Learning together remotely with Propel: a case study on Basis

Basis is a non-profit accelerator focused on delivering comprehensive learning and skills development opportunities for under-resourced youth and young adults. Basis is currently implementing a digital literacy program through its Basis Learning Centres in Bangalore, India; new locations and partnerships are being explored. Basis’ team is situated in Canada, the US, and Germany – far from India – so it is important for them to think about how to coordinate well and share knowledge effectively with one another, from the field-level to the management-level. This case study illustrates how Propel supports Basis in sharing knowledge and learning from one another while working across different countries.

The challenge

Basis’ mission is to equip every participant with the skills needed to embrace challenges and pursue their dreams. To implement this mission, the Basis team is working in different locations across several countries. While partner staff are implementing the program in India at the local training centres, Basis leads are often working remotely. As the team on the ground engages with the training material daily and interacts with the learners, they gain insights about what is working well and what is not. In this hybrid setting, it was difficult for the Basis team to find a way to best capture, access, and share what they were learning from their programs with one another. Often, a team member not present at the Basis Learning Centres would not be able to have an overview of the learnings gathered during the trainings. The absence of a system to support programmatic and organisational learnings hampered their capacity to advance their mission.

The propel solution

Since February 2023, Basis is piloting Propel as an assistant tool for capturing and sharing their learnings in one central space online. Propel gives the Basis team one space to come together, document their learnings and have access to the same experience-based data, no matter where they are. In Propel, the Basis team identified key learning questions and sub-questions to structure what they aim to learn throughout their programs. The Basis team can now capture what they learn while implementing their program guided by these learning questions, ensuring easy access and comprehension for all team members, regardless of location.

By centering knowledge and experience as well as promoting the sharing of learnings such as challenges and opportunities encountered in program, Propel supports Basis to learn collaboratively and connect programmatic learning to organisational learning. This information can contribute to evidence-based decision-making, supporting the organisation to evolve into an adaptive learning organisation.

Results and impact

By providing a system for capturing and sharing learnings, Propel contributes to Basis’ remote working, enabling them to collaborate more effectively while not being in the same office, storing information to be reviewed anytime and increasing transparency across the organisation.

Conclusion

Many NGOs and nonprofit organisations operate in different contexts and across offices in different locations, such as a Headquarter in one country and field offices spread across the globe. In such a hybrid work setting, it’s important that each team member involved in a program has access to the same learnings and knowledge. That way, the whole team can build on the knowledge that already exists to implement the program more effectively and use the knowledge at a strategic level for decision-making.

With Propel we aim to support organisations in navigating the dynamic landscape of remote work, remaining focused on their mission while being adaptable and impactful

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