The Reflect & Learn website is a joint effort of the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and Universalia Management Group, respectively representing a government agency and a private firm, their expertise and interests are complementary.
The International Development Research Centre (IDRC) is a Crown corporation created by the Parliament of Canada in 1970 to help developing countries use science and knowledge to find practical, long-term solutions to the social, economic, and environmental issues they face. Support is directed toward developing an indigenous research capacity to sustain policies and technologies these countries need to build healthier, more equitable, and more prosperous societies. To do this, the IDRC works in close collaboration with researchers from the developing world.
Universalia Management Group (UMG) brings to this partnership almost 30 years of experience in the area of evaluation and organizational change in Canada and in developing countries. Since 1995, in collaboration with IDRC, Universalia has developed and applied an Institutional and Organizational Assessment (IOA) framework, which has helped organizations in the public, private, and not-for-profit sectors conduct self-reflections and improve their performance. Throughout the past 15 years, Universalia has carried out over 40 organizational assessments in a variety of not-for-profit, government and international organizations. In addition, OA has been supported by a wide range of international agencies and foundations as they search for tools and frameworks to improve their effectiveness through better understanding of the organizations with whom they work.
The Reflect and Learn team is always looking for additional collaborators to increase the diversity of its resource material. We invite you to communicate with us if interested.
Examples of Users
The following agencies used R&L as a resource tool in their practices, as well as, provided invaluable feedback and further resources to the site. These agencies and their employees used R&L as a learning tool on Organizational Assessment, as an e-training instrument, or even as a tool for debate and knowledge-sharing through the R&L discussion area:
International Development Research Center Evaluation Unit
McGill Middle East Program in Civil Society and Peace Building
McGill Center for Educational Leadership
Canadian International Development Agency
International Union for Conservation of Nature
Inter-American Development Bank
