knowledge management - Supporting Advancement

KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT Integrating and Sharing Research Data Beyond Development Presented by Amy Wilson APRA International Conference August 2005

Session Goals • Look at definitions of and philosophy behind Knowledge Management.

• Discuss implementation and benefits of organization-wide KM techniques.

• Discover how research departments can use KM techniques to improve quality and maximize return.

• Work with session participants to draft sample policies and procedures or recommendations.

Seminar Overview • Presentation Part I – What is Knowledge Management

• Questions, Comments, Discussion • Presentation Part 2 – KM, Non-Profits and Development Research

• Break • Working Groups • Working Group Presentations

What is Knowledge Management?

Selected Definitions

From David Skyrme Associates: Knowledge Management is the explicit and systematic management of vital knowledge - and its associated processes of creation, organization, diffusion, use and exploitation. There are many definitions of knowledge management. We have developed this one since it identifies some critical aspects of any successful knowledge management programme: Source: http://www.skyrme.com/resource/kmbasics.htm

From David Skyrme Associates (cont.):

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Explicit - Surfacing assumptions; codifying that which is known

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Systematic - Leaving things to serendipity will not achieve the benefits

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Vital Knowledge - You need to focus; you don't have unlimited resources

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Processes - Knowledge management is a set of activities with its own tools and techniques Source: http://www.skyrme.com/resource/kmbasics.htm

From "An Open Discussion of Knowledge Management," by Brian (Bo) Newman: Knowledge Management is the collection of processes that govern the creation, dissemination, and utilization of knowledge. In one form or another, knowledge management has been around for a very long time. Practitioners have included philosophers, priests, teachers, politicians, scribes, librarians, etc.

Source: http://www.km-forum.org/what_is.htm

Right Knowledge, Right Place, Right Time

From “The ABCs of Knowledge Management” by Megan Santosus and Jon Surmacz, CIO Magazine Website: Unfortunately, there's no universal definition of KM, just as there's no agreement as to what constitutes knowledge in the first place. For this reason, it's best to think of KM in the broadest context. Succinctly put, KM is the process through which organizations generate value from their intellectual and knowledge-based assets. Most often, generating value from such assets involves sharing them among employees, departments and even with other companies in an effort to devise best practices. Source: http://www.cio.com/research/knowledge/edit/kmabcs.html

Dr.Yogesh Malhotra, The Knowledge Management Network: Knowledge Management caters to the critical issues of organizational adaptation, survival, and competence in face of increasingly discontinuous environmental change.... Essentially, it embodies organizational processes that seek synergistic combination of data and information processing capacity of information technologies, and the creative and innovative capacity of human beings. Source: http://www.kmnetwork.com/WhatIsKM.html#whatis

From KMCI.org: KM is first and foremost a branch of management, which makes it a social science. Moreover, it is a branch of management that seeks to improve performance in business by enhancing an organization’s capacity to learn, innovate, and solve problems. The purpose of KM, then, is to enhance organizational knowledge processing.

Source: http://www.kmci.org/the_new_knowledgement.html

People

KM Process

Technology

Source: http://libraries.nelh.nhs.uk/knowledgemanagement/

From Rebecca O. Barclay and Philip C. Murray, Knowledge Praxis: (KM is) A business practice with two primary aspects:

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Treating the knowledge component of business activities as an explicit concern of business reflected in strategy, policy and practice at all levels of the organization.

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Making a direct connection between an organization’s intellectual assets - both explicit [recorded] and tacit [personal know-how] - and positive business results.

Source: http://www.media-access.com/whatis.html

Survey Responder As I understand it, KM is more than information management in that it combines the use of hard information and data along with staff experience. It’s not just in what database or what fields some data is stored or how that data is linked, accessed or reported. KM uses that, but adds the human component. We don’t just want to manage donors’ gifts and addresses, but also what we’ve learned from and about them. Others have defined it as a paradigm shift following data processing and information management.

Survey Responder, cont. ...Denham Grey, from the KM Forum, says, “Knowledge is action, focused innovation, pooled expertise, special relationships and alliances. Knowledge is value-added behavior and activities. For knowledge to be of value it must be focused, current, tested and shared….” So from that, I think that KM is how we focus, test and share what we’ve gained from the data and our experience - our knowledge.

From Dr. Karl-Erik Sveiby Personally I dislike the notion "Knowledge Management". Knowledge is a human faculty, not something that can be "managed", except by the individual him/herself. A better guidance for our thinking is therefore phrases such as "to be Knowledge Focused" or to "see" the world from a "Knowledge Perspective". To me Knowledge Management is: The Art of Creating Value from Intangible Assets.

Source: http://www.sveiby.com/articles/KnowledgeManagement.html

Breakdown of Definitions

KM is...

• a broad concept • a branch of management • a social science • a business practice • a collection of processes

KM deals with...

