and their partners, in order to help them to develop their own experience
capitalization and exchange plans. While we agree that it is inspired by practices that have
already been tested in other similar IFAD-supported projects in Latin America and Asia, we
observe that it seeks to maintain a certain specificity in relation to sharing habits and practices
which are typically cultural or due to poverty (oral character, illiteracy), and imbalanced access
to a certain communication environment.
Finally, it is addressed to all projects and programmes which share the vision whereby
sustainable development is not a set of isolated actions, but a transformation process which takes
place because different actors (officers, partners, operators, beneficiaries, providers…) intervene
at different times or levels and according to various methods. This means that knowledge has no
value unless it is shared; knowledge can be acquired only through experiential learning,
regardless of whether the experience is profitable or not.
What this guide is not?
This guide should not be seen as a catalogue of instruments which, if fervently
implemented, provide finished capitalization products. It does not claim to present an
approach which provides answers to all project situations and turn all the officers into
“champions of capitalization.” ; it is understood that the projects will resort to the services
of resource-persons, experts in the fields targeted by project.
This guide is not a school manual because:
- The content is not structured in teaching units and lessons, with applications, summaries,
consolidation, appraisal and evaluation exercises.
- The organization of contents does not follow a taxonomical logic based on pacing in the
acquisition of knowledge, know-how and inter-personal skills.
However, even though the guide is different from a school manual, it serves the latter’s essential
functions, namely:
7

8. - The transmission of knowledge: This guide contains information concerning the key
concepts of capitalization and strategic planning
- The development of capacities and skills: the application of the methodological approach
and the use of several tools proposed here make it possible to acquire practical know-how,
capacities and skills in capitalization.
What does this guide represent?
This guide is meant to complete the procedures and methods already produced by IFAD. More
specifically, it seeks to:
- concretely take into account the situation of IFAD projects and the mechanisms
used to conduct them;
- present a conceptual approach built on the basis of the participatory diagnosis of
two Senegalese projects, the analysis of questionnaires sent to all projects as well
as the contribution of the Ouagadougou1 workshop held in September 2005.
Providing the targets with an instrument which satisfies their needs was a
recurrent concern.
- avoid excessive abstraction and a level of sophistication which only a qualified
trainer could use;
- start from a conceptual identification of experience capitalization and
enhancement which provides project officers with theoretical guidelines to enable
them to innovate and adapt the proposed tools and instruments to their own
context, if necessary.
This guide is meant to be an accessible tool, enabling IFAD project and programme officers to
understand and use it critically.
For this reason, it is simple, clear and :
- Brief: a voluminous document is often discouraging.
References will be provided in the bibliography for those wishing, for example, to
diversify the media for additional information;
- The analysis and comments are illustrative and demonstrative. Significant clarifications
are made through extracts of operations undertaken and practices used during the
participatory diagnosis with the project teams of Senegal, and questionnaires sent to other
projects ;
- Participatory: These tools were also tested in other countries of the sub-region like Ghana,
Mauritania, the Gambia, and Burkina Faso. The content of this guide is far from being an
article of faith. It proposes a methodological approach which should be enriched with
experiences and their eventual applications, within the framework of development
projects and programmes.
1
Atelier de validation du manuel de capitalisation des expériences à l’intention des projets du FIDA en Afrique de
l’Ouest et du Centre. Ouagadougou (BF) 26‐28/09/2005.
8

9. PART ONE
DEFINITION OF CONCEPTS
9

10. DEFINITION
The literature concerning development projects and programmes contains many definitions of the
capitalization concept. To understand all the contours, a few of them can be selected and
crosschecked before indicating the general trend.
The first is that of Guy Le Boterf et al. (1994). For these authors, «Capitalization is transforming
into transferable knowledge a set of data and information concerning several experiences to be
compared ». Their definition specially lays emphasis on the construction process, the engineering
work done on the basis of results obtained from experiences. It also insists on the transferability
of the results of this process.
The second definition derives from WARF (2005) which considers capitalization as « a process
meant to create a capital from information or knowledge available in an organization in order to
enhance their value by placing them at the disposal of other institutions or actors. »
The third, drawn from IED (2007), considers capitalization as «a process consisting in the
acquisition, gathering, organization and analysis of information about a given experience, with a
view to drawing lessons from them and sharing these by using adapted media. » This definition
particularly describes the capitalization process as: Information gathering, and the organization
and analysis of this information to draw lessons from them. However, like the preceding
definitions, it also targets the sharing of capitalization results.
Thus, in these three definitions, capitalization is presented as:
- a resource enrichment process;
- a knowledge management process;
- a formalization process;
- a learning process ;
- an act of sharing, solidarity and generosity.
Experience capitalization, a resource enrichment process
Etymologically, capitalization is the action of building up a set of resources (monetary,
intellectual, moral, etc.) which pay off. It is a process consisting in enhancing accomplishments
and which, like an economic activity, is profit-seeking. Besides, it is this economic dimension
that we again find in the « capitalism » concept, known to be profit-seeking as well.
However, when applied to development projects and programmes, experience capitalization does
not target tangible or financial property, but knowledge, information deriving from experiences
and lessons drawn from the implementation of the activities.
10

11. Capitalization, a component of knowledge management
Knowledge is a precise and restricted set of information, capable of triggering changes or
inspiring more efficient actions in a broader context that can promote a new apprenticeship and
new knowledge. It stems from experiences and lessons drawn from the implementation of
activities. The knowledge of an organization can be divided into explicit knowledge which is
already expressed and codified in documentary form, and tacit, implicit or diffuse knowledge
comprising unwritten knowledge and know-how transmitted by word of mouth and embedded in
the officers’ mind.
Knowledge management supposes the creation, sharing and updating of such knowledge. To that
end, there is need to establish mechanisms and procedures to gather, organize, present and
disseminate information to actors and partners in time, as well as appraise these operations.
Knowledge management also entails learning from various institutions-partners, non-
governmental organizations and, in particular, the disadvantaged groups who have experiences
which can be used by the projects.
Knowledge management practices are applied by so-called learning institutions. This means that
an institution and its officers need to have a learning culture in order to embark on capitalization.
The learning culture supposes open-mindedness, attitudes and behaviours which show that each
actor has a certain knowledge which, if shared, will improve the performance of both the group
and the institution.
Capitalization, a formalization process
All experiences generate lessons and our goal is to capitalize these lessons. To draw lessons from
actual experiences, there is need to elaborate and formalize them. Therein lies the art of
capitalization. Formalization is not report writing. Contrary to the report’s simple description of
experiences and practices, formalization calls for an analysis, characterization and
conceptualization effort. It is meant to build a «simplified and explanatory representation of the
reality under study ». Thus, to formalize the results of a development activity, the actions taken
should be identified, by establishing the assumptions and the objectives, describing the
implementation process, identifying and characterizing the effects, and finding explanatory
factors.
11

