In the know: Development knowledge rescues | Indigenous knowledge in evaluation | Disability Equity in Scholarly Communications

In the know is a regular roundup of knowledge management (KM) topics of discussion and the articles, events, videos, and podcasts that are grabbing the attention of KM experts across our community.

Update – development knowledge rescues

In a new blog post, Liz McLean provides a comprehensive update on the progress and location of rescued development program information assets. This includes a very valuable search overview of the Policy Commons, the new home for these assets.

This update follows on from the March 2024 launch of the USAID Knowledge Rescue group as an outcome of KM4Dev Knowledge Café 39, which had the theme “Responding to current crises to protect and retain knowledge.” These crises include the sudden shutdown of USAID, as discussed in the RealKM Magazine article “USAID and the new burning of the books in digital and ideological epistemicide. A call to action.”

With thanks to Liz McLean MSLS CKM CKS.

Webinar – indigenous knowledge in evaluation

Most evaluations in Africa still use externally determined frameworks, often sidelining or ignoring local voices. The 10 July 2025 webinar “Indigenous Knowledge Systems in Evaluation Practice” will explore how indigenous knowledge systems (IKS) can lead to more meaningful, community-driven evaluations.

With thanks to Paul Atsu.

Toolkit for Disability Equity in Scholarly Communications

The Coalition for Diversity and Inclusion in Scholarly Communications (C4DISC) has launched the Toolkit for Disability Equity in Scholarly Communications. This toolkit offers practical guidance, strategies, and tools to create more inclusive environments for individuals with disabilities.

Including disability equity in the scholarly communications workplace (such as ours) is crucial. Approximately 16% of the world’s working-age population has a disability. Many of these disabilities are hidden, meaning you may not even be aware that your colleagues have them. By fostering an inclusive environment, we can ensure that everyone has the opportunity to contribute their best work and feel valued within our community.

C4DISC has also produced a number of other toolkits for equity that are also available on their website.