• combining information processing capability with human creativity

• creation, acquisition, retention, organization, storage, distribution and use of knowledge and information

• strategy, policy and practice at all levels • organizational adaptation, survival, and competence

KM involves...

• treating the knowledge component of

business activities as an explicit concern of business

• sharing intellectual assets • connecting an organization’s intellectual assets with positive business results

• explicit and systematic management of vital knowledge

KM seeks to...

• improve performance • help an organization deal with change • provide increased flexibility • aid in decision making and strategic planning

KM seeks to...

• help an organization to gain insight and

understanding from its own experience

• help organizations generate value from their intellectual and knowledge-based assets

• protect intellectual assets from decay • enhance an organization’s capacity to learn, innovate, and solve problems

KM Terminology

About the Source •

All terms are from the glossary of the Specialist Library for Knowledge Management, part of the National Library for Health. The site is in development, and aims to launch in September 2005.

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Currently available at: http://libraries.nelh.nhs.uk/ knowledgemanagement

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An excellent example and source for KM

Benchmarking The practice of comparing the performance of your organisation, department or function against the performance of 'the best' - whether they be other organisations, industry standards or internal departments. The aim is to look at how well you are doing compared to others in the same field or industry, and to learn from their best practices as a basis for improving your own.

Source: Specialist Library for Knowledge Management http://libraries.nelh.nhs.uk/knowledgemanagement/

Best practice (or: Good practice) A process or methodology that has been proven to work well and produce good results, and is therefore recommended as a model. Some people prefer to use the term 'good practice' as in reality it is debatable whether there is a single 'best' approach.


Codification The process of getting people's knowledge into a form by which it can be communicated independently of those people. The most common method is writing things down and putting them into documents and databases. Other methods include pictures, and sound and video recordings. Related term: Knowledge harvesting.


Communities of practice Networks of people who work on similar processes or in similar disciplines, and who come together to develop and share their knowledge in that field for the benefit of both themselves and their organisation(s). They may be created formally or informally, and they can interact online or in person. Related term: Communities of interest.


Customer relationship management A business strategy based on selecting and proactively managing the most valuable customer relationships. It requires a customer-focused philosophy to support effective marketing, sales and customer service processes.


Data mining A technique for analysing data in very large databases and making new connections between the data in order to reveal trends and patterns.


Groupware Computer software applications that are linked together by networks, and so allow people to work together and share electronic communications and documents.


Human capital The knowledge, skills and competencies of the people in an organisation. Human capital is one component of intellectual capital.


Information audit A method of reviewing and mapping information in an organisation. An information audit looks at things like what information is needed, what information there currently is, where it is, in what forms, how it flows around the organisation, where there are gaps and where there is duplication, how much is it costing, what its value is, how it is used etc. Related term: Knowledge audit. Source: Specialist Library for Knowledge Management http://libraries.nelh.nhs.uk/knowledgemanagement/

Information management The management of an organisation's information resources in order to improve the performance of the organisation. Information management underpins knowledge management, as people derive knowledge from information.


Information overload A state where a person has so much information that they are no longer able to effectively process and make use of it.


Information technology (IT) A term that encompasses the physical elements of computing including servers, networks and desktop computing which enable digital information to be created, stored, used and shared.


Knowledge assets (or: Intellectual assets) Those parts of an organisation's intangible assets that relate specifically to knowledge, such as know-how, best practices, intellectual property and the like. Knowledge assets are often divided into human (people, teams, networks and communities), structural (the codified knowledge that can be found in processes and procedures) and technological (the technologies that support knowledge sharing such as databases and intranets). By understanding the knowledge assets an organisation possesses, the organisation can improve its ability to use them to best effect and also to spot any gaps that may exist. Source: Specialist Library for Knowledge Management http://libraries.nelh.nhs.uk/knowledgemanagement/

Knowledge base The fundamental body of knowledge available to an organisation, including the knowledge in people's heads, supported by the organisation's collections of information and data. An organisation may also build subject-specific knowledge bases to collate information on key topics or processes. The term 'knowledge base' is also sometimes used to describe a database of information.


Knowledge harvesting A set of methods for making tacit knowledge more explicit getting people's knowledge into documents, so that it can be more easily shared with others. Related term: Codification.


Knowledge worker An employee whose role relies on his or her ability to find and use knowledge.


Organisational culture In short, 'the way we do things around here'. An organisation's culture is a mixture of its traditions, values, attitudes and behaviours. Different organisations can have very different cultures. In knowledge management, an organisation's culture is extremely important - if it is not based on qualities such as trust and openness, then knowledge management initiatives are unlikely to succeed.


Organisational memory The knowledge and understanding embedded in an organisation's people, processes and products or services, along with its traditions and values. Organisational memory can either assist or inhibit the organisation's progress.


