KP Newsletter The Human Development Journey 181214knowledgepele.com/...development_journey_181214.pdf · Title: KP_Newsletter_The_Human_Development_Journey_181214 Created Date: 12/14/2018

RESEARCH NEWSLETTERDECEMBER 2018

THE HUMANDEVELOPMENT JOURNEY

WHAT WE KNOW SO FAR…

Knowledge Pele’s mission is to transform township, peri-urban and rural communities into sustainable economic hubs. Our mission is a function of our purpose: people. People Are Our Why.

At Knowledge Pele, a key insight of our work is that human potential is stunted in communities that lack viable economies. In the South African context, those communities defined as township, peri-urban are typically geographically isolated from economic centres and devoid of meaningful social services and economic activity.

These intersecting forms of exclusion produce community-wide poverty, but perhaps most importantly, rob society of the gifts and contributions of the individuals who find themselves unable to escape their confines.

To overcome this challenge, Knowledge Pele approaches the challenge of Inclusion differently. Rather than prepare people for inclusion into existing urban economies, we invest jointly in the people and community to enable the emergence of new value creation in township, peri-urban and rural communities. This way, we fulfil our theory of change which understands development as the combination of CAPABLE PEOPLE WITHIN AN ENABLING OPPORTUNITY CONTEXT.

This newsletter therefore reflects on the aspect of our work that most directly targets people: our HUMAN CAPITAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES. Specifically, it seeks to share insights on the experience of our programme participants in advancing themselves from one life-stage to another, based on the responses of 76 programme participants.

This newsletter confirms that human development is a continuous process. It is in many respects akin to Madiba’s reflection on the struggle for freedom:

Thus as we work for a better future, may we understand that our work is necessarily never done, not as individuals and not as practitioners charged with the work of converting the aspirations of our communities into viable development pathways.

In sharing this research, we wish to tell the story of human development from the perspective of participants, highlighting their motivations, preferences and aspirations for the future.

RESEARCH NEWSLETTER | DECEMBER 2018

pg. 02

“I have discovered the secret that after climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb. I have taken a moment to rest, to steal a view of the glorious vista that surrounds me, to look back on the distance I have come. But I can only rest for a moment, for with freedom comes responsibilities, and I dare not linger, for my long walk is not ended.”

Gender

Age

Have You Ever Participated In Any Programme Similar To This One Before?

76 beneficiaries of Knowledge Pele programmes participated in the Human Development Survey.

SURVEY PARTICIPANT DEMOGRAPHICS


pg. 03

The majority of respondents were male. However, programme participation is evenly split across genders.

The overwhelming majority of our respondents had never been on a programme akin to the KP programme they participated in.

Male

63%

Female

37%

Minimum Age Median Age Maximum Age

18 29 66

YES

13%

NO

87%

Our programmes are designed to develop capabilities for economic participation. They each seek to achieve a specific impact, which we monitor over time.

THE PROGRAMMES


pg. 04

All Knowledge Pele programmes include psycho-social support to assist participants to transition and assume their evolving identities with confidence and pride.

Programme Description Additive Features Outcomes

12-month internship programme in a medium-large enterprise in a major city.

Junior professionals who are able to navigate various work environments and cultures and continuously seek out opportunities that align with their aspirations.

- Work readiness training,- Computer training,- Professional etiquette,- CV-writing- Interview skills- Career planning

24-48 month bursary in scarce technical / key vocational skills.

Tertiary-level graduates.- College-readiness training- Mentorship support & coaching- Career guidance

12-month accredited training in enterprise creation combining practical iteration with business theory.

Coherent business concepts led by trained entrepreneurs who have the technical skills and psychological composition to start a business.

- Business ideation: iterative process of creating the product/service; testing it in the market; reflecting, refining and trying again within a safe space.

24-month structured business mentorship & coaching focused on creating procurement-ready enterprises.

Revenue growth in community-owned businesses based on improved efficiency/service as well as new contracts that translates into increased job creation.

Connection to and negotiations assistance with:

- Financiers- Grant-makers- Procurement opportunities- Value chain partnerships

12-month internship programme in community-based businesses and organisations focused on growing people and local enterprise/NGO sectors.

Junior professionals who are technically proficient and capable of using their contribution to make a direct impact on the growth of community-based enterprises and NGOs.

Participant:- Work readiness training,- Computer training,- Professional etiquette,- CV-writing- Interview skills- Career planning

Host Enterprise/NGO: - mentorship support

Work ExperienceProgramme

Bursary Programme

Starter Pack Enterprise Programme

Enterprise 4 South Africa

Work Experience 360

Which Programme Did You Participate In?

Why Did You Apply For The Programme?

RESPONDENTS BY PROGRAMME


pg. 05

Thus, whilst the majority of our participants are in enterprise development programmes, these results suggest they are most drawn to the skills development aspects of the programmes rather than outcomes such as new venture creation. In other words, embedded in the understanding of our participants is that all development flows from skills development.

The majority of respondents had participated in the Starter Pack programme. Starter Pack is KP’s most widely subscribed programme, making this result consistent.

9% 36% 18% 27% 10%

Enterprise 4South Africa

Bursary FundStarter Pack Work ExperienceProgramme

Work ExperienceProgramme 360

The majority of KP programme participants are motivated by the desire to gain new skills and access to employment opportunities.

