Every year, UNDP projects around the world generate thousands of knowledge products. However, only a few are tracked and shared beyond the specific project unit, and very few of them are published on the UNDP website. Of those that do get published, only a handful follow a proper dissemination plan to get the message across.

My own informal reviews suggest that an average of only 10% of reports are actually tracked and published in a typical Country Office, and barely 1% undergo a proper dissemination process and unpacking. (In 2024, Somalia tracked 100+ reports, published 12). This represents a significant missed opportunity for a knowledge-driven organization like UNDP.

To address this, UNDP Somalia launched the Knowledge Hub to systematically track, organize, and archive fragmented knowledge while making it accessible across portfolios and beyond the Country Office. Guided by an internal protocol, the Hub is updated regularly by authorized M&E/Comms Focal Points at each project, with Communications Unit providing guidance and oversight, while also taking the lead in packaging and disseminating curated reports/contents/stories. Upcoming knowledge products are tracked by CO through “project-level communications plans.” And for effective dissemination, UNDP Somalia launched dedicated platforms, such as the Hayaan newsletter, the Somalia Blog Series, the Exposure Platform, and thematic media briefings, besides the regular website, email list serve and social media.

Our experience in Somalia highlights several reasons why knowledge sharing does not happen effectively. Across organizations, there is a general aversion to sharing new knowledge, driven by lack of confidence in the quality of knowledge products, complicated sharing platforms and time-consuming submission systems, underestimation of the impact that well-communicated knowledge can have on UNDP’s positioning and resource mobilization, fear of criticism over quality and standards, concerns about additional workload, limited time to review reports submitted by consultants. Formal studies mostly cite structural and cultural barriers, such as “functional diversity, homophily, knowledge hoarding, organizational culture, and centralization.”

Lessons and Recommendations

1. Prioritize Staff Motivation: 

More than protocol and SOPs, finding ways to ensure staff motivation is key. Providing individual credit for knowledge contributions is a strong motivator. This can be done by, for example, recognizing the top 5 or 10 most read or downloaded knowledge products or blogs of the year. Somalia awarded top three most read blogs in 2024. Another effective measure to motivate staff is to integrate knowledge dissemination as a performance indicator in annual PMD, just like gender equality is a mandatory indicator and recognize top contributors. There should be clear communication to ensure staff are aware of the personal benefits of sharing their work--such as recognition and career growth opportunities--as well as its value for their projects, country offices, and UNDP as a whole.

Besides, a simple and burdenless Hub system is key. Any knowledge management system that adds extra burden/workload on knowledge generators will be demotivating. However, if a designated KM officer, for example, offers help to standardize and refine knowledge products to ensure the highest quality, more staff will be motivated to share their knowledge. Complex folder management system or CMS can be demotivating. Small technology tweaks/skills can ease/automatize the process of sharing reports to the Hub (e.g. desktop folder sync for auto internal archival, AI for layout design and summary).

2. Institutionalize Knowledge Sharing

Once motivation is established, rules should reinforce the practice. UNDP Senior Management could establish an accountability framework where each Portfolio is required to report annually on knowledge tracking, publication, and dissemination rates. In fact, all Country Offices (COs) could adopt a policy requiring project managers to share (at least internally) all knowledge products--unless agreed otherwise--with the Communications Unit and Senior Management. These products should then undergo a quality assurance process, be standardized and branded, and be made public in the most appropriate format.

3. Unpack and Communicate Knowledge:

The moment we start making public all our knowledge products, it triggers stronger quality assurance process automatically, the Panoptic surveillance effect. But simply sharing/publishing a full PDF document is not enough. Knowledge must be unpacked into digestible, engaging shorter capsules to ensure wider reach and impact. CO communications teams must take a proactive role by helping projects develop a product-specific communication plan for each knowledge product, with input from knowledge generators. There should be a separate comms strategy/plan for each report -- because not all knowledge products require the same dissemination strategy.

This plan could include, as required, a well-designed and branded PDF report, press releases and key messages, a one-pager summary or infographics, an opinion article or blog, a short video, a social media package, key quotes, facts, findings, and figures as well as channels of disseminations.

If we prioritize motivation, enforce knowledge-sharing policies, and ensure effective dissemination, we can transform knowledge products into powerful tools that enhance UNDP’s positioning, impact and visibility.