On the afternoon of April 2, 2025, the Center for Development Studies and Knowledge Co-Creation (CKC) had the distinct honor of hosting Ms. Sarah Hooper, the Australian Consul-General. This visit provided a significant platform for CKC to present its extensive work in social research and community development, while also reaffirming its robust partnership with the Australian Volunteers Program.
Ms. Hooper acknowledged and commended CKC’s accomplishments, particularly its collaborative engagements with local communities and the substantial positive impact these efforts have yielded over time.
Over the years, CKC has benefited immensely from the Australian Government’s support through various community development initiatives and volunteer programs. This support has been instrumental in the Center’s growth and professional advancement. With ongoing backing, CKC remains dedicated to making a meaningful impact within the community, acting as a cultural bridge, fostering sustainable partnerships, and advancing mutual development objectives.
On this occasion, CKC extends its profound gratitude to the Australian Government and the international volunteers for their invaluable contributions to the organization’s development and strategic direction.
Throughout its journey, CKC has remained unwavering in its mission of knowledge co-creation and mobilization for development, aimed at supporting local communities and driving impactful development initiatives. By prioritizing the expansion and strengthening of partnerships with international organizations, research institutions, businesses, and communities, CKC seeks to mobilize further support and advance sustainable development efforts.
On March 27, 2025, the Project Kick-Off Conference for “Socio-Ecological Transformation for Ethnic Minority Women through Creating Sustainable Livelihoods in the District of A Luoi” (SODI – A Luoi Project) was successfully convened. The event featured the participation and collaboration of key stakeholders, including the Hue City Union of Friendship Organizations (VUFO Hue), the People’s Committee of A Luoi District, the Women’s Union of A Luoi District, the REDTEA Research and Development Technologies in Environment and Agriculture Company Limited, the Center for Development Research and Knowledge Co-creation (CKC), and other relevant partners. The Conference aimed to align on a shared vision, establish action frameworks, and foster multi-stakeholder cooperation, while also initiating a five-year journey to enhance climate change adaptation capacity for ethnic minority communities, particularly women, in A Luoi District.
Funded by SODI (Solidaritätsdienst-international e.V.) and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the Project will be implemented from 2025 to 2029. It encompasses four main components: capacity building and awareness raising, developing sustainable livelihood models, preserving indigenous knowledge, and promoting renewable energy solutions through solar lighting systems. The Project’s interventions are designed and executed based on the principle of driving positive and sustainable change, leveraging the cultural values and strengths of the women, people, and land of A Luoi.
In his address at the Conference, Mr. Huynh Tien Dat, President of VUFO Hue and Project Director, emphasized: “The SODI – A Luoi Project was developed following a comprehensive process of needs assessment, stakeholder engagement, and participatory planning with the local community. This community-driven approach will create a solid foundation to ensure the relevance, effectiveness, and sustainability of the Project’s outcomes.”
The Project’s series of activities are expected to directly benefit over 1,000 individuals in the three communes of Quang Nham, Hong Kim, and Hong Thai, and indirectly impact over 8,500 people in the region by improving living conditions, enhancing infrastructure, and preserving the local natural ecosystem. The representative of the Women’s Union of A Luoi District underscored the relevance of the Project’s activities and affirmed the commitment of the district authorities, beneficiary communes, and local partners to implement the Project to achieve positive and sustainable development outcomes for the ethnic minority community in A Luoi.
(Han Nguyen & Quyen Mai)
Outcome Harvesting is a novel approach that has transformed how development projects are monitored and evaluated. First introduced by Ricardo Wilson-Grau in the late 2000s, this innovative approach is now applied widely in over 140 countries. Rooted in Outcome Mapping, it excels in understanding social changes in dynamic contexts where cause-and-effect relationships are not easily defined.
In late 2024, CKC had the opportunity to apply the transformative Outcome Harvesting method in a research project focused on climatic services in agricultural production in eight (08) cities and provinces of the volatile Mekong River Delta. Unlike traditional M&E methods, Outcome Harvesting employs a retrospective approach, enabling us to identify changes in local agricultural practices (“outcomes”) and trace them back to determine how project interventions contributed to these changes.
The process consists of six iterative steps, where data collected at each stage can prompt new questions and guide further data collection. This iterative design allows Outcome Harvesting to address the limitations of traditional M&E methods, effectively capturing unanticipated changes that are often essential for understanding the broader impact of a project.
While Outcome Harvesting is a powerful tool, it does come with its challenges:
- Resource-intensive: Requires more time and effort than traditional methods.
- Subjectivity: Qualitative findings may introduce bias.
- Data complexity: Managing and analyzing qualitative data requires advanced skills and tools.
Source: https://outcomeharvesting.net/
(Quyen Mai)