CLA Inside Scoop: How IDEAL Shares Internally

By: Meredith Brown, Adaptive Management Specialist, IDEAL

The Implementer-Led Evidence, Analysis and Learning (IDEAL) Activity is implemented by a large team, comprised of various consortium partners who are each working in a silo of their own technical expertise. To facilitate collaboration across siloed teams, activities often encourage knowledge sharing and learning through all-staff meetings, Pause & Reflect sessions, and informal relationship-building opportunities. With this in mind, IDEAL created a fun, new concept called “Lightning Learnings” to provide IDEAL teams a space during all-staff meetings to share their work.

Since the IDEAL team is spread around the United States and abroad, the bulk of IDEAL’s work occurs in a virtual setting, which reinforces siloed work. Often, virtual all-staffs can feel cumbersome and repetitive to disconnected teams focused on completing work plan activities. Enter Lightning Learnings. Like a bolt from the sky, Lightning Learnings allow for light, flexible briefs or presentations on various updates, accomplishments, learnings, failures, and/or connection points.

IDEAL began dedicating roughly 15 minutes of every other weekly all-staff meeting to Lightning Learnings, with the frequency eventually shifting to once a month to accommodate the shifting needs of the activity. A member of the internal Collaborating, Learning, and Adapting (CLA) team manages the overall schedule by inquiring about topics from team members, accepting suggestions, and coordinating the timing of Lightning Learnings to ensure they are relevant and aligned with the overall implementation calendar. Each presenter is given the freedom to utilize their 15 minutes as they see fit, with the CLA team available for support.

Typically, one or two presenters provide an informal update on the activity or topic and how it is applicable to our work in roughly the first 5 to 10 minutes, leaving time for questions, discussion, and team banter. Presenters have shared using trivia, polls, new or used presentations, no presentations, or videos, memes, and gifs. Because preparing for a Lightning Learning is a light lift for team members, it’s easy to find topics and volunteers, and often, team members reach out for the opportunity to share their work. When knowledge-sharing activities are informal and feel easy, learning is made less stressful and more accessible to everyone.

Over its lifetime, IDEAL has covered many different topics, often prompting Zoom chats like “I had no idea we did that” or “This is really helpful, can I get these slides?” Examples of Lightning Learnings include “Tips and Tricks” for creating a mail merge and writing better reports, IDEAL post-event report outs and lessons learned, research findings from BHA-funded evaluations, IDEAL Associate Award activities, use of inclusive language, 508 compliance, and the effects of major humanitarian crises on IDEAL work. The diversity of Lightning Learning topics and brief nature of presentations keep staff interested and engaged during all-staff meetings.

In fact, this very simple concept has contributed to many conversations leading to activity adaptations and a feeling of connection to others on the team. Specifically, the Lightning Learnings shared by IDEAL’s Knowledge Management and Communications team on using mail merge, thinking about 508 compliance, and using Liberating Structures for meetings helped the entire IDEAL team to work more efficiently, create more compelling products, and facilitate more collaborative and creative sessions at meetings and events. It’s fun to see lightning strike and connections made for improved results!

Learn more about Collaborating, Learning, and Adapting on the FSN Network!