Our quarterly partnership meetings had a familiar rhythm: updates, reports, and announcements. While informative, they lacked the rich dialogue and collaborative problem-solving we wanted to foster. We needed to shift the focus of our time together from just reporting to actively problem-solving. To achieve this, we adapted the LabStorm model—a structured approach that unlocked our collective creativity and fundamentally changed how we collaborate.

What is a LabStorm? (And Why Try It?)

A LabStorm is a facilitated, time-bound, collaborative problem-solving session. It’s designed to identify the actionable solutions an organization can take to address a specific challenge, without requiring others to change.LabStorms are used in many different settings, from business innovation to academic research. We tailored this approach to our community of evidence-informed policy organizations and found it to be the perfect antidote to our presentation-heavy meetings.

The LabStorm Blueprint: How We Structured Our Sessions

We designed a tight 40-minute agenda to maintain energy and focus in a virtual setting. Here’s the practical blueprint we followed:

• Introduction (2-3 min): Facilitator briefly explains the rules of engagement and objectives
• Challenge Presentation (5 min): The presenting individual/organization concisely describes their specific challenge
• Clarifying Questions (2-3 min): Session participants ask clarifying questions to understand the problem better
• Breakout Group Brainstorming (10 min): Small groups in virtual breakout rooms brainstorm solutions; we used Google Jamboard to capture ideas visually in real-time
• Plenary Share-Back (20 min): Groups report their best ideas; the presenter listens and takes notes without the pressure to respond or defend

LabStorms in Action: The Challenges We Tackled

We worked with partners to refine their challenges. Some powerful examples included:

• From African Research and Impact Network (ARIN): “How can we ensure women are actively engaged and represented in trainings and webinars to build female champions in the evidence-informed policymaking (EIP) space?” (Addressing participation & long-term leadership.
• From Ethiopian Public Health Institute (EPHI): “What strategies ensure key stakeholders, like the Federal Ministry of Health, stay actively engaged in the EIP process?” (Tackling high-level government buy-in).
• From African Center for Equitable Development (ACED): “How can we navigate the unpredictability that accompanies political processes?” and “What actors should be given priority for capacity-building to achieve greater impact?” (Managing the challenge of political transitions and strategic prioritization in limited resource settings).

The Verdict: What Our Partners Said

The feedback was overwhelmingly positive, highlighting the value of practical, peer-driven learning.

• “The LabStorm format was more interactive and provides space for deeper engagement and real-time feedback. What worked well was the diverse perspectives and practical insights.” — ARIN Partner
• “LabStorm is the best format. There is a discussion, and it provides space for a solution… we also hear what lessons could be learned from other countries.” — Sabit Ababor, EPHI
• “It deals with practical problems. And by brainstorming… it comes up with practical solutions. It’s documented… a very good, practical, tangible approach.” — Mamuye Hadis Tefera, EPHI

The Honest Truth: Lessons from Implementation

The biggest lesson emerged after the sessions. As Mamuye honestly shared, being “very, very busy” prevented them from formally implementing the advice. This was a crucial insight: generating ideas is only half the battle.

• The Tracking Challenge: As Tesfaye noted, it’s “difficult to track these changes… and the change may not be attributed to a single approach.” Measuring direct impact is complex.
• The Hidden Value: Even without formal implementation, the value was clear. Sabit noted the lessons were “helpful at an individual level, even how to approach and how to communicate with these policy makers.” It changed mindsets and provided informal guidance.

This feedback highlighted a critical gap: we needed a better system for post-session follow-up and support to help partners act on the ideas generated.

Key Takeaways for Your Own LabStorms

Our experience yielded three core lessons for anyone looking to implement this approach:

1. Time is a Precious Resource. Allocate more time for deeper discussion and, crucially, for planning next steps. Consider “themed LabStorms” to go deeper on specific issues.
2. Preparation is Everything. Provide advance notice and have partners pre-submit their challenges. This allows for better session design and gives participants time to reflect. As Mamuye said, “program schedules could be arranged in advance to make use of our time efficiently.”
3. Documentation is Non-Negotiable. The systematic recording of problems and solutions was consistently praised. It creates a tangible record of value and allows for knowledge to be shared beyond the session.

Conclusion: A Forum for Facing Challenges Together

The LabStorm did more than change our meeting format; it changed our collaborative culture. It created a trusted space for vulnerability and shared problem-solving. As Mamuye concluded, “It’s about facing our challenge together… this forum should continue.”

For any partnership looking to move beyond updates and tap into the collective wisdom of its members, the LabStorm offers a practical, engaging, and powerful path forward.

The Africa LEEPS Partnership (Learning together to advance Evidence and Equity in Policymaking to achieve the SDGS in Africa) is an ambitious initiative aimed at advancing the use of evidence in policymaking to support progress towards the SDGs. The partnership brings together leading evidence organizations from across Africa to learn from each other, exchange knowledge and experiences, and jointly problem solve challenges in advancing evidence-informed policymaking. Africa LEEPS is funded by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and Robert Bosch Stiftung.

Technical capacity strengthening and policy engagement activities across different SDG priorities including health, environment and climate change, human capital development, and governance are led by three initiatives:

• Centre d’Excellence Evidence Policy Action (EPA) led by the African Center for Equitable Development (ACED) includes partner organization: Initiative Prospective Agricole et Rurale (IPAR)
• East African Regional Evidence Synthesis Initiative (EARESI) led by the Centre for Rapid Evidence Synthesis (ACRES) includes partner organizations: Ethiopian Public Health Institute, Malawi Liverpool Wellcome Programme, Center for Reforms Innovative, Health Policies and Implementation Research
• Alliance for Evidence and Equity in Policymaking in Africa (AEEPA) led by the African Institute for Policy Development (AFIDEP) includes partner organizations: African Institute for Health Systems and Health Policies, African Research and Impact Network (ARIN), and School of Gender and Women’s Studies Makerere University.

Results for Development (R4D) serves as the engagement and learning coordinator for Africa LEEPS.