Learning and Adaption

The Learning and Adaptation resource library is a selection of resources chosen to provide an introduction to learning and adaptation. Learning and adaptation are the ways in which projects can use data collected to make informed decisions about the implementation of their activities. The following resources include introductory materials, learning question/agenda development, and guidance on adaptive management, including how to collaborate with local stakeholders and participants to adaptively manage.

Introduction to Learning and Adaption

• M&E for Learning | The M&E for learning page includes guidance and tools related to how to apply knowledge gained from evidence and analysis to improve development outcomes and ensure accountability for the resources used to achieve them.
• Adaptive programming: It’s not ‘business as usual’ for international development | This ICF page provides an introduction to adaptive management, and how international development projects can adaptively manage projects.
• Guidance Note: Practical Introduction to Adaptive Management | DT Global’s guide to adaptive management provides an understanding of DT Global’s adaptive management framework; how to assess if and what level of adaptive management is required for a program; the difference between adaptive management and good program management; and initial steps to apply adaptive management principles and practice.
• Success and Learning Stories: Guidelines for Writing Effective Project Impact Reports | The module gives suggestions and guidance so that stories can be prepared in a way that consistently provides the type of impact information that would be most useful for its reporting and other communications needs.

Learning Questions

• Establishing a Learning Agenda |This guidance provides a basic process for developing a learning agenda. A learning agenda includes a (1) set of questions addressing the critical knowledge gaps impeding informed design and implementation decisions and (2) plans for learning activities to help answer those questions.
• Tips for Creating a Learning Agenda |  This document outlines ways a learning agenda may benefit an operating unit or team and describes characteristics of an effective learning agenda; it offers general steps to aid in the development of this tool. This document was created with USAID in mind, but its contents are applicable to partners and other Agencies seeking to enhance organizational and program-related learning.
• INFORMED: Learning Question Formulation in Eight Steps |This document provides an overview of the eight steps that comprise the INFORMED approach to formulating learning questions and provides detailed instructions and resources on how to operationalize these steps. It is a step-by-step guide to help users formulate learning questions in a systematic and intentional way via three options for tailoring your formulation process to your needs and resources.

Adaptive Management

• The A-Compass: The UNFPA adaptive management model |The publication presents the first ever adaptive management model of UNFPA, the A-COMPASS. A-COMPASS will navigate individuals and teams towards practicing adaptive management for the acceleration of achievement of results. It can also be considered as the updated program cycle of UNFPA.
• The Governance and Development Practice, Implementing adaptive management: A front-line effort. Abt Associates. 2021. | The purpose of this paper is to propose a set of actionable tools and approaches for donors, implementors and front-line staff to apply adaptive management (AM) in practice, at critical stages of the project cycle. This is what is termed PILLAR: politically informed, locally led and adaptive responses.
• Tips for Strengthening Local Capacity To Assess Incentives and Conduct Savvy, Adaptive Programming |Over the long term, effective development programming must empower local actors to more routinely implement their own efforts in similar ways. This document is an effort to compile good practices in supporting local capacity to thinking and working politically. 
• Making adaptive rigour work: principles and practices for strengthening MEL for adaptive management |This briefing from the Global Learning for Adaptive Management (GLAM) initiative argues that adaptive programs can be accountable, rigorous and high quality in how they use evidence. This paper sets out three key elements of an ‘adaptive rigor’ approach.

Learning and Adaptive Management Approaches

• Pause and Reflect | Pause and reflect is a component of learning and adaptive management, the act of taking time to think critically about ongoing activities and processes and plan for the best way forward. This page provides guidance and tools related to designing and facilitating pause and reflect sessions. 
• After Action Review | The After Action Review (AAR) is a quick reflective exercise for team-based learning during a project or ongoing initiative, in order to improve results in the current project. This document provides guidance on using and facilitating an AAR. 
• Theory of Change Review as an Adaptive Management Tool |This blog details how to use TOC review as a tool to reflect on and learn from evidence and experience to-date in order to inform adaptation, innovation, and improvement in activity implementation and management.
• Liberating Structures Facilitation Methods | Five conventional structures guide the way we organize routine interactions and how groups work together: presentations, managed discussions, open discussions, status reports and brainstorm sessions. Liberating Structures add 33 more options to the big five conventional approaches.
• Facilitating Intentional Group Learning: A Practical Guide to 21 Learning Activities | This practical guide from FSG is intended to help a wide array of practitioners better understand how and when to use group learning activities to intentionally support and facilitate continuous learning through reflection and dialogue.  The Guide provides a curated repository of 21 activities that create the ideal environment for reflection and dialogue that lead to new insights and understandings.  From quick 20-minute activities to multi-hour gatherings, this guide provides detailed instructions on how to conduct high-energy, inclusive, and productive experiences.