Knowledge Management During COVID-19: Review of Development Organizations' Practices and Experiences

In accordance with USAID's mission of supporting countries affected by COVID-19, the Agency's KMOL team sought to understand how development organizations are using their knowledge management and organizational learning functions to support their response to COVID-19. Development organizations are facing an "infodemic" due to the rapid and evolving nature of information released during the pandemic. To address this challenge, organizations are turning to the voices of those affected most and those working on the frontlines to ensure the most effective COVID-19 response. This involves adapting and building remote and in-person infrastructure to access and utilize information from local communities. Effective communication is also crucial in response efforts against the spread of COVID-19 disinformation, with organizations working to address disinformation efficiently and identify possible program bias. The pandemic has also highlighted the importance of brokering and incorporating local and organizational knowledge. Many organizations have adapted their data collection tools and other methods to engage those in the field, despite the challenges posed by limited access to amenities in developing nations. Online platforms have been leveraged to participate in conferences and consortia, enabling meaningful engagement with donors and stakeholders on a broader level. The reliance on virtual connections has fostered a greater need for collaboration and an integrated approach to COVID-19 response efforts. Organizations have also utilized lessons learned from previous crisis response efforts and interventions to adapt existing knowledge bases and processes. This has allowed them to build on previous and current efforts in the field, helping them navigate the ongoing pandemic and deliver aid more effectively. Learning agendas have been shaped and developed to capture and share knowledge efficiently, considering shifting operational and programmatic needs. Through these learning agendas, important information has been obtained and synthesized into working knowledge to be applied and adapted into programs and interventions inadvertently impacted by COVID-19. The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the necessity of strengthening knowledge, learning infrastructure, and capability to build on prior lessons and leverage collective knowledge to address current and future crises. Development organizations will continue to leverage and utilize knowledge-sharing processes to ensure more efficient adaptations in the event of rapidly evolving environmental conditions or other crises of this scale. A primary goal of many knowledge brokers is to continue the development of organizational learning and virtual communication infrastructure and apply findings to future global crises.