12. Diagram N° 1: The formalization process
Formalized and capitalized knowledge
(Preparation of Operational Representations)
Formalization Transferability
Formalization Formalization
Experience B Experience D
Experience A Experience C and its context
and its context and its context and its context
Source : Le Boterf et al. (1992)
Capitalization, a learning process
One always learns from a capitalization approach. The process consisting in describing and
analyzing experiences which we seek to capitalize, the resulting inductions, the generation of new
knowledge, the lessons drawn from the experiences analyzed in terms of accomplishments or
failures as well as the models and media used for these activities are very significant sources of
enrichment. They therefore constitute moments of learning.
Learning requires the capacity to listen to what the other says, does or thinks, showing interest in
the experiences lived or accomplished by others, the confrontation of one’s ideas and views with
those of other actors or organizations, the capacity to engage in self-criticism, taking ownership
of the contribution of others. Capitalization thus seems to be an exercise of humility.
Such a conception of capitalization basically leads to paradigm shifts in relations between actors
at the grassroots and Technical and Financial Partners (TFP). The latter have become learning
institutions, i.e. structures which pay constant attention to the various forms of changes occurring
in their environment. They know how to learn from the experiences of their own organization, as
well as from those of other actors.
12

13. Capitalization, an act of sharing, solidarity and generosity
Contrary to the individualistic approach of economic capitalization, capitalization in development
activities is an act of sharing, since the experiences of some can be of service to others.
Diagram N° 2: The capitalization concept
Expression of Knowledge
Identification Characterization Formulation
Knowledge Enhancement
Access Dissemination
Source: The Authors
13

14. PART TWO
EXPERIENCE CAPITALIZATION AND
ENHANCEMENT APPROACH
14

15. Diagram N° 3: CAPITALIZATION AND SHARING PROCESS
Phases Contents Tools
Diagnosis of Self‐assessment of practices Self‐assessment grid
capitalization
process
Self‐appraisal of Self‐assessment grid
organizational variables
Identification of an
SFPO
experience
What to capitalize
on? Identification of capitalization Classification in pairs
themes Classification matrix
Some capitalization tools Experience Sheet
Life story
How to capitalize?
Registration of practices
Case study …….
Sharing levels and tools
Internal Bulletin
Intranet
Knowledge sharing Performance evaluation
methods Data Sheets
tools
Radio programmes
Description of some
Audiovisual media
sharing tools
Source: The authors Website
15

16. 2.1 – Diagnosis of capitalization and communication practices within projects
If it is conducted by a facilitator, the first phase of the capitalization process consists in making a
diagnosis of experiences. The purpose is to draw up a baseline case of the project with respect to
capitalization and communication practices, on the one hand, and grasp the project’s position in
relation to an ideal behaviour of a learning institution, on the other. In this process, one is also
interested in the conditions in which the projects can mobilize and disseminate acquired
knowledge because the ideal behaviour targeted in IFAD-funded projects is that of learning
institutions which are effective in the information and communication field.
To that end, it is advisable to use a methodology essentially meant to stimulate reflection and
analysis among project officers and their key partners. In reality, it entails self-review or self-
assessment, since they are requested to take stock of their own experiences. If it is properly done,
the exercise should result in the writing of a briefing note presenting the project’s baseline case.
This case will be the entire team’s system of reference, and will make it possible, at the end of the
exercise, to check whether all the key issues have been taken into account in the action plan and
the capitalization projects. To draw up this baseline case, it is necessary to undertake the self-
assessment of project practices and organizational variables.
16

17. 2.1.1 Self-assessment of organizational variables
Pedagogical sheet of the self-assessment grid
PEDAGOGICAL SHEET N°1 :
It is a self-analysis tool of some organizational variables essential for the production, management
and exchange of information and knowledge within a working group.
The self-assessment grid enables the project team to:
- undertake a self-diagnosis of its information and communication system
- evaluate its capacity to innovate within its processes and activities, and;
- analyze its partnership strategy.
:
To help diagnose an aspect of the project, the self-appraisal identifies a certain number of variables which
are divided into sub-variables. The latter are broken up into statements or organisational situations. For
example, the «Communication» variable has three sub-variables: Information, Exchanges, and
Consultation. Each of these sub-variables is composed of 4 situations.
The tool takes the form of a grid with three columns. The middle column is a rating scale of 1 to 5. The two
columns situated at the two extremes present two organizational situations often opposed (or balanced)
within the project.
Method
With the self-appraisal, the diagnosis is undertaken individually and anonymously. Each team member
should participate freely and confidentially so as to be able to freely express his/her opinion about the
situation of the team in relation to the variable being considered. The grid is structured in such a way as to
give the participant the choice between two contradictory viewpoints from which he/she should choose.
Such a choice places the project on a scale of 1 to 5.
- If the statement on the left is fully applicable to your project, please tick 1.
- However, if the statement on the left is only partially applicable to your project, you should tick 2
- If the statement on the right is fully applicable to your project, please tick 5.
- If the statement on the left is only partially applicable to your project, you should tick 4.
- And finally, if your project can be classified between these two statements, please tick 3.
The choices produce a given result for the score per sub-variable. This score yields a diagnosis which
makes it possible to conduct an analysis of situations with which the project is confronted. The score of the
variable will result from the combination of the scores of the 3 sub-variables. For each variable and sub-
variable, three relative scores are possible: high, average, low.
NB: The scores obtained for each variable enable the group to analyze the results and come up with
recommendations. To that end, the group needs a facilitator to conduct this reflection in order to
communicate the project scores and make suggestions to improve the situation.
17

18. Self-appraisal grids on practices within projects
The proposed self-appraisal grids deal with:
- Information flow methods;
- Innovations;
- Partnership.
Information flow methods
To determine the information flow methods in the diagnosis of practices, there is need to deal
with the:
- internal and external aspects of information flow (everything that can be said in the project and
in all sectors);
- exchange dynamics resulting from information flow;
- consultation that facilitates information.
Information flow
1 2 3 4 5
In the project, we receive In the project, we receive all sorts
information that is useful for our of information
work
In the project, the information It is difficult to find information
produced in the past is accessible produced in the past
to all
In the project information flow Information does not flow easily
facilitates the work
In the projecct, information is In the project, useful information
received in time is received late
18

