This guide has been developed using
materials provided by the Overseas
Storytelling Development Institute's Research and
Policy in Development (RAPID) Programme
USING STORYTELLING TO SHARE KNOWLEDGE Sparknow Consulting’s Storytelling Template
Storytelling can increase the potential for knowledge sharing Title of story
in the workplace. Storytelling has numerous advantages over Name of storyteller
Practical Guides
Food Security Information for Action
more traditional organizational communication techniques. Name of listener
Landscape: set the scene in time and space
It makes it possible to articulate emotional as well Dwelling place: precise location where action occurred
as factual content, and thus allows for the expres- Characters: cast list, descriptive attributes and
sion of tacit knowledge that might otherwise be roles in story
difficult to share.
Challenge: problem or task that triggered the action
In providing information about the broader context in Action: sequence of events before, during and after
which knowledge arises, storytelling can increase your turning point
the potential for meaningful knowledge sharing. Turning point: the moment when the change happens
Resolution: ending, including moral, lesson learned
By grounding facts in a narrative structure, learning
or message
is more likely to take place and be passed on.
Key visual hooks: mnemonics to assist partner in
retelling the story
THE PROCESS
KEY POINTS AND PRACTICAL TIPS
Sparknow Consulting (www.sparknow.net) has developed a
method for using storytelling in a workshop. The story should have the following characteristics:
Be simple and powerful.
Introduce the workshop and storytelling theme. Be demand driven, and timed to coincide with specific
opportunities.
Ask participants to reflect on the change process,
and details before, during and after the workshop. Provide a solution to both immediate and broader
problems.
Ask participants to pair up and share their stories. Be targeted at people with the power to make decisions
and change things.
Ask each participant to interview their partner and Play to what is already in people’s minds.
write down the story, using the story template (see
below) as a guide. This should make it easier to
capture more details.
Ask the pairs to find another pair, and ask each
participant in the new group of four to take turns
telling their partner’s story to the larger group.
Ask the group to identify any common points or
contradictions among the stories.
Ask each small group to present back to the
whole group.
FIND OUT MORE
RAPID Toolkit - Tools for Knowledge and Learning: A guide for development and humanitarian organisations, Ben Ramalingam, July 2006
www.odi.org.uk/Rapid/Publications/Documents/KM_toolkit_web.pdf
EC-FAO Food Security Information for Action Programme e-learning course: Collaboration and Advocacy Techniques www.foodsec.org/DL
RAPID Toolkit - Successful Communication: A Toolkit for Researchers and Civil Society Organisations, Ingie Hovland, October 2005
www.odi.org.uk/Rapid/Publications/Documents/Comms_toolkit.pdf
NELHS (National Library for Health) - Knowledge Management Specialist Library, Storytelling
www.library.nhs.uk/knowledgemanagement/ViewResource.aspx?resID=93580&tabID=290&catID=10414
Sparknow publications page www.sparknow.net/publications
Building Bridges Using Narrative Techniques, by Stephanie Colton and Victoria Ward (Sparknow Ltd., London) and Jeannine Brutschin (SDC), Swiss Agency
for Development and Cooperation (SDC) www.deza.ch/ressources/resource_en_155620.pdf
Hovland, I. (2005) Successful Communication: A Toolkit for Researchers and Civil Society Organisations, ODI Working Paper 227, London
www.odi.org.uk/publications/rapid/tools2.pdf
ABOUT THIS GUIDE
This practical guide was developed to accompany the e-learning course entitled "Collaboration and Advocacy Techniques" published by the EC-FAO Food Security
Information for Action Programme and available at www.foodsec.org. This guide and the associated e-learning materials are based on the ODI's Research and Policy
in Development (RAPID) programme publication by Ben Ramalingam entitled "Tools for Knowledge and Learning: A guide for development and humanitarian
organisations" available at www.odi.org.uk/rapid.
The EC - FAO Food Security Information for Action Programme is funded by the European Union and implemented by FAO
