Disclaimer:
Please be aware that the content herein has not been peer reviewed. It consists of personal reflections, insights, and learnings of the contributor(s). It may not be exhaustive, nor does it aim to be authoritative knowledge.
Learnings on your challenge
What are the top key insights you generated about your learning challenge during this Action Learning Plan? (Please list a maximum of 5 key insights)
1. Heritage as a Development Opportunity - we learned that cultural heritage can drive local development when linked to sustainable tourism.
2. Crowdfunding Builds Community Engagement-Crowdfunding is not only about raising money—it is a powerful tool to connect people, especially the diaspora, to Angola’s history.
3. Multi‑stakeholder Coordination Requires Adaptability- working with different ministries showed the need for flexibility, clear communication, persistence and continuous alignment.
4. Diaspora Engagement Needs Trust and Consistency- the diaspora is willing to support the project, but meaningful engagement requires time, trust, and clear value.
5. Innovation Needs Strong Local Readiness - for innovative finance to work, the project must be well‑prepared, with clear activities, transparency, and strong local ownership.
Considering the outcomes of this learning challenge, which of the following best describe the handover process? (Please select all that apply)
Our work has not yet scaled
Can you provide more detail on your handover process?
To ensure sustainability and continuity of the Roots Reconnected initiative beyond the AccLab, a structured handover process was put in place. This included the documentation of all campaign materials, such as the crowdfunding narrative, visual assets, donor engagement tools, COA references, and stakeholder contact lists. A briefing note and orientation meeting were conducted with the Ministry of Tourism and Culture, and UNDP Communications Team, ensuring clarity on responsibilities for managing the platform post-launch. Key learnings, insights, and data were compiled into a summary deck to support institutional memory.
Please paste any link(s) to blog(s) or publication(s) that articulate the learnings on your frontier challenge.
https://www.undp.org/angola/blog/roots-reconnected-how-crowdfunding-campaign-reviving-angolas-heritage-through-sustainable-and-cultural-tourism
https://www.undp.org/angola/roots-reconnected
Data and Methods
Relating to your types of data, why did you chose these? What gaps in available data were these addressing?
The selection of data sources for the Roots Reconnected crowdfunding campaign was intentional and aimed at filling critical information and operational gaps. Each type of data responded to a specific learning need or contextual limitation.
However, there was a lack of consolidated, accessible information connecting Massangano to the broader history of slavery in the public discourse. Many stakeholders (especially youth and diaspora) were unaware of the site’s historic weight and symbolism.
Additionally, there was no prior baseline on donor behavior, audience reach, or platform performance related to crowdfunding in Angola. Analytics helped bridge this gap by generating evidence to guide iteration and outreach.
Why was it necessary to apply the above innovation method on your frontier challenge? How did these help you to unpack the system?
Through the application of design thinking, crowdfunding, and storytelling, we were able to surface systemic challenges in heritage-based tourism—exposing overlooked gaps in financing, governance, and inclusion. These approaches enabled us to shift from a fragmented view of tourism as merely infrastructure-driven to a more holistic understanding of tourism as a vehicle for identity, community empowerment, and innovation, ultimately pointing to new, participatory pathways for sustainable cultural revitalization in Angola.
Partners
Please indicate what partners you have actually worked with for this learning challenge.
Please state the name of the partner:
Ministry of Tourism
Ministry of Culture
What sector does your partner belong to?
Government (&related)
Please provide a brief description of the partnership.
The Ministry of Tourism is the main partner responsible for tourism development, while the Ministry of Culture plays a key role in preserving the historical and cultural heritage of Massangano, including its monuments and traditions.
Is this a new and unusual partner for UNDP?
Yes
Please indicate what partners you have actually worked with for this learning challenge.
Please state the name of the partner:
Provincial Government of Kwanza Norte
What sector does your partner belong to?
Government (&related)
Please provide a brief description of the partnership.
Responsible for local tourism sites.
Is this a new and unusual partner for UNDP?
Yes
Please indicate what partners you have actually worked with for this learning challenge.
Please state the name of the partner:
American Chamber of Commerce Angola (AmCham)
What sector does your partner belong to?
Private Sector
Please provide a brief description of the partnership.
AmCham congregates American companies connected to Angola and is interested in promoting tourism locations for African Americans to recover the heritage and history of these sites.
Is this a new and unusual partner for UNDP?
Yes
End
Bonus question: How did the interplay of innovation methods, new forms of data and unusual partners enable you to learn & generate insights, that otherwise you would have not been able to achieve?
The combination of innovation methods (design thinking, storytelling, crowdfunding), new forms of data (digital analytics, community insights, historical records), and collaboration with unusual partners such as diaspora families and digital platforms like Every.org enabled us to uncover systemic blind spots—particularly in how heritage is financed, narrated, and governed—insights that would not have surfaced through traditional programmatic approaches
Please upload any further supporting evidence / documents / data you have produced on your frontier challenge that showcase your learnings.
https://www.undp.org/angola/blog/roots-reconnected-how-crowdfunding-campaign-reviving-angolas-heritage-through-sustainable-and-cultural-tourism https://www.undp.org/angola/roots-reconnected
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8Decent work and economic growth
11Sustainable cities and communities
17Partnerships for the goals
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