19. Exchange dynamics
1 2 3 4 5
Internal exchanges are free and In the project, internal exchanges
regular are done under pressure
Coordination meetings facilitate In the project, information
information sharing sharing is not encouraged
In the project, experience Experience exchanges are
sharing is considered as a way of considered as a waste of time
strengthening the institution
Exchanges with partners are Partners send us several
systematized reminders before obtaining a
reaction
Consultation
1 2 3 4 5
In the project, important In the project, the manager
decisions are the fruit of imposes his/her viewpoint during
concensus important decisions
The project has a mitigation In the project, conflicts are
mechanism which significantly common
contrains conflicts
Collegial management is used a Deision-making is the exclusive
lot in the project responsibility of the manager
The project is a member of a The project is not a member of
consultation framework which any consultation framework, and
facilitates sharing with other this restricts sharing with other
organzations organizations
19

20. Innovations
The encouragement of innovation and creativeness is a development factor for organizations.
Innovation contributes to the promotion of actions likely to generate profitable changes in relation to
the objectives set. Learning is one of its methods. Besides, Innovating means introducing something
new, unusual and unknown. The role of managers is to try to change and renew. To innovate, one
needs to learn and to transmit, which cannot be done without some amount of flexibility. Thus, a
flexible organization should be interested in always testing new approaches, encouraging
creativeness, innovating continuously and developing a capacity to anticipate on events in order to
avoid being affected by them all the time
Learning
1 2 3 4 5
The project facilitates the The project does not encourage
acquisition of knowledge the re-skilling of officers
through the re-skilling of its
members
Testing new ideas before The project rarely tests new ideas
generalizing them is a common before generalizing them
practice of the project
The organization ensures that The project does not show much
knowledge acquired during concern for putting into practice
workshops is put to practice knowledge acquired during
workshops
The project effectively The project has poor process and
capitalizes processes and approach capitalization
approaches techniques
20

21. Flexibility
1 2 3 4 5
One seeks to innovate by The project is stuck in routines
developing new approaches
The project’s operating rules are The project’s cumbersome
simple and flexible bureaucracy inhibits its potentialities
Innovations are acepted without The fear of innovations impedes the
difficulty and with enthousiasm development of initiatives
In the project, the capacity to The capacity to anticipate is not
anticipate is a much sought-after encouraged by the project
attitude
Creativeness
1 2 3 4 5
The project develops original The project is confronted with
solutions to environment-related environment-related problems
problems
The project encourages initiative Initiative is not positively perceived
The project staff always The project lacks staff capable of
provides solutions to problems devising new solutions
that come up
There is a research policy The search for alternatives is
targeting new products, new minimized in the project
ideas and new approaches
21

22. Partnership
The search for new partners is a requirement for the survival of an organisation. Among the
instruments established to maintain and fructify partnership, the network factor is extremely
useful. Within this network factor, ideas, instructions, information and experiences related to
partnership are exchanged. Being effective means creating a convergence potential on what we
do. In this search for partners, we should also institute a partnership strategy based on values and
principles but, above all, on a shared vision.
Network
1 2 3 4 5
The project’s affiliation to a network The project’s non-affiliation to a
strengthens the solidarity with other network marginalizes the project in
organizations/projects its environment
The network that has been established The project’s affiliation to a network
assisted the project to better redefine has no significant impact on its
its strategy strategic position
The advocacy and lobbying activites The advocacy and lobbying activites
of our network strengthened our public of our network were not favourable
image among our partners to our project
The tools put in place by the network The tools put in place by the network
have improved the project’s vision are not useful to the project
Convergence
1 2 3 4 5
The project seeks to share methods and The project has no requirement
principles with its partners relative to sharing with its partners
There is an agreed development plan with The project partners are not aware
the project partners of the development plan
The project’s identification with a The project does not grasp the
concensual code of ethics strengthens interest of a consensual code of
similarities in viewpoints with its partners ethics
22

23. The project is highly sensitive to the sharing The project is not concerned about
of values and ideals with its partners the sharing of values and ideals
23

24. 2.1.2 Self-assessment on project practices
PEDAGOGICAL SHEET N°2:
Pedagogical sheet of the self-assessment grid
It is a grid used by the project to grade its performance with respect to its capitalization,
production, management and information dissemination practices. It makes it possible
to:
- grasp the importance given to capitalization in terms of process, technical and
human means;
- Analyze project’s practices with regard to information, communication and
exchanges both within and outside the project.
`
Method
First, the working group sets the project scores:
- If the criterion is not met by the project, the mark is zero;
- If the project meets the criterion, the ideal mark is given;
- If the project is on the verge of meeting the criterion, the mark is between zero
and 4;
- the addition of the project scores represents the total mark obtained by the
project;
- the project percentage compared to the ideal total is calculated and given.
The result is analyzed by the project’s working group with a view to determining the
causes, lessons and potential solutions to arrive at the ideal situation
This open discussion is a good introduction for the improvement of internal practices.
24

25.
25

26.
Self-assessment grid on project practices
A knowledge management and production system in 25 points
Ideal Project
Criteria
Score Score
1) Regular and planned capitalization activities on the project’s 4
actions
2) Existence of observatory, surveillance and projection functions in 4
the division of duties
3) Existence of strategic direction documents which describe a past, 4
present and future vision
4) Consideration of unexpected results in the monitoring-evaluation 4
system
5) Regular internal meetings regrouping the various hierarchical 4
levels
6) Set up inter-disciplinary working groups for field activities or 4
intellectual production
7) Formal handing over practices 4
8) Existence of publication incentives 4
9) Frequent evaluation and self-assessment practices 4
10) Using trainees for the capitalization 4
11) Contracting experts or resource persons to support intellectual 4
productions
12) Exchange visits 4
13) Organization of seminars, workshops, forums, etc. 4
14) Publication of guides and manuals 4
15) Production of radio, television programmes 4
16) Edition of bulletins, reviews 4
17) Publication of newspaper articles 4
18) Frequent exchanges with direct and indirect beneficiaries, partners 4
and service providers
26

27. 19) Use of the Internet and electronic mail 4
20) Existence of an information-communication officer 4
21) Numerous and informal exchanges with colleagues of other 4
organizations
22) Existence of a documentation centre, library 4
23) Organized information classification methods: electronic, classical 4
(files) specialized codification (thematic, nomenclature
classification)
24) Existence of a web site 4
25) Existence of a webmaster 4
Total obtained by the project
Ideal Total 100
Ratio of project to ideal total
NB: As a general rule, this grid may be filled individually or during the plenary session, and the
scores will be calculated and discussed within the group. The project may seek the support of a
facilitator with expertise in the field to assist in the analysis of self-review results. The number of
criteria and the rating scale may be modified depending on the specific needs and context of the
project or organization.
27

