Knowledge integration for development: the Hivos approach

Abstract

Knowledge is invaluable as a navigation tool for any journey you or your organisation may want to undertake. In development cooperation, the need for investments in knowledge development has been underestimated for many years. In 2007, Hivos started to develop a knowledge programme on issues imperative to the work of civil society organisations and the development sector at large. The strategy used is knowledge integration. By integrating various forms of (new) knowledge, such as academic knowledge, practitioner knowledge, educational and cultural expressions of knowledge, new insights can be created and strategies formulated that contribute to the development of new policies and practices for the development sector.

Notes

1. The Dutch Adviesraad voor het Wetenschaps- en Technologiebeleid (Advisory Council for Science and Technology Policy) has been promoting the need to devote more attention to knowledge as ‘vermogen’ (can be translated as ability, capability) and less on knowledge as product.

2. See www.hivos.nl for more information about Hivos.

3. For details see http://www.minbuza.nl/en/themes,human-and-social-development/is-academy.

4. Further details about DPRN can be found at http://www.dprn.nl. Hivos is involved in two DPRN trajectories entitled ‘Gender Mainstreaming’ (www.ontrackwithgender.nl) and ‘Value chain governance and endogenous growth: how can NGOs, firms and government achieve social inclusion and poverty reduction?' (http://value-chains.global-connections.nl/).

5. See http://www.alliance2015.org/ for further details.

6. Eurostep is a network of autonomous European NGOs working towards, peace, justice and equality, in a world free of poverty, www.eurostep.org.