‍Brief project background 

The Programmatic Learning Instrument (PLI) is a funding instrument of the Knowledge Platform Security & Rule of Law (KPSRL) to support programmatic learning across security and rule of law programming. As part of the PLI, the KPSRL is currently running pilots and commissioning a research study to enhance their understanding of how approaches to programmatic learning can and should be structured to effectively contribute to quality and impact of programmes. This research endeavour at hand is part of the overarching exploration and seeks to deepen the understanding of using tools - such as Propel - within the realm of the Security and Rule of Law (SRoL) sector and their role for programmatic learning. With this research collaboration, we aim to uncover the role of tools in programmatic and organisational learning. We aim to address the key overarching question: What role do tools play in the SRoL sector's programmatic and organisational learning? During the research we engage with various stakeholders in different locations to collect data and insights, validate and reflect on findings and engage in peer-learning to share findings. 

The challenge

The research project aims to include various perspectives and requirements. In such a setting, where multiple stakeholders are involved in research, it is complicated to coordinate and hence there is less likelihood of consistency in the documentation and knowledge sharing processes. There are major challenges in coordinating efforts and bringing consistency in areas of documentation and knowledge-sharing for such a multi-stakeholder research setting. These included:

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1. Incorporating diverse stakeholder viewpoints
2. Consistency and standardisation of data
3. Large volumes of narrative (qualitative data)
4. Stakeholder engagement and participation

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In understanding and answering these challenges, Propel sought to provide an enabling environment for effective coordination, consistent documentation, and comprehensive knowledge sharing amongst all stakeholders involved in the research process. In-built with several collaboration tools and features, Propel took care of the obstacles to ensure a smooth and productive research process.

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Some of the key ways in which Propel has been used as part of this research process are:

• Planning: As a start, the learning agenda to guide this research with key learning questions was mapped in Propel. Subsequently, Propel was used for scheduling and organising learning activities. Through the platform, it was possible to map each phase of the PLI process by tasking and adding insights. In this way, all stakeholders were aware of the timeline and the research findings.
• Documentation: Propel's documentation features were used to record real-time data, findings and observations. This involved using options like tagging and filtering to sort information into themes, locations, or other relevant criteria to facilitate retrieval and analysis of specified data points.
• Sharing: Propel enabled easy sharing of findings with others through its explorative knowledge maps. In a session, participants were invited to reflect on initial findings. By having shared access to the insights in Propel and exploring them in a structured way, everybody involved was able to participate in discussions or decision-making processes.

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Linking to Propel’s Theory of Change :

Collaborative research and learning: The impact of Propel

This use case illustrates how Propel enables and promotes collaborative research and learning in line with its Theory of Change, in which good learning process design opens space to link stakeholders effectively laying the ground for a collaborative environment that remains open to discussion of findings. Management adheres to this Theory of Change, which guides not just the process of the PLI research but, through the collaborative style in which knowledge and insight sharing is organised, ensures that these learnings and insights benefit stakeholders.

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This use case speaks directly to two pillars of Propel's Theory of Change: knowledge democratisation and data-driven decision-making. Propel democratises knowledge by making data available along with insights to all stakeholders involved equally. Users can access relevant information quickly, with the built-in tagging and filtering features. This helps provide an inclusive setting for sharing knowledge. Additionally, through Propel all findings and experiences are documented in one central space and can be categorised and organised, thereby supporting decisions-making.

Stakeholders

This project involved a wide range of stakeholders, including researchers, programme managers, community leaders, and policy makers. Their engagement and involvement were crucial for the successful execution of the PLI Observation Report. 

Demonstrating Propel’s impact 

• Knowledge democratisation: Propel ensures that knowledge does not remain siloed but is available to relevant parties by providing robust tools for the documentation and sharing of learnings. One example of this in practice is our work with the Security and Rule of Law Consortium in Somalia, including Media Ink, IDLO and Interpeace. The organisations collaborate in two programmes and have contextual learnings, process learning as well as learnings about their interventions. While they document learnings at the programme levels, in Propel, their goal is to aggregate the learnings and draw conclusions about the Security and Rule of Law approaches in Somalia.
  
  In the PLI research process, it was implied ensuring transparency and inclusivity, wherein every stakeholder could contribute to and benefit from collective intelligence accrued through the webinars and interviews that have been organised. All learnings and insights gathered throughout the research project were entered in Propel. During collaborative validation sessions, we would take participants through the findings in Propel and reflect on them together adding these reflections to the relevant learning questions and thus, strengthening our findings.
  
