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Knowledge at the service of development strategies and activities
The revolution in information and communications technologies has placed the "knowledge factor" on the development agenda, as a key resource in all social and economic activity, a resource as important as land, capital and labor.
In fact, it always has been. What has changed so profoundly and rapidly is the speed at which knowledge can be transferred at any distance and in any volume. In other words, opportunities have broadened for enormous quantities of knowledge, of all types and origins, to be transmitted farther, faster and among a greater number of people and organizations, thanks to the ICT revolution. There are thus greater opportunities to strengthen its contribution to social and economic activities.
Basic knowledge concepts
For some, knowledge can be classifed according to the way it is transmitted. On the one hand, there is knowledge which is translated or "codified" in the form of information, to facilitate its transmission and utilization; on the other hand, there is tacit knowledge, that which is very difficult or costly to codify, and is thus transmitted through shared experiences or work.
For example, a manual to assemble a bicycle requires "codification" of the designer's knowledge; this knowledge is transmitted in the form of information that the consumer can supposedly read, assimilate and apply. There is no guarantee of success: much depends on the clarity and suitability of the information created (language, graphic design, selection of words, syntax, idiomatic expressions), as well as on the users' capacity to interpret this information (education, culture, mechanical skill). But how many of us are capable of writing or utilizing a manual on how to ride a bicycle? This type of knowledge tends to be tacit, and is transmitted through the experiences shared between those who possess that skill and those who wish to acquire it. Tacit knowledge transfer among colleagues plays an important role in building learning organizations, for example.
Another way of classifying knowledge can be found in the summary introduction to the World Development Report 1998-99 on Knowledge for Development published by the World Bank: a) knowledge about technology, or "know-how"; and b) knowledge about attributes, or about circumstances and facts which make economic and social transactions more efficient. In the first case, knowledge about better irrigation techniques, nutrition, environmental conservation, and so forth, is essential for raising standards of living. This type of knowledge is transmitted and acquired through a combination of information and shared tacit knowledge. In the second case, knowledge about agricultural prices, quality of retail products or international industrial fairs, for example, are essential to reducing transaction costs and thus increasing the competitiveness or viability of a given economic or social activity. This type of knowledge is usually expressed as an information tool or product. (see external links for more in-depth discussion of these concepts)
Obstacles
Developing countries possess a great amount of knowledge which could be used more productively to resolve their wide-ranging economic and social problems and increase their competitiveness. However, there are often serious obstacles which prevent advantageous use of such knowledge, related to: a) educational and training levels; b) difficulties in the storage, access and dissemination of knowledge and information; and c) systematization of learning as a way to enrich local and national knowledge stores. In fact, much innovation, scientific and technological knowledge is produced, but then "lost" or underutilized in these countries due to inadequate mechanisms and practices of dissemination and systematization. Other obstacles to optimal knowledge use arise from different types of prevailing cultural or political patterns.
Many industrialized and emerging societies have resolved those obstacles –to a greater or lesser degree– and thus have greater success in the creation, recording, dissemination, storage, access, assimilation, application and systematization of knowledge. They also possess and develop technical knowledge and information products which could be very useful for the immediate and long-term needs of developing countries. Many believe that the greatest obstacle in developing countries to the optimal use of these types of knowledge is simply one of access, for example to telecommunications.
However, the same problems which hinder the free production, circulation and assimilation of knowledge and information within developing countries, also hinder their ability to utilize much of the valuable knowledge which comes from abroad. Furthermore, the conditions which generated that knowledge abroad are not necessarily applicable in another country, sector, culture or situation without detailed analysis and careful adaptation. In other words, connecting to the Internet to access and share the immense store of freely-circulating world knowledge is a huge opportunity, but is no guarantee of success in and of itself.
Challenges for developing nations
In order for knowledge and information to become a strong leverage point for development –with or without the ICT revolution– it is essential to develop strong skills in selecting, filtering and translating experiences, information and knowledge both locally and from abroad, with the goal of enriching local stores of knowledge. It is equally important to produce local information, to share local information and to systematize local experiences in the context of concrete endeavors and projects, so that others may also enrich their knowledge stores and not reinvent the wheel at every turn. The vicious cycle of poverty and isolation could thus be transformed into a "virtuous circle" of learning and development.
Examples of "best practices" abound, and they are more accessible than ever thanks to the Internet and increasing willingness worldwide to enrich the public knowledge domain with local experiences, contributions and resources. Some of these examples can be found on our pages of Salvadoran links and external links, as well as in the individual pages of our learning circles on the issues of education, migration, local development, rural development, learning organizations and small & microenterprise.
Challenges include:
learning how to translate these experiences, identifying success factors and weighing their applicability to local contexts;
leveraging local best practices to broaden their impact in a given sector or region;
identifying critical local obstacles to knowledge creation, dissemination and access, for example, and designing responses in the areas of information-related tools or products, relationships and partnerships among stakeholders, external resources, infrastructure, legislation and regulations;
measuring the impact or added value of improved use of knowledge and/or information tools in the context of a specific project or endeavor;
identifying incentives to best practices in this field, defining the role of government, building alliances.
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| updated 31 May 1999 |
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