By Emmanuel Oladele, Voice Linking, Learning and Amplifier Officer, Oxfam in Nigeria 

The global pandemic that began last year greatly impacted our lives, including our ways of working within Voice. It meant that we needed to find innovative and effective ways to continue to engage with the Voice grantees in Nigeria. All engagement with grantees moved online, including all Linking and Learning (L&L) activities. 

The idea to develop a Guideline for Linking & Learning in Nigeria came up as a result of several questions from grantees on the roles of the Linking & Learning Facilitator (LLF); most of which the Voice team in Nigeria struggled to respond to. Some grantees expect the LLF to provide certain capacity strengthening support, most of which were beyond the scope of the role of the LLF. Hence, the Voice team in Nigeria approached the LLF to facilitate a process that will enable grantees to define their Linking & Learning processes and also agree on roles and responsibilities by themselves. 

The Development Process 

Linking & Learning is the heart and soul of what we do at Voice, hence, we were determined to ensure that the Guidelines were inclusive and represents the views of both the past and current grantees. Firstly, the LLF developed a data collection tool (online questionnaire and informal chats) to guide and facilitate data collection from both past and current Voice grantees. Secondly, the data received was compiled, analysed, synthesised and a summary report that aggregated the insights from the data collection process was developed. Thirdly, the LLF facilitated an online validation workshop with both past and current grantees and the Voice team to present the major findings of the data collection process and to get feedback on the information gathered.  After the validation workshop, an updated summary report was developed and shared with the grantees and the Voice team. This report formed the basis through which the Voice Nigeria Linking & Learning Guideline was developed. 

We are optimistic that, as we enter into the new Extension phase of Voice, this Guideline will help simplify the linking and learning processes and also redefine grantees’ L&L experience.