  
• Data-driven decision-making: Propel's capacity to integrate various sources of data and facilitate easy access to information, structured in one place, enabled stakeholders to derive informed decisions. Another example of what this looks like in practice is our experience with Terre des Hommes Burundi. Terre des Hommes Burundi had struggled with lost insights and learnings post-project they were not able to build on. These lost learnings hindered strategic planning and innovation in future projects of TdH. Without learning from past insights, the teams were not able to effectively build on what previously worked and avoid what did not work in the past.  The use of Propel has noticeably enhanced project transparency and facilitated the strategic application of historical data in drafting new proposals. This has led to more informed decision-making and improved project outcomes (read the full use case here).

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The features availed by Propel empowered users to critically analyse the data, identifying trends, and deducing actionable insights, hence improving the quality and effectiveness overall of the programmatic learning process within the Security and Rule of Law sector.

Impact and results 

Propel has improved the collaboration among stakeholders, documentation of the learning process, and diffusion of findings. 

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The research insights collected during interviews were added to Propel and combined with already documented user feedback about the use of the tool for learning. We invited SRoL practitioners and stakeholders in a webinar to validate the findings with us in Propel and to give us direction for further exploration. We used the Propel platform to collaboratively perform an After-Action-Review live to reflect on the meaning of the findings for the programme-level and the policy-level. Participants were able to live follow along and contribute their thoughts and reflections in one space. As it was set up in Propel, these reflections were automatically added to the overall insights for this research. 

In using Propel through the process of the research project, a number of tangible results have been realised, including:

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• Improved documentation of learning: Propel enabled detailed and comprehensive documentation of the learning process. Propel enabled detailed and comprehensive documentation of the learning process. It provided a structured platform to log insights, observations, and feedback from the various stakeholders in this process making sure that nothing critical would be improper.
• Real-time data capturing and reflections: Throughout field observations, interviews, and discussions, Propel supported real-time data capturing, which was crucial in conflict-affected regions. This feature ensured continuous data collection and learning, even in environments with unstable internet connectivity, as highlighted in the observation report. 
• Better programmatic alignment: Propel helped in making the research process better aligned to PLI goals. Progress and task management kept everything in line with the predefined objectives and timeline. By allowing integration amongst a diversity of stakeholder input, Propel ensured that the programmatic findings were informed with diverse perspectives to drive more informed and balanced outcomes.
• Improved stakeholder engagement: Propel enhances cross-programmatic and stakeholder engagement by facilitating seamless data flow across various user roles within organisations.  Propel provided a clean, transparent, and inclusive platform for stakeholders who could easily share their insights, go through others' contributions, review them, and engage in discussions.
• Strong stakeholder participation: Overall, its user-friendly interface and ease of access meant that stakeholders who were less technologically savvy were also able to actively participate in discussions and in following the process. The more active participation contributed to stronger partnerships among users and organisations, raising the effectiveness of PLI Observation Report in all its aspects.
• Accessibility and clarity: Propel made the learning process transparent and easily navigable by centralising all the information in a single, accessible platform. The information was structured and very clear to see, allowing stakeholders to understand the insights produced for better decision-making and outcomes easily.

Learning and innovation

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Lessons learned:

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Having a tool such as Propel in any complex research process with multiple stakeholders has the potential for growth in learning, especially through the continuous capturing of insights. This also meets needs of flexibility and can be tailored differently to different diverse stakeholders. Key lessons learned include:

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• Better learning potential: Continuous capturing of insights by Propel supported a continuous learning cycle in which findings could build on previous knowledge, towards continuous improvement. Since Propel was flexible, it would adjust to different phases of the research process and thus accommodate changing needs of the project and the stakeholders.
• Tailoring to stakeholder needs: Because Propel could be inclusive to all stakeholders’ needs, it meant everybody could participate and effectively contribute to the process of research, irrespective of background or expertise. A more inclusive process created within this research a holistic understanding of issues being researched, with the various perspectives duly integrated into the learning process.

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Through these, Propel has been in a position to demonstrate lessons and innovative practices in strengthening the learning and innovation processes in complex, multi-stakeholder research initiatives.

Scalability and next steps

In terms of scaling, this approach can be used for future collaborations in the research space. It will give an avenue to capture success and to improve the learning processes being undertaken.

Thereby, organisations are invited to reflect on how Propel can be used to guide research and learning processes that are collaborative towards greater efficiency and impact.

Conclusion

Propel has transformed the research process by enabling structured, multi-stakeholder research and learning. It set, in this, the first new benchmark for collaborative learning and showed how specially made tools can drive complex processes in truly transformational ways. With such an integrated approach, moving forward together in a connected and intentional way, these programmatic learning processes will lead organisations to help their communities to improve impacts, refinement, and growth.