Perspectives on Impact Evaluation Conference 02 April 2009

UYF Presentation Template Rev01

Perspectives on Impact Evaluation Conference 02 April 2009

Using Knowledge Management Functions to

Achieve InfluenceAmuzweni Lerato Ngoma

Knowledge Management UnitUmsobomvu Youth Fund


Established in 2001 to address the economic and skills development needs of young South Africans

Youth = 18 -35 years, divided into: Two age cohorts: 18-25 years and 26-35 years.

Vulnerable youth groups are a priority: Young women, young people in the rural areas, young

people at risk (e.g. in conflict with the law)

Purpose To enable the implementation of effective youth development

programmes and mainstreaming youth development for youth to have sustainable livelihoods.

Vision To enhance the active participation of South Africa’s youth in the

mainstream of the economy.

Mission To facilitate and promote the creation of jobs and skills development

for South Africa’s young people.

About Umsobomvu Youth Fund


The Three Critical Roles - UYF1. Funder

Key investor in youth development programmes- Contact, Information and Counselling;

Call centre, youth advisory mobiles etc… Skills Development and Transfer

Training and development Entrepreneurship Development and Support

Finance and business development services

2. Capacity Developer Build capacity of service providers / partners in order to mainstream

best practices of Youth Development Knowledge Driven-institution: not only money on the table

3. Youth Development Advocate Get government and private sector to service the needs of young

people


The Umsobomvu Way

Skills

Develo

pmen

t

Access to

Opportunities

Business Support

Acces

s to F

inanc

e

SustainableLivelihoods


Support Functions Information Communication and Technology

E.g. Systems Design

Finance and Administration E.g. Legal services

Operations Support E.g. Quality Management System

Human Resource Management E.g. Training of partners

Research and Evaluation E.g. Knowledge Management

Service Delivery Channel E.g. management of branch network


Purpose UYF KM Programme The creation of an authoritative body of applied

knowledge based on UYF experience.

To draw and generate an authoritative body of knowledge based on the experiences of players in the Youth development sector.

The main outcome being: use of this knowledge for the effective promotion of mainstreamed; innovative and high impact youth development products and programmes in the country or otherwise.


Some Key Questions asked by KM

How is the Fund transforming its experience into re-usable knowledge?

How do we: Document the change and growth of our

development practice? Ensure that the “same mistakes are not

repeated”? Improve?

What are our best practices? And who are holders & actors of this knowledge?

What are the practices of sharing internally and externally?


Knowledge Creation FocusOperational Factors: 1. Scale, 2. Efficiency and Effectiveness, 3. Customer-focus and Integration

Youth Development Practice:1. Clear and measurable goals: the goals of the relevant

organisation must be consistent with the programme2. Effective management: this requires commitment of

programme and project leaders to the goals and objectives of the programme, staff development, resource mobilisation etc

3. Preparation for livelihoods: prepare youth for economic livelihoods, consider local economy, information, infrastructure etc, scarce skills

4. Foster youth transformation: this can be achieved by promoting young people's participation in decision making, promoting and nurturing leadership

5. Measure impact: effective youth development programmes apply indicators to measure compliance, must have the capability to collect and analyse information about transformation in the lives of programme participants, testing the strength of every aspect of the programme against agreed deliverables



Knowledge Management

Portal Strategies

Community oriented Strategies

Process-Oriented strategies


Knowledge Management

Portal Strategies

Focus on using IT systems to integrate pre-existing databases and bringing them together via a standard user interface

Community oriented StrategiesEmphasize the management of communities that stress the importance of discussion and evaluation of business-relevant information.

Process-Oriented strategiesSeek to provide the organization with relevant knowledge on how best to conduct its business. This means that employees are able to receive the knowledge they need for their tasks in the business process.



Lessons Learned and Best Practice Case Studies

The investigation, collation and analysis of UYF data and information in order to discern lessons learnt & insights in the design and delivery of the UYF’s programmes.

