Short Abstract

Learning journeys embed insights into policy and practice through co-production, participatory design, and systems thinking. This session explores engagement strategies, inclusion and use of technology to turn evidence into actionable insights in multiple learning partnerships.

Description

Embedding evaluative evidence into everyday decision-making and programme delivery requires approaches that foster reflection, ownership, and actionable insights. Drawing on the Institute of Development Studies’ experience with Accompanied Learning processes alongside partners such as FCDO, IDRC, GIZ, WFP, and AHRC, this paper explores how co-produced evidence and participatory methods create environments where evidence is valued and used. Through co-design workshops, facilitated reflection spaces, and iterative feedback loops, these approaches integrate systems thinking and user-centred design to strengthen capability within policymaking and delivery.

Our work demonstrates how Learning Journeys—structured, collaborative processes—help organisations identify key learning questions, surface tacit knowledge, and synthesise evidence for real-time decisions. Examples include participatory online workshops with the AHRC Disability-Inclusive Development Network to address power dynamics and equity in funding, and feedback-driven processes with IDRC CORE to amplify Southern-led policy voices during global crises. In contrast, FCDO’s K4D Learning Journeys generally build upon rapid evidence reviews and then use facilitated spaces to explore the practical application of the existing explicit knowledge.

Technology and digital platforms have enabled global participation, while raising ethical questions around accessibility, bias, and consent. Emerging AI tools offer new opportunities for synthesis and sensemaking, but require careful attention to transparency and equity to avoid reinforcing existing power imbalances. By working at the interface of evaluation, communication, and technology, these approaches transform technical findings into actionable insights that influence policy and practice. Ultimately, embedding evaluative thinking through participatory and co-produced methods can catalyse organisational learning, strengthen systems, and ensure diverse voices shape decisions.