28. 2.2 – What should we capitalize on?
Every project transmits lessons which are generally implicit, i.e. « drowned » in the project
practices and experiences. The first phase of the capitalization approach therefore consists in
making these lessons explicit and formalizing them by identifying knowledge within the project
and choosing capitalization and knowledge sharing themes.
2.2.1 - Identifying knowledge within the project
Objectives
At this stage, it’s a matter of identifying knowledge and experiences acquired by officers and
their partners in the project’s implementation to encourage investigation and collective reflection
about lessons drawn from the experiences of the project.
It is a collective reflection session attended by all project officers and their partners’
representatives. The explicit or tacit knowledge of the organization are sought and officers are
invited to provide documentary sources, if they exist and, in particular, the views and conclusions
reached on the basis of the outcomes of their projects. The collective nature of the knowledge
identification exercises facilitates the transfer of individual or tacit knowledge to the group on the
one hand and, on the other, their validation by comparing viewpoints and their acceptance by the
group.
The outcome of this session will take the form of a memorandum presenting a list of success-
themes and failure-themes, followed by a summary of the analysis made by the group. The
themes are considered as knowledge which the officers consider as important enough to share.
The memorandum will be distributed to each participant and will serve as the key medium for the
following session.
NB: This stage is important since its results will impact on the entire resources of the
process. It is recommended that the session be conducted in a learning spirit. An excessively
pronounced hierarchy may constitute obstacles and restrain the free expression of some
officers. This might lead to the loss of information and frustrate knowledge development
efforts. Repeat this type of evaluation periodically.
28

29. Methodological approach
The identification begins with a Preparatory phase - Methods
• Recall the results of the self-assessment which has been
rough exploration of knowledge undertaken to prepare the process concerning the capitalization
based on methods such as and enhancement of the project’s experiences;
documentary analysis and group • Recall the objectives of the session to refocus the contributions;
brainstorming. In the latter case, a • The facilitator explains to participants about the learning
reflection tool like the Success- dynamics and the importance of enhancing their knowledge for
Failure-Potentialities-Obstacles capitalization and exchanges. He/she presents SFPO as a
(SFPO) can help to rapidly tool meant to assist reflection on the Successes,
highlight the lessons in terms of Failures, Potentialities and Obstacles for each
successes and failures and define capitalization theme to be proposed by participants.
a prospective vision which
follows from them. By starting with the question what have we learnt, the participants might not
know, from the onset, « how to handle the experience». Identifying
what worked or did not work helps guide the reflection. The issue Support : Evaluation
is not just identifying Successes and failures. One has to justify reports
why they are considered as successes and failures and provide Preparatory supervision
explanations for these results. The learning spirit should prevail in mission documents
this reflection. SFPO is used because of its conviviality. A
brainstorming session may enable the group to highlight a lot of Aide-mémoire of supervision
lessons. missions
The following questions may help to launch and delve deeper into Self-diagnosis results
the reflection for each theme: SFPO (Success, Failures,
- What do you consider as success or failure in the Potentialities, Obstacles) –
experience you have had in the project?
Other discussion papers
- Why do you consider them as successes or failures?
- What, in your opinion, are the factors that explain these results?
- What can be considered as potential? What are the obstacles?
- What have you learnt?
- Can you describe it and share it with others?
All successes and failures, potentials and obstacles will be noted as one moves forward, with an
explanation that systematizes the analysis made by the group for each point; the theme should not
be analyzed by the person who proposed it alone. The facilitator should encourage all participants
to answer the questions, and speak freely. SFPO was thus adopted as an example of diagnosis
tool.
29

30. SFPO, an example of a diagnosis tool
PEDAGOGICAL SHEET N°3:
SFPO, an example of a diagnosis tool
SFPO (Success-Failure-Potentialities-Obstacles) is a tool for project analysis, self-assessment, and
planning which matches experiences and expectations.
It makes it possible:
- for the different persons concerned to describe their various experiences;
- to carry out a participatory evaluation of experiences and perceptions ;
- to exchange on experiences, views and actors ;
- to build a common language and find solutions to problems ; to establish a link between
the evaluation (the revision) and the adjustment of objectives and the planning
Presentation
The SFPO window is composed of four parts, as presented below. It is based on our fundamental capacity to recall
the past and anticipate on the future.
1. The time axis
First of all, the window requests the participant to clarify an experience or a past activity. It locates the experience
on the time axis.
2. The judgement axis
In addition to the revision of the past and the anticipation of the future, there is a simple evaluation criterion
(positive/negative), which divides the SFPO window into four parts. Depending on the individual evaluation, the
experiences will be written in one of the four parts of the window.
The SFPO utilization approach
- Explain to SFPO users how the SFPO window is built ;
- Allow the audience to decide the scope, i.e., how far they throw a retrospective and prospective look.
- At the beginning, use it for a single activity in which several actors will participate ;
- Always begin by looking at the past (on the left of the window), by starting with the successes. This
motivates people and draws attention to the development potential;
- Every actor should express his/her own experiences and perceptions ;
- Ensure that all the experiences are noted in the SFPO, and that they are taken seriously;
- Request participants to clarify their contributions by replying to any question that could be asked ;
- Register the common aspects first (consensus), the points of agreement, before discussing
contradictory views (disagreement).
30

31. NB :
- The SFPO must be dated, in order to have a reference for the next operation
- Facilitate the implementation of SFPO by following the planning phases : causes of problems, discussion of
alternatives, agreement on the objectives, planning the activities and means
- The SFPO procedure is facilitated by the visual media; tables, maps, large sheets, or simply a sandy soil and a
few symbols. In most cases, it suffices to explain the well known rules of visualization as the procedure is
introduced.
Diagram N° 4: Structure of a SFPO
Positive or desirable
S for Success P for Potentialities
- Quantitative and qualitative - Possibilities. Ideas, wishes, trends,
successes achieved, objectives unused capacities
reached and visible strengths
- Pleasure, amusement
Past Future
F for Failure O for Obstacles
- Difficulties, weaknesses, bottlenecks - Resistance, opposition, unfavourable
management conditions
Negative or undesirable
31

