APPLICATIO was commissioned by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) to develop a Theory-of-Change on the impact of GIZ's sector networks worldwide. The work of the sector networks (SN) is increasingly becoming the focus of the "effectiveness debate" (e.g. BMZ 2030). At present, the SNs work as knowledge management platforms (networks / communities of practice) at the activity level. In this context, impact assumptions and the results chain between activities and goals of the SN work (defined in the orientation framework) often remain unclear. The Theory-of-Change is intended to illustrate these interrelationships and make proposals for measuring impact.
The sector networks (SN) are the platform for organised regional exchange and cooperation between GIZ experts in the partner countries and the head office. With their knowledge and networking work, the SNs provide direct added value for partners and clients by contributing to impact-oriented learning between projects in the region. The sector networks are GIZ's central knowledge management format, in which the member projects feed in their implementation experiences, develop innovative approaches co-creatively and access the accumulated knowledge. This approach is in line with the GIZ model of community-based knowledge management. This efficient knowledge management approach focuses on the collaborative generation and provision of knowledge in communities.
