Learning from practical experience in the systemization of culture and development programming

• Partnership Summary
• Results

This partnership with the University of Girona had the intent of increasing the role of culture in development. Using the 18 MDG-F joint programmes in the culture and development thematic window, the partners worked on systematizing knowledge and lessons learned and used these to develop models for programme development and implementation. To do so, the partners made use of existing information, leveraged the experience gained through the joint programmes, identified problems at every stage of programme development and implementation and formalized this knowledge. This was not an evaluation; rather, the work generated applied practical knowledge that focused on producing reference and operational materials.

Producing knowledge on developing successful culture and development iniatives

• This partnership contributed to the systematization, retention and transfer of knowledge emerging from the management practices and experiences of the MDG-F's 18 Culture and Development programmes. The partnership was operated from 2011 to 2013 by the Laboratory for Research and Innovation in Culture and Development (L+iD) from the UNESCO Chair in Cultural Policies and Development of the University of Girona (Spain). 
• Based on these learning experiences, the L+iD designed a set of practical project management tools in Cultural Approaches for Development. The purpose of these applications, available at apl-cultural.com, is to increase the effectiveness and sustainability of development initiatives that use a cultural approach.

The following applications are available in English and Spanish at apl-cultural.com:

• Context and contextualization: This application highlights the impact that territorial, social and cultural context can have on a project's effectiveness, and it offers recommendations for incorporating context throughout the project's implementation.
• Capacity-building for development: This application offers several options for including capacity-building in development initiatives, focusing on the relationship between basic and cultural capacities.
• Communication processes: This application offers support and guidance for the design of communication strategies that define communication as a basic right and an instrument for cultural participation that has an economic impact.
• Resolving management problems: This application identifies the main problems in the management of cultural and development interventions and offers solutions to improve project effectiveness. 
• Culture’s transversality: This application examines the different cross-cutting issues within development initiatives, and it offers recommendations on how to incorporate the notion of transversality in projects using a cultural approach for development.
• The project: This application offers support for managing development initiatives, focusing on the stages within project cycles where it is necessary to use a cultural approach for development.