Knowledge networks for educational planning on behalf of poor communities, an interim report

THIS INTERIM REPORT DESCRIBES THE ONGOING WORK OF THE NETWORKS PROJECT, WHICH IS CONCERNED WITH IDENTIFYING OPTIMAL STRATEGIES FOR EDUCATIONAL PLANNING. WORK CONDUCTED TO DATE INCLUDES A SURVEY OF THEORY RELATING TO KNOWLEDGE DIFFUSION AND ITS TRANSFER TO ACTION; A REVIEW OF CASE STUDIES OF VARIOUS STRATEGIES OF KNOWLEDGE DIFFUSION; A SERIES OF THREE CONFERENCES ON KNOWLEDGE NETWORKS; COMMISSIONING OF SEVERAL PAPERS ON SELECTED PROBLEMS OF KNOWLEDGE UTILIZATION; ORGANIZATION OF A SEMINAR ON NETWORK STRATEGIES AMONG GRADUATE STUDENTS AT UCLA; AND MEETINGS WITH SELECTED UNIVERSITY AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE GROUPS IN EUROPE TO DISCUSS RESEARCH ON COST-EFFECTIVENESS OF ALTERNATIVE STRATEGIES FOR UNIVERSITY INVOLVEMENT. SOME TENTATIVE CONCLUSIONS FROM THE WORK TO DATE: IN EDUCATIONAL PLANNING, STANDARDS OF COST-EFFECTIVENESS THAT ARE APPLIED TO MIDDLE-CLASS COMMUNITIES SHOULD NOT BE APPLIED TO POOR COMMUNITIES. STRATEGIES AND CRITERIA OF NETWORKING EFFECTIVENESS MAY HAVE TO SEEK OUT UNORTHODOX MEASURES OF PLANNING "OUTPUT" IF SERVICE TO POOR COMMUNITIES IS TO BE AN OPERATIONAL PRIORITY RATHER THAN JUST A PIOS WISH. PROBLEMS OF WORKING WITH POOR COMMUNITIES ARE SO COMPLEX THAT SOLUTIONS ARE NOT LIKELY TO COME FROM GENERAL PRINCIPLES; THE COMMUNITIES NEED TO BE STUDIED, AND SPECIFIC SUCCESS STORIES DISSEMINATED. IT IS DIFFICULT TO MAKE CONTACTS WITH PEOPLE CLOSE TO THE PROBLEMS. COUNTRIES USUALLY SEND VIPS TO SEMINARS AND EVEN TRAINING PROGRAMS, RATHER THAN PEOPLE IMMERSED IN THE PROBLEMS OF POOR COMMUNITIES. ONE MUST BREAK THROUGH THE FILTERS BUILT IN AT VARIOUS LEVELS OF THE SYSTEM.