2017 Call for Content for the Canadian Knowledge Mobilization Forum
Connections and Partnerships: Collaboration as a Key to Knowledge Mobilization

The Canadian Knowledge Mobilization Forum was created in 2012 as a professional development forum for practitioners and professionals working in knowledge mobilization across fields and sectors.

It has become recognized as a premiere learning and networking event in Canada – friendly, open, limited in size, and creative. Events have been held in Ottawa (2012), Mississauga (2013), Saskatoon (2014), and Montréal (2015), Toronto (2016), and is scheduled for May 17-18, 2017 in the National Capital Region of Canada, Ottawa-Gatineau.

The theme for 2017 is:

Connections and Partnerships: Collaboration as a Key to Knowledge Mobilization

From the very start of the conversation about Knowledge Mobilization in Canada, connections and partnerships have been part of the narrative. Collaboration is a key component of many, if not most activities in Knowledge Mobilization. True to the meaning of the word, collaboration is often hard work. It requires us to co-labor together, to co-construct priorities, programs, policies, processes that lead to the use of evidence. Together, we build better communities and societies.

The theme for 2017 focuses us on how to be better together. We invite participation that will push thinking and engagement of the knowledge mobilization community further. The Forum will be hosted at the Canadian Museum of History and the Sheraton Four-Points Gatineau Hotel.

We are seeking presentations, posters, workshops, and open-space activities that facilitate active participation, networking, reflection and learning.

We are driven by an objective of allowing you to design your own conference experience that reflects your interests, experience, priorities and learning styles. Drawing on the assets of the National Capital Region, leaders in knowledge mobilization from all across Canada and beyond, it is our hope you will come away from CKF17 enriched, energized and engaged in this field like never before.

Our objectives are:

Build on the past successes of CKF make this a preeminent event to learn and engage about knowledge mobilization in Canada
Build capacity for knowledge mobilization
Learn about work in other sectors to enable partnerships and collaboration
Engage with leaders to influence future directions
Meet the next generation of leaders and create opportunities to mentor and coach
Access the latest tools, techniques and opportunities.
The 2017 Canadian Knowledge Mobilization Forum is seeking contributions for content, which addresses the overall theme of Connections and Partnerships: Collaboration as a Key to Knowledge Mobilization, and links to the subthemes of:

Subtheme 1: Structures – What (for example: operating structures supporting partnerships, agreements, management systems, office layouts enhancing collaboration )

Subtheme 2: Processes – How (for example: tool boxes, networks, communities of practice, training)

Subtheme 3: Technology – Technology and Tools (for example: social media, apps, software, knowledge boards, database mining, CRM programs)

We are continuing to use the “The Knowmo Scale”. Here, we’re seeking presenters to consider their audience. Consider this our own unique variation of the Scoville Unit scale.

Is your presentation focused around skill development? If so, you would check off Knowmo 1.

Will you present on where we are in terms of KMb? If so, you would check off Knowmo 2.

Does your presentation focus on innovation in/for KMb? If so, please check off Knowmo 3.

We are seeking the following:

1) Catalyst Presentations of 10 minutes each.

For each session, a small group of presenters will each engage the audience with a focused 10-minute presentation. Feel free to be provocative or pose questions. This will be followed by a 30-minute group discussion of the ideas presented, the connections that emerge, and implications for knowledge mobilization practice. People can apply individually or identify other presentation proposals they would like to be considered grouped with.

The value of these sessions emerges from the EXCHANGE of all participants. The presenters create a catalyst to conversation. Each session will be moderated by a session Chair.

2) Poster Presentations

Recommended max poster size is 36”/92cm high by 60”/152 cm wide. The posters will be juried by an expert panel of knowledge mobilization practitioners. Posters will be profiled at a specific event and you will have two minutes to share ‘what you need to know’ about your poster with all participants.

3) Professional Development Workshops to enable creativity of 50 minutes each

Workshops are an opportunity to share methods and tools useful to the practice of knowledge mobilization professionals in an interactive and engaging format. The aim is to help participants to improve their skills and understanding of KMb and to become better mobilizers.

Alternatively, people are welcome to submit presentations which are less interactive and more informative. For both, participants are welcome to consider non-traditional approaches for this exchange process: Fireside Chat; Debate; Panel Presentations or others.

4) Open Space – Approx. 45-60 minutes

Open Space is the only process that focuses on expanding time and space for the force of self-organisation to do its thing. Although one can’t predict specific outcomes, it’s always highly productive for whatever issue people want to attend to. Some of the inspiring side effects that are regularly noted are laughter, hard work which feels like play, surprising results and fascinating new questions.

— Michael M Pannwitz, Open Space practitioner

Participants are encouraged to take a leadership role in prompting and facilitating open space mini-conferences within the more structured program. In order to create appropriate spaces, we ask participants to indicate their intention and potential topic areas for discussion.

Review

All contributions will be reviewed by an independent selection committee and judged for quality of content, the opportunity to advance our understanding of knowledge mobilization, and relevance to the theme of the 2017 Canadian Knowledge Mobilization Forum.

The deadline for contribution is March 15, 2017.

Please fill the Call for Content Form and send to: peter@knowledgemobilization.net

Note: Selected content must be presented by a registered participant at the 2017 Canadian

Knowledge Mobilization Forum in Ottawa-Gatineau, May 17-18, 2017.

Further details will be posted on the Institute for Knowledge Mobilization’s website:

www.knowledgemobilization.net/forum.

To register, please click here.