Since its inception in 1987 the CDRA has invested heavily in learning from the wide scope and individual depth of its engagements with over 800 organisations. From this ongoing learning we have constantly drawn lessons that inform the building of our own practice and fed it into the dialogue and practice of the wider development sector to which we are connected. We have disseminated our learning through our courses and our writing.

Our shift to becoming a ‘Centre for Developmental Practice’ has involved emphasising this aspect of our work even more, making it central to our identity and purpose.

Our commitment to ongoing research and learning is based on a conviction that in development we have to move beyond a mode of delivering externally generated resources and solutions as the primary contribution of the development ‘industry’. Our challenge is to shift the purpose of our practice towards a more collaborative sharing of ongoing learning that we each draw our own developmental lessons from. We have to learn our way into a preferred future that as yet we cannot even imagine. For this reason we have located collaborative action research central to our purpose. All our own experience and learning will feed into it as the foundation upon which we will involve our growing network of collegial relationships in researching towards improved future practice.

Over the next three years we will further consolidate this aspect of our work by involving our key stakeholders from all levels in identifying themes that have particular relevance to them and to the efficacy of the sector. We will facilitate a range of processes that bring practitioners together around these themes to draw learning from practice, share successes and failures and consider the practical value of policies, theories, practices and methodologies. All of these processes will be informed by the principles of action research, drawing knowledge out of experience and ensuring that it informs future practice. As part of this strategy, we will continue to build on our established communication and publication strategy to share our collective insights and conclusions. For the coming period, our focus will be “Researching the practice behind developmental social change that works”.

Related Activities and services

Action research programmes – In the coming cycle, we will focus on Horizontal Learning as both Method and Strategy for Development, on Measurement in Development and we will be participating in collaborative research initiated by others..

Biennial practice conference – practitioners from around the world engaged in peer learning around a theme of global concern - the next conference is in March 2007. 

Centre dialogue initiatives – a space for people in Cape Town and surrounds to come together and explore questions of mutual interest and make use of the CDRA resource centre.

Publications in book form,  writings available on the website and Resource Library – capturing the outcomes of our action research and sharing it with a wider audience, both in ‘hard copy’ and via the website. Maintaining a resource library to support learning, research and practice.

Internal learning and evaluation – CDRA’s own practitioner learning rhythm – a source of insight, methodology, resolve and accountability.

Website and Associates network – using new technology, keeping the ongoing learning processes and practices of past clients, participants and colleagues connected to CDRA and each other.