How do you design and implement a learning agenda for your alliance portfolio?

1 Step 1: Define your learning objectives

The first step is to define what you want to learn from your alliance portfolio. What are the key questions that you need to answer to assess and improve your performance, impact, and sustainability? What are the gaps in your knowledge and evidence base that you want to fill? What are the assumptions and hypotheses that you want to test and validate? Your learning objectives should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART). They should also be aligned with your strategic goals and priorities, as well as the needs and interests of your stakeholders.

2 Step 2: Identify your data sources and methods

The next step is to identify what data sources and methods you will use to answer your learning questions. Data sources can include quantitative and qualitative data, such as surveys, interviews, focus groups, observations, documents, reports, and feedback. Methods can include descriptive, inferential, and predictive analytics, as well as participatory and collaborative approaches, such as action research, peer learning, and co-creation. You should consider the availability, reliability, validity, and comparability of your data sources and methods, as well as the ethical and practical implications of collecting and using data.

3 Step 3: Plan your data collection and analysis

The third step is to plan how and when you will collect and analyze your data. You should create a data collection and analysis plan that specifies the roles and responsibilities of your team and partners, the tools and techniques that you will use, the timeline and frequency of your data collection and analysis, and the quality assurance and data protection measures that you will apply. You should also consider how you will integrate and triangulate your data from different sources and methods, and how you will address any limitations or challenges that may arise.

4 Step 4: Communicate and share your findings

The fourth step is to communicate and share your findings with your internal and external stakeholders. You should create a communication and dissemination plan that defines the purpose, audience, format, and channel of your communication and dissemination activities, as well as the key messages and recommendations that you want to convey. You should also consider how you will tailor your communication and dissemination to the needs and preferences of your stakeholders, and how you will solicit and incorporate their feedback and input.

5 Step 5: Use your findings for decision making and improvement

The fifth step is to use your findings for decision making and improvement. You should create a data use and action plan that outlines the actions and changes that you will implement based on your findings, as well as the indicators and milestones that you will use to monitor and evaluate your progress and results. You should also consider how you will involve and empower your team and partners in the data use and action process, and how you will foster a culture of learning and adaptation in your organization and alliance portfolio.

6 Step 6: Review and update your learning agenda

The sixth and final step is to review and update your learning agenda periodically. You should create a review and update plan that defines the criteria and frequency of your review and update process, as well as the roles and responsibilities of your team and partners. You should also consider how you will assess the effectiveness and impact of your learning agenda, and how you will incorporate new questions, data sources, methods, and findings into your learning agenda as your context and needs evolve.