32. Example of a memorandum on Successes and Failures
Box N°1
Elements considered as project accomplishments
Women and youths expressed themselves in gatherings better than before, thanks to the participatory
approach used, inducement to speak and earning their confidence during information and sensitization
sessions.
Literacy was successful thanks to the approach based on the local demand, the enhancement of
accomplishments in daily life and project activities, and the use of local intermediaries.
The process for the institution of consultation frameworks was a success since the populations identified
with them and used them as the only point of contact for interveners. The success is due to the
mobilization techniques used.
The creation of Associations of Borehole Users (ASUFOR) was a success since these structures now
manage their infrastructure independently. The factors of success lie in the fact that the capacities of
members of the steering committees were strengthened.
The reactivation of the committees, organized strategies for the opening of fire guards, space networking,
training, sensitization and material support resulted in the significant reduction of bush fires.
It is essential to consult with administrative and local authorities and involve them within the framework
of strategies to increase the chances of success.
(3) Box N°2
Elements considered as failures
The cumbersomeness of IFAD procedures such as those relative to contract approval, for which the
decision may have to go up to the WADB head office, gives rise to slowness in the projects’ dynamics
The slow reactions of partners of the administration do not match the rapid response requirements in
connection with the WPAB implementation. The fact that the project has no authority to sanction them is
considered as one of the factors that explain this slowness.
The approach consisting in territorial clustering around core villages and polarized villages used by the
administrative authorities was not appropriate. On the other hand, the criteria for the selection of villages
were not always properly applied or the application of tools and methods was not sustained.
The transfer of technology is not yet an accomplishment because of problems of supervision, approach,
and research and results documentation.
Donors registered a lot of delay in setting up credit systems. The policy to be implemented and the role of
projects do not seem clear to them.
The framework of the agreements linking the project to the donor does not allow it to be flexible and
proactive to react to unexpected dynamics, anticipate them and efficiently play a supervisory role. The
donors take too long to react (notice of no-objection).
(3) Cf. (cf Diagnosis of the PADV / Senegal.
32

33. 2.2.2 - Identification of capitalization themes
2.2.2.1 - Definition of criteria for the selection of the capitalization themes
This phase is crucial for the effectiveness and relevance of capitalization themes.
It is often observed that if the
previous reflection session is well
facilitated, it produces many themes
that might not have had the same
relevance depending on the
moments of the project’s life. It can
be difficult and even sensitive to
choose themes, since it is
recommended that it should be done
in a participatory manner. In order
to avoid that each and everybody tries to give priority to the issue interesting him/her most, and
subsequently make subjective proposals, a certain number of criteria can be used to guide the
project in its choices. The capitalization theme selection criteria can derive from:
- the objectives of the project and its components;
- the challenges and stakes of research and rural development in Africa;
- questioning on the projects’ intervention strategies;
- the project’s unexpected results ...
The project’s general and specific objectives according to project components.
This is a key variable because capitalization is, first and foremost, an activity expected to
contribute to the achievement of the project’s objectives. The knowledge gained in the
implementation of the components must be well thought out and shared, whether it results from
success or failure. For projects with similarities in terms of intervention scope, knowledge
exchange is one of the best learning systems for the officers and their partners.
Development challenges and stakes in West and Central Africa.
The choice of themes must also be influenced by issues related to poverty, gender, investment
sustainability, project appropriation, management of natural resources, rural entrepreneurship etc.
The project’s intervention strategies
These are the methodological and organisational approaches planned and implemented by
projects with a view to attaining programmatic objectives. Following are some of these strategies,
often found in project documents:
- Information and communication ;
33

34. - Training;
- Definition of intervention scope and zoning
- Support to community organizations (structuring);
- Contracting partners;
- Support to beneficiaries and gradual disengagement;
- Decentralized funding;
- Planning and monitoring-evaluation;
- Support for the construction of infrastructure;
- Development and transfer of technologies;
- Support for production and marketing.
By choosing one or several of these strategies, the Project Team can analyze the experience
earned through its approach and modus operandi, its results, the effects and impacts on
stakeholders and their environment, the significance of the results as regards the stakes and
challenges such as sustainability, appropriation etc…
Beyond the theoretical description of the strategies, the project officers facing implementation-
related pressures are in a better position to capitalize and create knowledge to be shared.
■ Unexpected project results.
A project might, in addition to the targeted results, provide a solution to a problem that had not
been identified as such in the pre-evaluation study. The implementation of the project can also
lead to or arouse significant changes in behavior, relations and creeds. The capitalization of these
cases provides opportunities to review well-entrenched methods or beliefs.
For example: a food security project meant to salvage salt-invaded lands near the village in order
to step up the production of subsistence crops can, as a positive result not envisaged at the
beginning, lead to an increase in the school attendance rate for girls, who are no longer compelled
to accompany their mothers to remote paddy fields to take care of the children.
34

35. Box N°3
Example of a project whose broad objective is to create, within the intervention area, a sustainable
development dynamic through the populations’ capacity-building and the effective mobilization of
available agro-pastoral resources.
Specific objectives:
- Contribution to food security;
- Increased income, particularly for women, through the upsurge in the marketable quantities of
milk and agricultural products ;
- Improved living conditions;
- Reduction of rural exodus, by creating permanent jobs, for youths in particular.
On the basis of these objectives, the team can try to identify the knowledge acquired in terms of
contribution to food security, the increase in women’s income, improved living conditions, and
reduction of rural exodus for youths?
However, these themes are rather broad and it could be more judicious to define more specific subjects
within them. For example, by addressing food security, we can:
- Target the knowledge on issues concerning the production of safe drinking water, subsistence crops,
forestry or animal products;
- Or identify the knowledge on the access to food in terms of market, exchanges or marketing circuits.
2.2.2.2 – Choosing capitalization themes
Having defined the capitalization themes, there is now needed to:
- Choose the capitalization and experience enhancement themes, through a concerted
approach
- Designate the officials in charge of steering the capitalization process for each theme
Method
The choice of themes is based on the following approach.
- Examine successes and failures listed during the previous session
- Explain and discuss the decisive factors in the selection of priority themes
- Categorize the themes in order of importance and on the basis of the set criteria to come
up with a realistic number of themes. To that end, participatory tools used for
classification in order of preference may help in determining the priority themes.
35

36. Classification tools
These tools make it possible to identify the priorities or preferences of a group of actors faced with a
choice between several options: innovations to be tested, capitalization themes, etc. Three types of
classification tools are generally used: simple hierarchical classification, classification in pairs, matrix
classification. These tools are complementary. .
Simple hierarchical classification
It is a classification in which the different elements (innovations, capitalization themes….) are presented
in order of priority or importance. This classification leads to a list in descending order.
Classification in pairs
The matter here is to compare the capitalization themes per pair, choose the themes and justify them. The
criteria are set with the help of these justifications.
After comparing the elements two by two, one obtains a list of criteria which can thus be used for a matrix
classification.
Matrix classification or classification per criteria matrix
This classification takes the form of a double entry table which inter-relates the themes to be compared
with the selection criteria resulting from the classification in pairs.
Theme 1 Theme 2 Theme 3 Theme 4
Criterion 1
Criterion 2
Criterion 3
Criterion 4
Criterion 5
Total
Considering that all the criteria have the same weight:
- A rating scale of 1 to 5 or 1 to 10 is defined.
- Each theme is defined in relation to the different criteria (encourage group discussions to arrive at
a consensual mark).
The total marks for each theme enables the group to select the themes which earned the best marks.
Actors involved
Concerning theme officials, priority will be given to voluntary action in the appointment of officers in
charge of steering the capitalization process for each theme. Yet, some officers are more qualified to
address certain themes in view of their position. They should therefore be appointed to guarantee the
richness of knowledge generation and exchange. In a training workshop, it is preferable to involve all the
officers who do not hold any responsibility, as resources persons in the development of themes.
36

