Experience capitalization
What is experience capitalization? Experience capitalization is a methodological process through which an experience is identified, analysed and documented, leading to the creation of knowledge (for example, good practices or lessons learned), which can be shared and used to generate change (through, for example, adoption, adaptation, scaling-up or mainstreaming).
Why should your organization implement experience capitalization? Experience capitalization enables your organization to progress and adapt to change, drawing lessons from its experiences. By systematically analysing, documenting and sharing experiences, organizations can identify strengths and weaknesses in their practices and innovations. This process helps relevant stakeholders understand why certain approaches are successful, or not. This enables them to reinforce good practices and adopt new innovations. It also informs more effective policy development and programme implementation.
Neglecting experience capitalization leads to the loss of institutional memory. Successful past experiences remain unknown, learning from failures is still taboo instead of being seen as an opportunity for improvement. Learning organizations reflect on their work, learn from both their successes and failures, and share these valuable insights. By fully integrating experience capitalization, organizations can enhance their ability to learn and progress.
Watch the short video “Experience capitalization: what for?” on the FAO YouTube channel.
What does FAO offer in terms of experience capitalization? Together with its partners, FAO has developed methods, tools and guidelines to develop capacities in communication, knowledge sharing and knowledge management. Discover examples of good practices and experience capitalized in different thematic areas:
An e-learning course that explains how to implement an experience capitalization process, step by step. The course is available on the FAO eLearning Academy in:
Watch the presentation of the course on the FAO YouTube channel.
Recorded webinars that present each element of the experience capitalization process, available in:
An interactive massive open online course (MOOC) available in English, French and Russian that can be accessed here.
Guidelines on how to capture and share your good practices to generate change, available in:
Templates for capitalizing on good practices, available in:
Want to delve deeper into the topic? Consult selected resources on experience capitalization at: