Measuring what matters: Building impact pathways to actionable information for the weADAPT platform

IF 4 3区环境科学与生态学 Q2 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES

Climate Services Pub Date : 2025-04-01 DOI:10.1016/j.cliser.2025.100574

S. Bharwani, K. Williamson, R. Butterfield

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The findings reveal clear pathways linking knowledge management (KM) aims and activities to outputs, outcomes, and longer-term impacts. Users reported that the platform effectively promoted climate change adaptation awareness, supported capacity development, influenced policy and planning, and facilitated knowledge exchange and collaboration. Further analysis identified six core KM activities—enhancing usability, inclusivity, trust, transferability, connectivity, and alignment with FAIR principles—as central to platform effectiveness. These findings informed a recent platform upgrade (2022–2024), the refinement of weADAPT’s Theory of Change, and the development of a tailored monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) framework featuring custom progress indicators. The study underscores the importance of aligning KM practices with user needs and evaluating platform impact in meaningful ways—measuring what we value, rather than merely what is easy to quantify. These insights offer practical guidance for knowledge managers and platform developers working to enhance learning and support evidence-based climate adaptation.</div></div><div><h3>Practical implications chapter</h3><div>As a climate service, the weADAPT online platform<span><span><sup>1</sup></span></span> primarily (but not exclusively) targets communities in low- to middle-income countries to help reach and give voice to vulnerable communities and those in “hard to reach” regions of the world. Acting on results of a survey (379 responses) and interviews (21) conducted (June 2022 – February 2023) on the impact and use of platform, weADAPT adopted six key knowledge management (KM) specific aims and related activities to support its mission to help users collectively “Learn, Share and Connect” (see <span><span>Fig. 1</span></span> for three use cases that provide examples of these three pillars). These are as follows: 1) increasing usability through translation, tailoring, syntheses and capacity development; 2) enhancing inclusivity through just and equitable sharing of multiple knowledges; 3) building trust through collaborative KM processes; 4) creating transferability through sharing multi-scale, multi-sectoral place-based knowledge; 5) improving connectivity through cross-fertilization of knowledge, users, networks and influencing other platforms; and 6) promoting findable, accessible, interoperable, reusable (FAIR) and decolonized search and discovery. Insights from the survey helped refine the theory of change; establish a monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) framework tailored to user feedback; and guide a technical upgrade of the platform finalized in January 2024.<span><span><sup>2</sup></span></span></div><div>A range of outcomes and impacts were attributed to the use of weADAPT by users who responded to the survey and interviews from 83 countries in Africa, Asia, Europe, Oceania, and North and South America. These included, but were not limited to: supporting national policy and planning (e.g., preparing a chapter on vulnerability and adaptation in Sri Lanka’s Third National Communication on Climate Change); developing strategic environmental assessments (e.g., in Yemen); drafting national strategy for adaptation to climate change (e.g. Ukraine, Philippines); building capacity among farmers, youth, and community members (e.g., in Zimbabwe, Ghana, and Nigeria); planning and implementing adaptation initiatives (e.g., in Tanzania); and contributing to reports, project documents, research papers, proposals, literature reviews, and analytic assessments (e.g., in Cambodia, Kenya, and the Philippines).</div><div>Users attributed learning opportunities for themselves and their communities to the platform’s simple language and neutral tone and well-synthesized material. In addition, users indicated that three features – the weADAPT global case study map (showing location and type of adaptation measure), downloadable newsletter, and thematic content structure – were key in supporting the translation of lessons learned for community-based and policy-based activities, and in discovering and using evidence for diverse research, policy, and practice undertakings. Users referred to the platform’s “down-to-Earth language” to communicate “real-life” and “practical” cases; “trusted” and “recommendable” knowledge to educate, inform others and provide case-based concrete evidence to influence policy makers; and “current”, “applicable” and “contemporary” information to stay up to date with adaptation trends and milestones, and shape new research and projects. 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引用次数: 0

Abstract

The potential of online knowledge platforms to support urgent climate action is increasingly recognized; however, their effectiveness is often hindered by the fragmentation and overabundance of information, which can impede learning and contribute to misinformation, redundancy, and erosion of trust. Despite their proliferation, few platforms have undergone systematic evaluation of their impact on research, policy, and practice. This study addresses this gap by assessing the usability and impact of the weADAPT online platform through a mixed-methods approach, combining a user survey and semi-structured interviews. The findings reveal clear pathways linking knowledge management (KM) aims and activities to outputs, outcomes, and longer-term impacts. Users reported that the platform effectively promoted climate change adaptation awareness, supported capacity development, influenced policy and planning, and facilitated knowledge exchange and collaboration. Further analysis identified six core KM activities—enhancing usability, inclusivity, trust, transferability, connectivity, and alignment with FAIR principles—as central to platform effectiveness. These findings informed a recent platform upgrade (2022–2024), the refinement of weADAPT’s Theory of Change, and the development of a tailored monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) framework featuring custom progress indicators. The study underscores the importance of aligning KM practices with user needs and evaluating platform impact in meaningful ways—measuring what we value, rather than merely what is easy to quantify. These insights offer practical guidance for knowledge managers and platform developers working to enhance learning and support evidence-based climate adaptation.

Practical implications chapter

As a climate service, the weADAPT online platform¹ primarily (but not exclusively) targets communities in low- to middle-income countries to help reach and give voice to vulnerable communities and those in “hard to reach” regions of the world. Acting on results of a survey (379 responses) and interviews (21) conducted (June 2022 – February 2023) on the impact and use of platform, weADAPT adopted six key knowledge management (KM) specific aims and related activities to support its mission to help users collectively “Learn, Share and Connect” (see Fig. 1 for three use cases that provide examples of these three pillars). These are as follows: 1) increasing usability through translation, tailoring, syntheses and capacity development; 2) enhancing inclusivity through just and equitable sharing of multiple knowledges; 3) building trust through collaborative KM processes; 4) creating transferability through sharing multi-scale, multi-sectoral place-based knowledge; 5) improving connectivity through cross-fertilization of knowledge, users, networks and influencing other platforms; and 6) promoting findable, accessible, interoperable, reusable (FAIR) and decolonized search and discovery. Insights from the survey helped refine the theory of change; establish a monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) framework tailored to user feedback; and guide a technical upgrade of the platform finalized in January 2024.²

A range of outcomes and impacts were attributed to the use of weADAPT by users who responded to the survey and interviews from 83 countries in Africa, Asia, Europe, Oceania, and North and South America. These included, but were not limited to: supporting national policy and planning (e.g., preparing a chapter on vulnerability and adaptation in Sri Lanka’s Third National Communication on Climate Change); developing strategic environmental assessments (e.g., in Yemen); drafting national strategy for adaptation to climate change (e.g. Ukraine, Philippines); building capacity among farmers, youth, and community members (e.g., in Zimbabwe, Ghana, and Nigeria); planning and implementing adaptation initiatives (e.g., in Tanzania); and contributing to reports, project documents, research papers, proposals, literature reviews, and analytic assessments (e.g., in Cambodia, Kenya, and the Philippines).

Users attributed learning opportunities for themselves and their communities to the platform’s simple language and neutral tone and well-synthesized material. In addition, users indicated that three features – the weADAPT global case study map (showing location and type of adaptation measure), downloadable newsletter, and thematic content structure – were key in supporting the translation of lessons learned for community-based and policy-based activities, and in discovering and using evidence for diverse research, policy, and practice undertakings. Users referred to the platform’s “down-to-Earth language” to communicate “real-life” and “practical” cases; “trusted” and “recommendable” knowledge to educate, inform others and provide case-based concrete evidence to influence policy makers; and “current”, “applicable” and “contemporary” information to stay up to date with adaptation trends and milestones, and shape new research and projects. Additionally, users underscored the value of the platform in helping form new partnerships and adaptation projects; learn about adaptation from a wide range of localities and perspectives; address knowledge gaps; develop capacity of local stakeholders; and, importantly, feel represented and heard.

Analysis of the uptake, outcomes and potential impacts attributed to the platform reinforced existing, guiding knowledge management (KM) aims and activities, and suggested additional ones. The platform accordingly devised its set of six aims and activities to underpin and support the weADAPT mission to help users learn, share, and connect; and to seek to provide content that is “usable” as opposed to just useful (Lemos et al., 2012) (Fig. 1). For example, the aim and activity of improving connectivity and cross-fertilization between knowledge, users, and networks are undertaken through measures that foster online and diverse communities of practice, provide discussion spaces, offer training opportunities, and give all organizations and contributors equal visibility on the platform. These measures and weADAPT’s collaborative editorial processes pave the way for representing multiple types of knowledge and voices of marginalized actors.

The results of this study revealed pathways between KM activities (Section 3.3) and outputs, outcomes, and longer-term impacts. This led the weADAPT platform to undertake a more strategic visual and technical website upgrade (unveiled in January 2024); refine its theory of change; and adopt a monitoring, evaluation and learning framework to measure what users value (Hargreaves & Shirley, 2009); and monitor impact pathways into the future (Section 3.4).

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衡量重要事项：为weADAPT平台构建可操作信息的影响途径

人们日益认识到在线知识平台支持紧急气候行动的潜力；然而，它们的有效性经常受到信息碎片化和过剩的阻碍，这可能会阻碍学习，并导致错误信息、冗余和信任的侵蚀。尽管平台数量激增，但很少有平台对其对研究、政策和实践的影响进行系统评估。本研究通过混合方法，结合用户调查和半结构化访谈，评估了weADAPT在线平台的可用性和影响，从而解决了这一差距。研究结果揭示了将知识管理（KM）的目标和活动与产出、结果和长期影响联系起来的清晰途径。用户报告说，该平台有效地提高了对气候变化适应的认识，支持了能力建设，影响了政策和规划，促进了知识交流与协作。进一步的分析确定了六项核心知识管理活动——增强可用性、包容性、信任、可转移性、连通性和与公平原则的一致性——是平台有效性的核心。这些发现为最近的平台升级（2022-2024）提供了信息，完善了weADAPT的变化理论，并开发了一个定制的监测、评估和学习（MEL）框架，该框架具有定制的进度指标。该研究强调了将知识管理实践与用户需求结合起来以及以有意义的方式评估平台影响的重要性——衡量我们看重的东西，而不仅仅是容易量化的东西。这些见解为致力于加强学习和支持基于证据的气候适应的知识管理者和平台开发人员提供了实用指导。作为一项气候服务，weADAPT在线平台1主要（但不完全）以中低收入国家的社区为目标，帮助弱势社区和世界上“难以接触”地区的社区发声。根据对平台的影响和使用进行的调查（379份回复）和访谈（21份）（2022年6月至2023年2月）的结果，weADAPT采用了六个关键知识管理（KM）具体目标和相关活动，以支持其帮助用户集体“学习、分享和联系”的使命（见图1，其中有三个用例提供了这三个支柱的示例）。这些措施如下：1)通过翻译、裁剪、综合和能力发展提高可用性；2)通过公正和公平地分享多种知识来增强包容性；3)通过协同KM流程建立信任；4)通过共享多尺度、多部门的基于地方的知识创造可转移性；5)通过知识、用户、网络的交叉施肥，影响其他平台，提高互联互通水平；6)促进可查找、可访问、可互操作、可重用（FAIR）和非殖民化的搜索和发现。从调查中获得的见解有助于完善变革理论；建立针对用户反馈的监测、评估和学习（MEL）框架；并指导该平台的技术升级，该平台于2024年1月完成。在非洲、亚洲、欧洲、大洋洲、北美和南美的83个国家的调查和访谈中，用户对weADAPT的使用做出了一系列的结果和影响。这些包括但不限于：支持国家政策和规划（例如，在斯里兰卡第三次气候变化国家信息通报中编写关于脆弱性和适应的一章）；制定战略环境评估（例如在也门）；起草国家适应气候变化战略（如乌克兰、菲律宾）；加强农民、青年和社区成员的能力建设（例如，在津巴布韦、加纳和尼日利亚）；规划和实施适应举措（例如在坦桑尼亚）；并参与报告、项目文件、研究论文、提案、文献综述和分析评估（例如，在柬埔寨、肯尼亚和菲律宾）。用户将自己和社区的学习机会归功于平台简单的语言、中性的语气和精心合成的材料。此外，用户指出，weADAPT全球案例研究地图（显示适应措施的位置和类型）、可下载的时事通讯和专题内容结构这三个功能对于支持将经验教训转化为基于社区和基于政策的活动，以及为各种研究、政策和实践活动发现和使用证据至关重要。用户称该平台的“接地气语言”可以交流“现实生活”和“实际”案例；“可信赖”和“可推荐”的知识，用于教育、告知他人并提供基于案例的具体证据，以影响决策者；以及“当前”、“适用”和“当代”信息，以便与适应趋势和里程碑保持同步，并形成新的研究和项目。此外，用户强调了该平台在帮助建立新的伙伴关系和适应项目方面的价值；从广泛的地方和角度了解适应；解决知识差距；发展地方利益相关者的能力；更重要的是，感觉自己被代表了，被倾听了。对平台的吸收、结果和潜在影响的分析加强了现有的、指导性的知识管理（KM）目标和活动，并提出了额外的建议。该平台据此制定了六项目标和活动，以巩固和支持weADAPT的使命，帮助用户学习、分享和联系；并寻求提供“可用”的内容，而不仅仅是有用的内容（Lemos等人，2012）（图1）。例如，提高知识、用户和网络之间的连通性和交叉施肥的目标和活动是通过促进在线和多样化的实践社区、提供讨论空间、提供培训机会以及在平台上为所有组织和贡献者提供平等的可见性的措施来实现的。这些措施和weADAPT的协作编辑过程为代表多种类型的知识和边缘化行动者的声音铺平了道路。本研究的结果揭示了知识管理活动（第3.3节）与产出、结果和长期影响之间的途径。这导致weADAPT平台进行了更具战略性的视觉和技术网站升级（于2024年1月公布）；完善其变化理论；并采用监测、评估和学习框架来衡量用户的价值(Hargreaves &amp；雪莉,2009);并监测未来的影响途径（第3.4节）。

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来源期刊

Climate Services Multiple-

CiteScore

5.30

自引率

15.60%

发文量

期刊介绍： The journal Climate Services publishes research with a focus on science-based and user-specific climate information underpinning climate services, ultimately to assist society to adapt to climate change. Climate Services brings science and practice closer together. The journal addresses both researchers in the field of climate service research, and stakeholders and practitioners interested in or already applying climate services. It serves as a means of communication, dialogue and exchange between researchers and stakeholders. Climate services pioneers novel research areas that directly refer to how climate information can be applied in methodologies and tools for adaptation to climate change. It publishes best practice examples, case studies as well as theories, methods and data analysis with a clear connection to climate services. The focus of the published work is often multi-disciplinary, case-specific, tailored to specific sectors and strongly application-oriented. To offer a suitable outlet for such studies, Climate Services journal introduced a new section in the research article type. The research article contains a classical scientific part as well as a section with easily understandable practical implications for policy makers and practitioners. The journal''s focus is on the use and usability of climate information for adaptation purposes underpinning climate services.