37. 2.3 – How to capitalize?
2.3.1 – Some capitalization tools
Several tools can be used in a capitalization process:
- the experience sheet ;
- life story ;
- the good practice registration sheet ;
- the case study.
37

38. CAPITALIZATION TOOL N° 1
The Experience Sheet
The experience sheet is used to help officers to grasp capitalization topics in order to initiate an
exchange within the project with a view to validating its content.
It sets in a single page, the title of the capitalization theme, a sub-title as well as the key words.
The topic is summarized, followed by comments and notes. Finally, the complete identification of
the author should be mentioned at the end of the form.
Method
The officers designated to steer the experience capitalization and enhancement process on a given
theme, discuss the content of the form, in an attempt to determine the issue, and identify and briefly
describe what one really intends to capitalize.
At this stage, there is no need to write the capitalization document itself but the summary of what its
` content should be – like in the summary of books on the last cover page – to encourage the reader to
explore the content.
The form is then presented to the group which critiques it in order to enrich it. The suggestions are
integrated to improve the document which then becomes the first element in the production of
knowledge acquired in the project.
The form can be written with comments to document an experience. The DHP (Dialogue for Human
Progress) is adapted from the Foundation for Human Progress.
NB:
- The form should be written in a simple and clear style. The author needs to have hindsight
and stick to the text.
- The part reserved for comments will provide him/her with the opportunity to express his/her
feelings
- The key words facilitate the proper identification of aspects dealt with and their
classification.
38

39. Example of experience sheet
Access of rural micro-business to credit
Title: Inappropriateness of the Micro-Financing institutions’ offer to rural demand
Key words: Text: The support strategy for the promotion of rural micro
Short-Term Credit, businesses implemented by the ‘Projet de Promotion des Micro
Medium-Term Credit Entreprises Rurales’ (PROMER) is based on the training-
PROMER, CMS, ACEP, UMEC,
CLEC, Rural Micro Enterprise, funding-consultancy triptych. To implement this strategy, the
Small and Medium Enterprise, Project has worked closely with Micro-financing Institutions
interest rate, poverty reduction
active on the ground through protocols with ‘Crédit Mutuel du
Sénégal’ (CMS) in the first part of the project’s execution, then with other structures such as the
‘Alliance de Crédit et d’Epargne pour la Production (ACEP), the ‘Union des Mutuelles
d’Epargne et de Crédit’ (UMEC) of Sedhiou, and ‘Caisse Locale d’Epargne et de Crédit’ (CLEC)
for a more diversified offer and effective networking of the intervention area. In this respect, the
Project was supposed to put at their disposal, at their request and on the basis of the Work Plan
and Annual Budget, a line of credit to increase their disbursement capacities, a guarantee fund
covering 30 percent of the outstanding debts, and provide them with institutional support in terms
of human and logistic capacity-building.
The partnership with ACEP and UMEC has also led to the reduction of interest rates (to the tune
of 2 percent) for loans granted by Microfinance Institutions to Rural Micro Businesses (MER)
that have complied with the payment schedules.
This partnership facilitated the financing of Rural Micro-Businesses for the implementation of
their Processing Cards or Development Plans. The analysis of this portfolio shows that the rate of
credit granted on average is low, both in terms of volume and duration. The analysis based on
gender and age group also highlights the low amounts allocated to women and youths, who are
the project’s priority targets. Despite the establishment of the line of credit (only two of them
have withdrawn funds from the line), the Micro-financing Institutions have failed to meet the
medium and long-term credit demands, and the debt security required for certain short-term
credits were neither available nor accessible.
The services offered by micro-financing Institutions in rural areas is still not adapted as it only
provides the possibility to finance short-term credits (working capital needs), and puts the Rural
Micro Businesses in a position of dependency which, in the long term, will not contribute to
breaking the vicious circle of absolute and relative poverty.
Comment: These difficulties have made it impossible for the project to achieve all the expected
results. For the promotion of Rural Micro-Businesses, the credit system must be reviewed in
39

40. order to observe certain rules of the regional financial market, but also comply with the real
social vocation of Microfinance Institutions. Today, they are more focused on the urban centres
in a frantic search for immediate profitability, with low, if any, risk taking. Moreover, some
major land reforms must be undertaken to enable the rural populations to present other types of
debt security. The implemented partnership system is all a façade and the local funds have lost
part of their autonomy for the benefit of the network to which they belong.
Notes:
Author: Massamba DIOP - Date: 09 August 2005
Organization: PROMER
E-mail address: promerdp@sentoo.sn – Web site: www.promer.sn
Sources : Bilan des réalisations en financement, ISS avec MER, Project Completion Report.
40

41. Structure of the experience sheet
Title:
Sub-title:
Key words
Text:
Comment:
Notes
Author: Date:
Organ: Address: Email: Website:
Sources:
41

42. Title of the experience:: Give the title of the experiment
NB: this may be a working title rather than a definitive one
Zones/Place : The zone of intervention of the project, the place and the extent are to be
specified
Date period/duration: The start and end of the project. Also specify if the experience is
ongoing and/or its duration
Context : Which elements are addressed? What problems are dealt with? What are the linkages
with poverty reduction and good governance policies?
Objectives of change (general and specific): What are the objectives of project in term of
change? Have the objectives evolved during the unfolding of project? If so, to give the necessary
precisions and details.
Targets: What public is targeted by the project?
Principal actors/roles and responsibilities: Who are the partners (recipients, associations,
organizations and others)? Specify their roles and responsibilities
Activities carried out: What are the activities undertaken within the framework of the project?
Detail how these activities were carried out.
Principal results: What are the principal results obtained? What are the steps and approaches
of the project?
Resources mobilized: Financial, material and human resources (working time)
NB: For financial resources, specify the amounts and their sources.
Critical factors for success:
Difficulties encountered: Principal difficulties encountered by order of importance
42

43. CAPITALIZATION TOOL N°2:
Life Experience (Case study on an individual)
In rural African societies where the poor populations are mostly illiterate, the life experience tool
enables project agents to learn from the poor, as well as their partners. This tool is essentially
narration based and is used mostly in the social sciences. Narration is different from research
methodologies whose thrust is the systemization of quantifiable and factual data.
When the problem at stake deals with the dynamics of the learning process and knowledge gathering,
it is essential to allow those who are most affected, given their personal commitment in the
processes, to speak. In such situations, the narration is essentially oral, but it could also be
transcribed in written form. In any event, it remains open ended.
`
Methodological Approach
In order to capture the experiences of an individual, one could conduct interviews which will enable
the individual to:
‐ Narrate his/her personal experience with the project, what he/she learnt through the project
and how this is shared, or how he/she intends to share this and with whom;
‐ Reflect deeper on the genesis of his/her choices and positions;
‐ Put this experience in the perspective of his/her life experience.
The narration thus captured, is written as a text.
43

