Through their collaborative approach, digital tools can facilitate dialogue and knowledge sharing among programmatic implementation and policymakers, allowing for the exchange of ideas, the discussion of emerging trends and the exploration of innovative approaches to addressing SRoL challenges. Therefore, tools can play a crucial role in promoting dialogue and sharing knowledge for programmatic learning by providing a platform that allows collaboration and exchange in real-time.
By breaking down silos and fostering collaboration, digital tools promote diverse perspectives and innovative solutions, contributing ultimately to more informed decision-making and effective programme implementation. By enabling that, they can facilitating a culture of shared learnings and adaptability by providing organisations with a centralised platform for capturing, documenting, disseminating and sharing lessons learned and best practices. Furthermore, Propel specifically encourages collaboration, learning from past experiences.
“If we have the right tool, that by itself may shape and facilitate a culture of shared learning, turning it into a habit more or less. This means that the tool must provide ease of use and facilitate its use for technically challenged people.”
Learning as a core strategy
Organisations that have adopted such tools in their SRoL programmes have effectively made learning part of their operational strategy. They have unlocked this level of efficacy by capturing, analysing and applying learnings from successes and challenges in a more real-time, systematic manner.
One organisation, for example, incorporated continuous learning into their daily operations by conducting regular After-Action Reviews using Propel. Facilitated by the ease of a digital tool, such as in this case, Propel's intuitive interface, this increased the immediate effectiveness of such efforts, besides continuously building a repository of knowledge to refer back when needed.
Another valuable feature was the data analytics facility of Propel which, in turn, can help users to monitor the impact of their intervention in the different regions. This user showed that it is possible to continuously learn from these insights and fine tune organisational approaches, while bringing about a significant improvement in their programme outcomes.
Benefits of sustained innovation
A healthy learning culture leads to an active innovation culture which in turn yields immense benefits. Especially in a sector, such as SRoL, which is always subject to changes in politics, society and laws, it can enable organisations to stay effective and ahead of the curve.
Organisational cultures of innovation put an organisation in a better position to adapt to continually changing challenges, therefore guaranteeing that programmes stand the test of time as they remain relevant and effective. More specific benefits include:
- Increased adaptability: Learning and innovative organisations are more likely to be able to cope with unforeseen challenges. The use of a platform like Propel by an organisation in the SRoL field enables the team to quickly change programmatic strategies when a new framework comes into place simultaneously with the delivery of projects – ensuring the necessary effectiveness.
- Improved programme outcomes: Innovation that flows from ongoing learning tends to produce better strategies and interventions. An organisation continues to improve its methods towards delivering better results with time, by creating a culture in which team members feel empowered to experiment with and introduce new ways of sharing and disseminating their findings.
- Improved relations with stakeholders: The culture of learning and innovation sheds an impact on relations. When an organisation becomes dedicated and acknowledges the principle of continuous improvement, it is more likely to receive the trust of its donors, partners, customers and the societies where the organisation operates. As a result, evidence-based insights that drive impactful results become clear.
Building a learning and innovation culture in SRoL organisations lights the way to impact with insights that reach beyond being just information. It’s a path of dynamic work with the power to meet a changing world - with relevant and inclusive knowledge.