The science of Social development has grown exponentially over the past few decades. Knowledge sharing has become an important ingredient especially in the fields of strategic management and knowledge management. Democratisation of knowledge recognises people’s embodied skills and capacities as well as their position within social networks and informal peer networks.  Knowledge sharing is a two-way process of mutually exchanging knowledge and jointly creating new knowledge. It becomes an effective tool of direct transfer of ideas, opinions, facts, and documents from one individual to another or a group.

The idea of collaboration through knowledge sharing between Madras Social Service Society (MSSS) and Chengalpattu Rural Development Society (CRDS) was mooted by Dr. John Arokiaraj, Manager, Caritas India in order to exchange knowledge on Community Managed Disaster Risk Reduction Assessment tools and KoBo Collect App with the purpose to achieve the common interest of capacitating the CRDS staff.  It created space for social exchange from the perspective of collaborative information behaviour that is constitutive of communities of practice.

17 CRDS staff participated in the training – “ Orientation on CMDRR and KoBo Collect App” on the 3^rd and 4^th of December, 2019. In his introductory session, Dr. John explained how the factors of hazards, location, exposure, and vulnerability contribute to disaster and the facilitative role CRDS could assume in reducing the risk associated with disaster through preparedness and capacitation of communities at risk.

Raj Barath, Urban DRR Coordinator of MSSS and chief facilitator of this training created common interest among the participants. The facilitator’s in-depth knowledge of KoBo Collect App and the way he clarified the doubts of the participants made the training effective and fun-filled as well.

It was more of a non-routine and context-specific personal interactions leading to knowledge reciprocity by the participants with the common denominators being shared common areas of interest, passion and specific shared problems.

The participants gained knowledge on the details of CMDRR assessment tools and frameworks and the significance associated with the inputs so as to be applied during the course of their Eco DRR and Dalit Development programme implementation. “ We understood the real meaning of preparedness, building capacity, sustainability, survivability, elements at risk and more important to distinguish among the frequently used terminologies like a disaster, hazard and risk,”  said the Community facilitators Julee and Johnson.

“When I was told to bring my smartphone to learn the data collection method, I was clueless and was anxious how I am going to learn technical inputs and perform in the future, but the facilitators made the learning interesting. Now I am confident” said Ms.Kamala. She has two decades of development experience.

“Our eons of experience in the field level data collection when complemented with technological assistance will contribute to saving time, human resources, quick data updation and analysis, proper documentation and data recovery,” said Ms.Mary, a veteran of 30 years experience who had witnessed the destruction caused to CRDS documentation during the 2015 floods.

It became evident that such type of knowledge sharing is not to be confined to conversations or meetings, but needs to include observations, understanding the level and interest of participants, relating with practical experiences, group work and practice using online learning platforms.

“Familiarity of the facilitator, acceptance by the participants, good interpersonal and group relationships were the factors that determined the effectiveness of this knowledge transfer initiative” opined  Christy, CRDS Community facilitator.  It has also led the participants to the realisation that the development of rural areas should seek to value the indigenous potential of its natural and human assets, including local knowledge and skills and the knowledge of local actors should not be confined to the locality alone. CRDS is thankful to Director of MSSS, Fr. Patrick I Joseph for his generous gesture of deputing his staff to be the lead facilitator.