44. An Example of Individual Life Experience
(It is the story of a rural entrepreneur of PROMER/Senegal)
The Itinerary of Salimata, a Restaurant Owner
Salimata Camara’s restaurant is located at the main road of Missirah, the headquarters of the rural
community bearing the same name, in the Tambacounda Region.
After the collapse of my husband’s business, coupled with the fact that the small portion of land
he was working on could hardly yield anything substantial, I, Salimata, a simple peasant with
neither land nor education, was obliged to work and sustain the family. My first contact with
PROMER was in 1998. A meagre savings of 72, 000 CFA enabled me secure an initial loan of
227 700 F CFA from the Credit Union Mutuel, a partner of PROMER’s. I invested in the supply
of basic foodstuffs to the outfit, which enabled me to take care of our growing daily needs. The
project particularly taught me to save. The series of training I benefited from CRETEF, a partner
of the project, enabled me acquire new techniques in cooking and nutrition, but especially in food
and quality hygiene. I operate restaurant services at different places on two weekly market days,
alongside other commodities which I display in my restaurant. My stall, which was a thatched
enclosure, is now in concrete, where customers are now served in a room and enjoy their food on
tables with all comfort. I now own a piece of land at the entrance of the village.
This restaurant owner cannot hope to expand her activities so long as certain hurdles are yet to be
cleared:
- The fact that she is illiterate means she manages her accounts mentally, without any
written support;
- The stall, although she constructed it, does not belong to her; this makes it difficult for her
to undertake new investments in order to improve and expand the restaurant in this
strategic spot. The land problem remains her major handicap.
- She is the head of a poor and landless family; her children and husband help her and as
such, she does not pay workers.
- The services of the IMF are not adapted to rural enterprises.
- She has harrowing working days, and this prevents her from launching the new products
she really learned how to make during her CRETEF trainings (jam, fruit juice, etc).
With these objective constraints, which still tether her to the status of an emerging rural micro-
entrepreneur, Salimata enhances her income through her petty business on the products she buys
in the weekly markets and which she resells in her restaurant at the main road.
NB: A narration of one’s life history is not a report; it should, as far as possible be an unadulterated
presentation of the narrator’s words. It is only this way that it can continue to be a reflection-sharing
tool. The mechanism through which this tool is presented could constitute a risk in that the narrator
might be ‘forgotten’ in the transcription done by the individual processing the text.
44

45. 45

46. Record Form on Best Practices
CAPITALIZATION TOOL N°3:
Implementing intervention strategies often demand an introduction of new best practice systems
by the project. The record form enables the stakeholders concerned to present those practices of
theirs that have been success stories, with a view to preparing capitalization and exchange tools.
The record form is a detailed description of a piece of innovation recorded by the agents during
the implementation of the project.
Best practices are recorded by those directly or indirectly involved in its implementation (in most
cases project agents and partners)
An open exchange with other stakeholders will make it possible to establish a more precise
evaluation of the practice, a closer scrutiny and analysis of results obtained.
NB
- An element of best practice is identified by searching for innovative systems that can be
transferred or reinforced.
- Identifying best practices requires a solid grasp of the subject matter and biography in
order to avoid duplicating best practices already known in the locality.
- Best practices are strictly tied down to their context and should be analyzed in this
respect.
46

47. Example of a Record Form Structure
Title of Practice: Joint Strategy for Prevention of Bush Fires
Objective: Preventing Bush Fires
Example of a Record Form Structure
Place(s): Mbeuleukhé and Mboula rural communities in Sénégal.
Period: September, 2003.
Authors: PADV, Mbeulekhé Forest Brigade, the local populations.
Beneficiaries: The populations within the forestry and pastoral sections of the Mbeuleukhé and Mboula
rural communities, Projects, NGOs, local administrative authorities.
Practice Description and Results
- Meetings were organized at village level, bringing together fire fighting committees and village
chiefs belonging to the same geographical area.
- A general meeting was organized at the community headquarters. In addition to chairpersons of
the firefighting committees, this meeting brought together village chiefs, the head of the CERP,
the Sous-Prefets or their Deputies, the Water and Forestry Services and the PADV.
- Secondary firewalls created by the people were positioned perpendicularly to bush fires entry
points.
- The opening of the sections located on the same axis as the firewall is executed from start to
finish by the bushfires fighter committees.
- These segments, just as firewalls, are connected to each other thus preventing bushfires in the
targeted areas.
Practice Cost
- Costs of organizing meetings and information / sensitization and identification of areas for the
construction of firewalls as well as developing plans for openings.
- Travel and fuel costs of the forest officer assigned to monitor the programme.
Observations
Cost for the preparation of support equipment: brochures, posters, films, audio-visual CDs.
Duration: 3 months
Physical Resources
- Office equipment (computer paper, printing, ink, etc. ...)
- Audio-visual equipment (cameras, video tapes, audio-visual CDs)
47

48. Human Resources
People involved: Department of Water Resources and Forestry, bushfire fighting committees, the local
populations and communities, administrative authority, audio-visual team of the National Directorate
of Water Resources and Forestry and printing teams.
Financial Resources
- Team of film producers + small equipment 550 000 CFA
- Posters (200) 450, 000 CFA
- Brochures (200) 400 000 CFA
- Duplication of Audio-Visual CDs 100, 000 CFA
- Total 1, 500, 000 CFA
Broadcasting and Sharing Mechanisms
‐ National and local radio
‐ Television
‐ Internet
‐ Audio cassettes and audio-visual CDs
‐ Audio-visual Bus (film shows in villages)
‐ Billboards carrying messages of bush fire prevention in the local language
‐ Posters in the assembly sites (the CDV headquarters, bore holes, luma (weekly markets), Rural
Community Headquarters, sub-prefecture)
‐ Village outreach information and sensitization meetings of (plays...)
‐ Training Workshop for members of the bushfires-fighter committee.
A Registration form is made up of several parts:
‐ Title
‐ Objective
‐ Place
‐ Period
‐ Authors
‐ Beneficiaries
‐ Description of practice and outcomes
‐ Broadcasting cost
‐ Authors' observations
‐ Broadcast and sharing strategy
48

