Why we need to think more broadly about evidence: Local knowledge in emergencies
A stakeholder analysis & systematic literature review case study
A project with the Humanitarian Leadership Academy
The problem
The humanitarian sector currently lacks the ability to systematically identify and apply local or indigenous knowledge.
What we did
The Humanitarian Leadership Academy asked us to develop its capacity to access and share diverse forms of knowledge across a humanitarian network and explore how local knowledge systems could be supported by the Academy’s humanitarian knowledge-sharing platform. We worked with the Academy to explore the ways in which communities and local organisations are already using and sharing local knowledge when preparing for and responding to crises and disasters. We conducted a stakeholder analysis of over 50 organisations, research institutions, networks and donors that have nurtured local knowledge systems, and a systematic literature review of papers on local knowledge in disaster risk reduction, preparedness for conflict and response. The research investigated the types of local knowledge that are considered important and the ways in which social networks and digital platforms have been used organically to spread lifesaving information.
Making it useful
We worked closely with the Academy to identify how the insights generated through our analysis could inform their approach to knowledge sharing.
Resources
The full report can be downloaded here