HOPES AND ASPIRATIONS

Learn how to manage my

business better

29%

Needed funding and support to grow my business

29%

Needed funding and support to start my business

39%

My family thought it would be beneficial for my development

38%

Was interested in personal

development

57%

Was looking for employment opportunities

66%

Was interested in improving

my skills

67%

Funding to further my education

41%

The participants were asked to respond yes/no in response to multiple answers to a single question. By design, the responses are not contradictory and allow for all possibilities to hold.

Participants resonate most strongly with lessons learnt whilst adapting to new circumstances, exercising the power of choice and adjusting to a new (larger) workload.

What Were Your Most Defining Experiences On the Programme?

Managing personal life issues; temperament in a professional setting and learning to work with people from different cultural backgrounds stand out as the key challenges. This result affirms the importance of soft-skills and psycho-social support as structured features of human development programmes.

What Challenges Did You Experience While On The Programme?

Once in a programme or opportunity context, participants report that personal challenges related to managing pressures from family and peer groups present the biggest hurdle to the human development journey.

THE JOURNEY


pg. 06

Experiencing The Power And Impact Of

My Choices.

Moving AwayFrom Home

Gaining PersonalFreedom

Adjusting To A New /Unfamiliar Language

And Culture

Adjusting To Unexpected

Circumstances

Adjusting ToWorkload

62% 63%70%47% 47%

26%

Limited SupportWith School

9% Working WithPeople From

DifferentCultures

47%

Learning How ToConduct Myself

At Work

46% Dealing WithPersonal Life

Issues

47%

TransportTo Work

16% WorkplacePolitics

21%

Other

17%

Participants resonate most strongly with lessons learnt whilst adapting to new circumstances, exercising the power of choice and adjusting to a new (larger) workload.

What Was The Hardest Personal Issue For You To Overcome?

How Has The Programme Impacted Your Personal Development?

Managing personal life issues; temperament in a professional setting and learning to work with people from different cultural backgrounds stand out as the key challenges. This result affirms the importance of soft-skills and psycho-social support as structured features of human development programmes.

By overcoming personal adversity, participants reported that they developed a greater sense of confidence in themselves. In other words, the process of being confronted with challenges in a safe space, is vital to the experience of personal growth and development.

KEY LESSONS


pg. 07

SelfConfidence

FamilyPressure

28%25%

SelfDiscipline

24%

PeerPressure

9%

HomeSickness

4%

Other

11%

Mindset Shift:I See Possibilities

For My Life

86%

Resilience:Inner Strength

66%

Improved ProblemSolving Abilities

74%

ImprovedConfidence

82%

GreaterAssertiveness

57%

Being MoreResponsible

82%

Understanding What IsRequired Of Me

In A Work Environment

71%

Dealing WithPersonal Relationships

64%

67% believe the programmes to have made a a big difference to their future employment prospects.

How Useful Are The Skills Your Learned On The Programme?

Do You Believe The Experience Has Changed Your Prospect Of Finding A Job?

The majority of participants believe the programmes to have made a positive contribution to their development. 67% believe the programmes to have made a a big difference to their future employment prospects.

TRANSFORMATIVE IMPACT


pg. 08

Neutral

SkillsRating

Useful

Very UsefulSomewhat Useful

Not Useful

Yes, A Lot67%

Yes, A Little Bit21%

Not Sure7%

No, Not At All5%

Participants are most concerned with building networks and improving their communication and computer skills going forward. Indeed, the isolation of these computers and limited resources compound the participants’ sense of exclusion from productive relationships. It is thus important to build in opportunities for meeting new people in a structured, professional context to bolster the social capital of participants.

What Personal Development Area Do YouWant To Work On In The Future?

What Professioal / Technical Skills Would You Like To LearnGoing Forward?

On a personal level, participants still wish to refine their ability to hang in there, take more accountability, assert themselves in relation to friends, family and colleagues but most importantly, they seek to develop greater levels of discipline.

NEXT STEPS


pg. 09

Assertiveness Discipline Honesty / Intergrity Grit - The AbilityTo Try Again

55%

OtherTaking MorePersonal Accountability

58% 55% 55% 8%37%57%

ComputerLiteracy

MathsSkills

WritingSkills

Networking Specific Programmes / Courses

CommunicationSkills

45% 66% 12%42%67% 74%

3 Centex Close,Brooklyn Place, EastgateKramerville, Sandton Phone: + 27 11 262 0515Email: [email protected]

Because People are our Why, it matters that we support them in ways that are meaningful to them. It is also our commitment to impact that motivates us to continuously re�ect. This research was therefore conducted to understand our impact and re�ne aspects of our work that may be not be emphasised in accordance with the needs of our participants.

Above all, we value the act of sharing what we know as a way of strengthening development practice throughout the sector.

Speci�cally, we recognise the limited sources of support for people who are not in school or employment.

The lack of targeted state and private sector support for this demographic compounds their social and economic isolation and creates vulnerability and social instability. It is our view then that there is immense value trapped in this demographic.

To unlock it, clear programmatic interventions are required, focusing holistically on people, understanding that the journey is about both technical and personal development.

Most importantly, is the recognition that development is never done. Whilst we strive to engender independence in our participants, the process is continuous and should never leave anyone behind. People are at the heart of development.

The lesson of this study is that Development is a continuous process.


pg. 10

CONCLUSION

Documents

KP Newsletter The Human Development Journey 181214knowledgepele.com/...development_journey_181214.pdf · Title: KP_Newsletter_The_Human_Development_Journey_181214 Created Date: 12/14/2018