49. CAPITALIZATION TOOL N°4:
Partnership Case Study Form
This is a card which traces the historical background, the various stages of evolution and results of
any given partnership. The development of this tool is founded on the principle which regards the
partner as a customer who needs the services of the project, and has all the latitude to appreciate
the results obtained. The partnership case-study form is a kind of mirror for the partnership, in that
it reflects all its components in order to elicit useful information, both for the two parts as well as
for other projects.
Methodological Approach
The partnership case-study form consists of columns in which the identities of the parties concerned, the
reciprocal services rendered, the achievements of the project, the recipients and the decisive moments of the
partnership are recorded. These columns are numbered from 1 to 10. One simply needs to refer to the
definitions provided hereafter when filling them:
1. `The customer is the direct partner, in particular the group or the beneficiary organization of the support
provided by the operator;
2. It is about describing in this regard the principal characteristics of the customer at the beginning of this
program;
3. The targeted changes can refer to the objectives or the vision of the programme;
4. It is necessary to indicate at this stage when, why, and how the customer could strike a partnership deal
with the operator;
5. To be synthetic, the services provided by the operator should be reported three months successively; the
target group and service providers are indicated in the two other columns. The major achievements of these
services are indicated in the line below;
6. This point indicates whether other agents were commissioned by the operator in the area of customer
support, with the type of services provided;
7. This point is in relation to stock-taking of local events which influenced the achievements of the program;
8. This point indicates that, through his own head, the customer has been able to realize the positive actions
which, for instance, are an added value to the training received;
9. The customer has also been able to realize positive actions at the expense of other people;
10. This point indicates the situation where the customer finds him/herself at the end of the
programme.
The form should be signed and dated after filling it.
NB: The form must be filled by a member of the project who has a sound knowledge
about the partnership in order to provide a written version of its evolution. It can bring
information to the doorsteps of the various parties concerned or exploit the protocols,
contracts, project documents and reports.
49

50. Sample Structure of a Partnership Case Study Form
1. Name of Client (group):
2. Brief description of customer (major peculiarities):
3. Targeted changes at the beginning of partnership:
4. Date, motive of first contact with operator and mode of contact:
Date Contact
5. Services provided by staff in the last couple of years: (in lump periods of six months)
Semester Service Provided Target Group Head
From…….
To……….
Main Achievement:
From…….
To……….
Main Achievement:
From…….
To……….
Main Achievement:
From…….
To……….
Main Achievement:
50

51. 6. Transfer of other service providers or support staff in the last two years (in semesters):
Semester Service Provided
From…….
To……….
From…….
To……….
7. Events in the life of the client of the community other than the activities of the
programme/agency which have contributed to the achievements or which have had adverse effects:
8. Major achievement by the client in terms of self improvement or enhancing the value of the
training:
Date Achievements registered by the client
9. Major achievements made by client to the advantage of other clients:
Date Achievement Beneficiary(ies)
10. Brief description of client’s current situation:
Filled by:………………… Date:………………………
Source : Kibbel, B.1999
51

52. 52

53. 2.3.2. - Systematic Analysis of Experience
CAPITALIZATION TOOL N°5:
Systematic Analysis of Experience
The systematic analysis of a given experience is a method which makes it possible to collect, analyze
and record the experiences of institutions and project teams, with a view to deriving benefit from it.
It aims to:
- benefit from the experience by comparing the successes and failures of objectives, assumptions and the
usual modus operandi of the project or institution;
- stimulate reflection within the ranks of project teams and institutions.
- improve the modalities of project reports thus making them more interesting for the project personnel,
financing bodies and for managers of institutions or related projects;
- allow for a more constructive knowledge exchange based on the experience amongst heads of
institutions and the projects.
Method of Analysis
The systematic analysis of any given experience is done as follows:
- Narration: A member of the personnel is invited to narrate the experience of the project or of the institution
whilst the coordinator takes down notes on a flip chart. The participants are invited to add, specify, dispute or
subtract facts. The process usually provokes very lively discussions and makes it possible to kick-start the
experience-sharing process. At the end of this stage, the flip chart board should help participants arrive at a
consensus on facts, as well as establish missing information and points of divergence.
- Highlighting Decisive Moments. During fact analysis, decisive moments should be highlighted. Very often,
these decisive moments are times when activities are undertaken or given up, methods modified, members of
staff changed, etc
-Defining the phases of Experience. The period spanning between two decisive turning points can be called
“phase”. It is sometimes useful to name each phase in accordance with its principal characteristic.
- Analyzing Phases in Isolation. An analysis of the principal aspects of each phase is then made.
The choice of issues analyzed depends on the project or the institution. However, one can start the
analysis with the objectives, assumptions, activities, methods, tools and drawbacks. Among the
aspects of issues likely to be analyzed, are the protagonists, the participation, type and frequency in
use of methods and tools, successes and failures.
53

54. - Analyzing the whole story:
This stage begins with a comparison of phases that determines the changes and the causes and
consequences of changes, followed by an examination of trends which allows us to highlight those
that characterize the evolution of ideas and assumptions.
-Drawing Lessons
From this analysis it is easy to synthesize lessons learned from the experience in relation to what
should be done and what should be avoided.
-Organizing communication:
Detailed information on the approach, analysis and lessons learned should be documented without
any bias and be distributed to the project staff or the institution, donors, partners and heads of other
agencies / projects to whom such information shall be beneficial.
NB: - The systematic analysis of an experience is a group activity which involves project staff or the
institution and other relevant stakeholders. The duration of the process depends on the institution or
project and the experience being analyzed.
- Experience shows that it usually takes a week to systematize the achievements of a project that
lasted five or six years.
- When possible, provide for periodic meetings rather than organize intensive sporadic activities.
54

55. PART THREE
MODES OF KNOWLEDGE-SHARING
55

56. 3.1. Levels and Tools of Sharing
The projects can choose
between different tools
to share the knowledge
they have. The relative
efficiency of each tool
depends on the level at
which the analysis is
done, be it at project,
village, area of
intervention, within
national or international
levels.
List of some knowledge-sharing tools:
This table shows the different knowledge-sharing tools based on their scale of use.
Level Targets Knowledge-Sharing Tool
Village and area of CBOs, Exchange Visits, Meetings
intervention Family engagements NGOs and Farmers’ Workshops
and partner services Datasheets, Seminars and
workshops, Local radio
broadcasts Audio-Visual
Project Project Agents Meetings, Retreats, Newsletter
Internet.
National Other FIDA Projects Seminars and Workshops
Other projects, NGOs and Publications, articles, Trade
other national organizations fairs and Exhibitions
National radio broadcasts
Television broadcasts,
Internet, Audio-visual,
documents
Research and Rural Website
Development Organizations. Publications, Articles
International International Co-operation Trade Fairs, Exhibitions
Institutions. Audio-Visuals
56