It is conducted through comparative and longitudinal case studies

The outcome of this function is the production of knowledge and practice reports that summarise lessons and insights gained from programme and product design, implementation and impact. The primary goal of this KM product is to provide the organisation with relevant knowledge on how best to conduct its business.


Youth Enterprise JournalSeeks to produce fresh information that contributes to the

promotion of good practices and successful models in youth entrepreneurship support and development.

It is further driven by the need to stimulate and maintain a vibrant discourse on youth development practice in South Africa.

The journal captures, documents and disseminates best

practice knowledge extracted from the theory and practice on youth enterprise development s


Knowledge Essentials Newsletter

A ‘knowledge essentials’ electronic discussion brief will be authored and managed by the KMP. The aim of the discussion brief is to surface and document observed practice within the Fund. The second aim of the knowledge essential brief is to create a constant platform for KM which continuously engages UYF staff members.


Knowledge Network SeminarsActs as a platform for the generation and sharing of ideas,

information and knowledge on youth development practice.

Youth development practitioners, both within UYF and externally, and sector specific experts will share their past experiences and lessons learned on the design, delivery and assessment of youth development programmes.

The Knowledge Network seminars stress the importance of discussion and evaluation of information relevant to conducting business.


The lessons learned and best practice review: Lessons learned during the

implementation of the BCSVP; Extracts key lessons as the UYF fully

transitions from the Allocating Agent Model to own-delivery (YAC model) of the BCSVP; and

Inform future decision-making on the programme.


BCSVP Operating Model

UYFBCSVP

AA SP

YE

3

21

1

2

3

54

4

5

UYF-AA Contractual relationship

UYF-SP Contractual relationship

AA-YE assessment, intake and product/service quality assurance relationship

SP-YE service / product delivery and capacity building relationship

AA-SP non-contractual but oversight relationship

Legend:

UYFBCSVP

SPYE

Old BCSVP Delivery Model & Relationships Current BCSVP Delivery Model & Relationships

26

SP-YE service / product delivery and capacity building relationship

6

5


Methodology Documentary Review:

Internal Monitoring and Evaluation Reports (2004).

Impact Assessments (2004 & 2007). Extraction of Knowledge Variables:

Youth Development Experience Operational (Screening & Issuance, Product Relevance) Management / Oversight SP and impact of programme Voucher Activity Integration, capacity Building and

Sustainability. Development of Interview tool – temporally sensitive

(measured pilot, roll-out & YAC phase). In-depth Interviews (Telephonic & Face-to-

Face) – AAs & selected SPs. Report write up Lessons Learned workshop will all AAs


Youth Development Experience Pilot & Roll-Out

Arguably YD experience critical for the smooth implementation of youth dev. Programme.

Enables practitioners to appropriately route the YP through interventions.

Only one org. with YD experience.

AA’s YD experience increased during implementation of the VP.

Predominantly rural provinces combined used municipal infrastructure to reach youth.

Implications for Redesign High YD within context of

entrepreneurship requires urgent attention.

Existing knowledge and skills should be exploited for broader org. learning.

Naturally emerging best practice – was the ability to assess a YE and route them to multiple products, within & without the voucher.

In this instance the VP became a mobile service in which everything was done there and activated back at the urban-located office.

Capacity Building on knowledge of financial institutions and their requirements

On-going facilitation of relationship btw SPs and Financiers.


YE Transformation “We are injecting a sense of professionalism into young

entrepreneurs; however, there is still a lot of work to be done. It is heartening if a young person comes back to us, and says I went for this tender, in my presentation I was able to use the branding that I got through the voucher.

”Some of the voucher clients had consumed our training products as x-organization. However, it looks like the training was just training was just for training. There was synergy between x-organization (training), y-organization (finance) and the voucher programme. We did take cognizance of the linkages between the three; we consciously let clients flow from one product into the other.”

We can say that the Voucher was innovative at the time that it was designed. However now is the time for major shifts to take place. One of which is in terms of the products and services that we offer.

Perspectives on Impact Evaluation Conference 02 April 2009

Documents

youth development sector

business development

presentation template

vulnerable youth groups

knowledge management

south africas young

young women

reusable knowledge