Sector learning, an introduction

Published on: 22/03/2011

IRC is working to facilitate and promote sector-wide learning through various approaches. Resource centre networks, learning alliances, coordination mechanisms, sector monitoring processes and capacity development programmes all have a role to play in helping sector players generate, and share knowledge and improve the sector's collective capacity for providing water and sanitation services to everyone forever.

Under the broad heading of 'learning for change', we are open to discussing a range of issues, concepts, tools, approaches, examples, ideas, trends, questions and answers about learning, facilitating, networking, coordination, innovation, advocating for learning, funding learning initiatives, and other topics that you think are relevant. 

What is sector learning? 

Some may argue that sector learning does not really exist.  And why all this fuss about sector learning? Why not talk about sector performance? Sector systems and capacities? We think that there is a point to talk about ‘sector learning’ in order to take some distance, some thinking space and to observe the bigger picture. A sector does not learn, but the people who are involved in water or sanitation can.

Water, sanitation and hygiene work – and most development work for that matter – is complex. It requires more than one organisation to fill the water gaps, it takes more than a project to bring sustainable services to rural communities. Hygiene promotion is not just a problem for village x, y and z, it is a problem for many countries. We need to look around at what others are doing and at sector trends. What is going on in this WASH sector where we all work?

The WASH sector brings together many different kinds of actors. This creates opportunities but also poses a great risk of fragmenting all of our activities into chunks of great work which simply do not bring (good) enough results. For the sector we ought to look beyond a specific geographic area, project, or organisation.

We need to learn, and avoid repeating the same mistakes all over again (even though we recognise mistakes have their value). Learning is what allows us to connect knowledge and create action together. We need to learn as individuals. We need to learn as organisations.We need to learn across institutions working in this sector. These are our only chances at adapting, anticipating and influencing a changing environment, which can lead us to deliver better performing and more sustainable services.

Even with its limitations, sector learning is a useful concept that constantly needs to be reflected on and adapted, while keeping the bigger picture in mind. As we define it (for now), sector learning is  concerned with all initiatives and processes that create, capture, transfer, mobilise knowledge to reflect deeply, innovate and improve. Working on sector learning requires the capacity and willingness to do things together, better and often at times differently. It also implies that we acknowledge that it is not only sector experts who have a say in the processes. All stakeholders bring their knowledge. They can teach and learn from each other; co-creating knowledge and shaping each other’s identity in the process. Sector learning is a frame of mind that requires us to work across institutional and professional boundaries. 

What are the key assumptions behind efforts to improve sector learning?

• WASH / development issues transcend single organisations, projects or areas.
• These complex issues involve different (institutional and individual) stakeholders, working at different levels: local service providers, national regulators and policy makers, etc.
• Working on these issues is not about quick fixes. It is about long-term commitment. Simple training and its elaborate cousin ‘capacity development’ are not enough. This is why it is essential that sector players are committed to learning for improvement.
• Working on these issues requires a vision. There should be a strategy for learning that is jointly developed and agreed. Ideally, a national steering group should lead the process to identify national sector priorities and areas for learning and innovation. In this strategy, the leading governmental sector entity should acknowledge the relevance of sector learning and support as well as encourage its development.
• Multi-stakeholder learning should lead to change. And such processes often take facilitation.Facilitation comes at a cost (time, money and capacity). The role of the facilitator is to guide the processes of sector learning towards a joint vision.
• To ensure continuous and systematic learning and feedback through the sector will require thatsector institutions commit resources to joint learning  and that encourage engagement of different stakeholder groups (authorities, providers, citizens) in learning and improvement.

These ideas are the starting point for IRC's learning about sector learning. Under the broad heading of learning for change, we are open to discussing a range of issues, concepts, tools, approaches, examples, ideas, trends, questions and answers about learning, facilitating, networking, coordination, innovation, advocating for learning, funding learning initiatives, and other topics that you think are relevant.

If this resonates with you, or if this is utter nonsense, we invite you share and learn together with us! 

(This post by Ewen LeBorgne and Carmen da Silva Wells is an edited version of a blog that was originally on the Learning for Change blog)