Portal A special web page that organises access to all of the online resources about a topic, providing a one-stop shop of sorts.


Silo An individual group within an organisation, such as a department or unit. The term is often used to suggest that such groups tend to be inward-looking, in that they do not take into account what other similar groups are doing or how their work affects other such groups.


What is Knowledge?

Data - Information - Knowledge

• Data – Numerical or other information

represented in a form suitable for processing by computer, such as text and numbers in a spreadsheet

• Information – Processed, stored, or

transmitted data that is in an understandable context and categorized

• Knowledge – Understanding or know-how gained through experience or study

Denham Grey Knowledge is the full utilization of information and data, coupled with the potential of people's skills, competencies, ideas, intuitions, commitments and motivations. In today's economy, knowledge is people, money, leverage, learning, flexibility, power, and competitive advantage. Knowledge is more relevant to sustained business than capital, labor or land. Nevertheless, it remains the most neglected asset. It is more than justified true belief and is essential for action, performance and adaption. Knowledge provides the ability to respond to novel situations. Source: http://www.km-forum.org/what_is.htm

Explicit vs. Tacit Knowledge

“Beyond Knowledge Management: Lessons from Japan” Hirotaka Takeuchi There are two kinds of knowledge. One is explicit knowledge, which can be expressed in words and numbers and shared in the form of data, scientific formulae, product specifications, manuals, universal principles, and so forth. This kind of knowledge can be readily transmitted across individuals formally and systematically. This has been the dominant form of knowledge in the West. The Japanese, however, see this form as just the tip of the iceberg. They view knowledge as being primarily tacit, something not easily visible and expressible. Source: http://www.sveiby.com/articles/LessonsJapan.htm

“Beyond Knowledge Management: Lessons from Japan” Hirotaka Takeuchi Explicit knowledge can easily be "processed" by a computer, transmitted electronically, or stored in databases. But the subjective and intuitive nature of tacit knowledge makes it difficult to process or transmit the acquired knowledge in any systematic or logical manner. For tacit knowledge to be communicated and shared within the organisation, it has to be converted into words or numbers that anyone can understand. It is precisely during the time this conversion takes place - that is, from tacit to explicit that organisational knowledge is created. Source: http://www.sveiby.com/articles/LessonsJapan.htm

Michael Polanyi In the West, the expression tacit knowledge was introduced by Michael Polanyi (1891-1976), a physician, chemist, social scientist and philosopher. His most famous aphorism is: "We know much more than we can tell." Karl E. Sveiby wrote an article about Michael Polanyi and tacit knowledge, available on his website, http://www.sveiby.com/articles/polanyi.html

Origins of KM

“Knowledge has been "managed" at least since the first humans learned to transfer the skill to make a fire. Many early initiatives to transfer skills and information can be labeled "Knowledge Management", libraries being one, schools and apprenticeships others. Librarians, teachers and master craftsmen can be called "knowledge managers". Source: http://www.sveiby.com/articles/KnowledgeManagement.html

KM is connected with other management movements and concepts including:

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Change management Best practices Risk management Benchmarking Human capital movement Information management Quality movement

Recent Milestones 1958: Michael Polanyi’s work “Personal Knowledge: Towards a Post-Critical Philosophy” was published. 1960s: Economist Peter Drucker wrote about knowledge workers and the knowledge society, and published “The Effective Executive,” (1966) and “The Age of Discontinuity: Guidelines to Our Changing Society.” (1969) 1980s: Karl Wiig used the term Knowledge Management in a presentation in 1986. That year Karl-Erik Sveiby published a book in Sweden, “The Know How Company,” on how to manage "knowledge companies," organizations that have no traditional production, only the knowledge and the creativity of their employees.

Recent Milestones 1991: Tom Stewart publishes an article about intellectual capital titled “Brainpower” in Fortune Magazine 1995: Ikujiro Nonaka and Hirotaka Takeuchi publish “The Knowledge Creating Company: How Japanese Companies Create the Dynamics of Innovation” 1990s: KM becomes a popular management strategy in corporate America in mid-1990s; towards the late 1990s, KM appears to be in decline; some question whether it is just a fad 2000 - Present: Conferences, publications, initiatives continue with more focus on people element of KM

Why KM is important: Gene Bellinger KM is important to the extent that it enhances an organization’s ability and capacity to deal with four primary concerns, originally articulated by Mike Davidson in his work “The Transformation of Management.” They are: Mission: What are we trying to accomplish? Competition: How do we gain a competitive edge? Performance: How do we deliver the results? Change: How do we cope with change? Source: http://www.systems-thinking.org/kmgmt/kmgmt.htm

Why KM is important: Gene Bellinger With on-demand access to managed knowledge, every situation is addressed with the sum total of everything anyone in the organization has ever learned about a situation of a similar nature. Source: http://www.systems-thinking.org/kmgmt/kmgmt.htm