Using Case Studies for Organizational Learning in Development Agencies

Sarah Glavery and her coauthors draw a distinction between explicit knowledge, which is easily identified and shared through databases and reports, and tacit knowledge, the less easily shared “know how” that comes with having carried out a task. The chapter explores ways to use case study preparation, as well as a case itself, as a vehicle for sharing “know how,” specifically with respect to program implementation. It considers the experiences of four different types of organizations that have used case studies as part of their decision-making as it pertains to development issues: a multilateral agency (the World Bank), a major bilateral agency (Germany’s GIZ), a leading think tank (Brookings), and a ministry of a large country (China’s Ministry of Finance), which are all linked through their involvement in the Global Delivery Initiative.