EIT Climate-KIC launches Season 4 of the “How Could We?” podcast with an exploration of the need to redefine development funding. In this season, hosts Anne-Sophie Garrigou and Solla Zophoniasdottir delve into the transformative potential of development funding, highlighting its crucial role in achieving a climate-resilient, inclusive, and beautiful future for all.
This season features insights from the Systems Innovation Learning Partnership (SILP), a collaboration between the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) and EIT Climate-KIC. SILP is designed to foster adaptive and innovative approaches to development work, emphasising trust-building, flexible funding mechanisms, and genuine local capacity building.
Meet our guest: Any Sulistyowati
Our first guest this season is Any Sulistyowati, a distinguished Donella Meadows Leadership Fellow and one of the Community Grantmakers for the SILP project. She brings a wealth of experience from her work in Indonesia, mentoring in systems thinking, and engaging with various community groups. Her insights into the role of community grant-makers and the importance of participatory decision-making are invaluable to understanding the shifts needed in development funding.
Any says: « Donors need to be comfortable with their vulnerable position because when you give your trust to the grantee, there is a risk. And I think the key is to listen to the grantee about how they understand the situation. Donors may also have to change their paradigm about control in order to achieve important output. Instead of controlling everything, which is very hard, we can invite the grantees to speak up and shape their project towards more experimentation and learning. »
This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in innovative funding mechanisms. It provides a comprehensive look at how we can collectively reimagine funding practices to support transformative change on the ground.
Episode highlights
Listen to this episode if you are curious about:
- SILP’s unique approach to funding and how it concretely impacts communities on the field,
- The shortcomings of traditional funding mechanisms, and how internalised power dynamics hinder genuine local development,
- The benefits of not imposing KPIs at the beginning of the funding process, and how this fosters an environment of continuous reflection and adaptation,
- Participatory decision-making, and what to learn from Any’s experiences in balancing power dynamics and promoting participatory decision-making in development projects,
- Understand the challenges and advantages of using a learning portfolio to tackle systemic challenges.
- Gain practical insights to adopt more innovative funding practices.
The next episodes will feature interviews with project recipients of the SILP Experimentation Fund. They will show the tangible impacts of innovative funding on community-led initiatives. Make sure to follow the podcast wherever you listen, and stay updated with EIT Climate-KIC on social media for the next episodes.
How Could We? podcast is dedicated to exploring transformative solutions and nurturing hope for a climate-resilient, inclusive, and beautiful future for all. In each episode, we engage in thought-provoking conversations with individuals who are pioneering systemic change.
Listen to our previous series on Spotify, Amazon Music, Apple Podcast and contact us at media@climate-kic.org if you have any comments on the podcast.
This podcast is produced by Bárbara Mendes-Jorge.