Knowledge Management and Communication Strategy

2011 Knowledge Management and Communication Strategy Knowledge Management and Communications Deputy Directors Office (DD) PAHO/WHO 1 3/7/2011

This will be the century of networks, connectivity and interdependency, which will allow us to overcome barriers of space and time and will open possibilities that were unimaginable to humankind. If we encourage those networks to exponentially multiply we will have taken a fundamental step towards eliciting knowledge and experience for sustainable human development. Dr. Mirta Roses Periago s Inauguration Speech as Pan American Health Organization Director, Regional Director for the Americas, January 31st, 2003 Knowledge Management and Communication Strategy for all PAHO/WHO entities Page 2

Contents Prologue by the Director... 4 Introduction by the Deputy Director... 4 I. Situation Analysis... 5 II. PAHO/WHOs Guiding Principles for Knowledge Management and Communication... 6 Primary guiding principle... 6 Operational guiding principles... 6 III. PAHO/WHO s Vision for KMC... 7 IV. Objective of the KMC Strategy... 8 V. Scope of the KMC Strategy... 8 VI. Implementation Approaches and New Paradigms... 8 VII. Strategic Goals of the KMC Strategy... 9 VIII. Key Performance Targets... 9 Strategic Goal 1 - PAHO/WHO Must be an Authoritative Source on Evidence- Based Health Information and Knowledge... 9 Strategic Goal 2 - PAHO/WHO Must be an Effective Collaboration-Based Organization... 11 Strategic Goal 3 - PAHO/WHO Must be a Learning Organization... 11 Strategic Goal 4 - PAHO/WHO must be a Partnership and Network-Building Organization... 12 Strategic Goal 5 - PAHO/WHO should be a catalyst for effective use of communication for the achievement and maintenance of health... 13 IX. Monitoring and evaluation... 14 X. Drivers... 15 Strategic drivers... 15 Technical Drivers... 15 XI. Principles of operation... 15 XII. Annex I... 16 Reports from 10 working groups:... 16 Strategy and policy documents:... 16 Other references:... 16 Knowledge Management and Communication Strategy for all PAHO/WHO entities Page 3

Prologue by the Director To be developed Introduction by the Deputy Director To be developed. Knowledge Management and Communication Strategy for all PAHO/WHO entities Page 4

I. Situation Analysis PAHO/WHO s Knowledge Management and Communication Area (KMC) is responsible for developing strategies, policies, methodologies, standards and services to enable knowledge management and communication functions throughout PAHO/WHO and the countries of the Americas Region. There is a growing consensus that access to information, knowledge, analysis, and scientific evidence on health is essential for economic, social, scientific and technological development. It is particularly important for the development of health systems, continued improvement in quality of care, evidence-based decision making at the collective and individual levels and to meet the information demands of emergency preparedness and response. Likewise, communication and knowledge management are one of the most powerful tools to promote the changes (individual, social and political) that lead to achievement and maintenance of health. Several communication and knowledge management areas contribute to this field, including, access to evidence-based information and new technologies, behavior change communication, social mobilization, media relations, social marketing, and risk communication. Substantial progress has been made in the development of KMC policies, standards and procedures in the last years. This has significantly contributed to the increased efficiency of the work of PAHO staff and also Member States which benefited from KMC technical cooperation. In spite of this progress, the following challenges have been identified for implementation of KMC activities in the Region and within the PAHO Secretariat: The region misses many opportunities to capture and promote the knowledge capital of Member States in the area of public health; The use of communication by Member States as a tool for the achievement and maintenance of health has been limited and its impact has been less than optimal; Vulnerable populations and underprivileged communities in the Region have particularly unequal access to health information and communication; Partners, donors, decision makers and clients of PAHO/WHO are often unfamiliar with the role, achievements, impact and opportunities created by the work of the organization; PAHO/WHO lacks or needs to update several policies, standards and procedures, including ehealth, elearning, editorial policy, institutional repository, corporate identity, and taxonomy, among others; PAHO/WHO s staff often lacks skills in critical KMC processes, including developing and sharing lessons learned, using evidence for decision making and using of communication to promote public health policies; The incorporation of KMC activities in the planning process is inconsistent and often depends on individual skills of staff and of personal interest managers of the PWR, Centers, Areas and Projects; In spite of advances, there is still no interoperability and join search capabilities for the platforms of internet, intranet and external and ensure of all PAHO/WHO sites; PAHO/WHO is not always able to provide optimum KMC support to Member States facing health emergencies; Knowledge Management and Communication Strategy for all PAHO/WHO entities Page 5

Further efforts are needed to better integrate BIREME resources with the rest of the organization. II. PAHO/WHOs Guiding Principles for Knowledge Management and Communication Primary guiding principle 1 The primary guiding principle is to ensure technical excellence in PAHO/WHO Content production and high quality standards in PAHO/WHO information and communication products, projects and services and easy and equitable access to evidence-based information products and services. Operational guiding principles 2 Health information will be treated as a regional public good that is essential for economic and social development and for a just, equitable and healthy society. PASB will use an open access philosophy with respect to all electronic content produced by the Organization; Information that stimulates decision-makers in the Region will be given priority, and the transfer of appropriate technology into health care practice, which is suitable for adaptation and use by various levels of health workers in Member States, will be promoted; Knowledge and information intended to meet the needs of Member States will be shared and communicated in order to address priority problems and issues affecting their populations and supporting the goal of Health for All. This information will often deal with topics or target audiences both covered and not covered by commercial channels. The information will aim to provide information to the neediest, especially in developing countries; Print, audiovisual and electronic media will be used for publishing and disseminating information. The Web and social media platforms will become key tools for advancing knowledge sharing and continually adopting new methods and technologies; The decentralized production and operation of information sources, connected through networks with direct and universal access, and free from geographical or scheduling restrictions, will be promoted. This is the case with PAHO s Virtual Health Library; Information will be disseminated in PAHO s official languages, especially Spanish and English, and encourage translation by others into additional languages, when needed; Linkages and interoperability between information sources involved in public health within and outside the Bureau will be expanded and promoted, where appropriate. 1 Presented and approved by PAHO s EXM, August 15, 2010 2 MODERNIZATION OF PASB MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM - (PMIS) - 50TH DIRECTING COUNCIL - 62ND SESSION OF THE REGIONAL COMMITTEE Knowledge Management and Communication Strategy for all PAHO/WHO entities Page 6

Decentralized production of scientific information products will be promoted when those products are proven to adhere to the highest quality standards and are also in accordance with cost-effective procedures; PASB technical staff will cooperate with countries in strengthening their knowledge management and communication policies, and capacity in support of Health for All; Proposals for new technical publications will be screened by a publications committee at the PASB, in order to ensure that publications: are in line with PAHO s policies, reflect its priorities, meet the needs of Member States, have been properly peer reviewed, and contain information that is likely to be of long-term relevance; Manuscripts accepted for publication will undergo a rigorous editing process that adheres to industry standards to ensure that the final publication is of the highest quality, both technically and editorially; Content published by PASB will be classified and indexed using a PAHO official taxonomy. III. PAHO/WHO s Vision for KMC National and regional policies established to promote free and equitable access to evidencebased information on health as part of Human Rights; A region with equitable access to information, innovation, networking, resource optimization, and proper use of information and communication technologies to achieve interoperability between sources and of health information systems; The lack of access to health information is considered within the principle of nondiscrimination in health and should be integral part of the concept of access to health services; PAHO facilitates the dialogue between Member States and the monitoring body of international human rights treaties to strengthen access to health information; Health information networks of the region help leverage the social capital available; Health workers in the region fully capable of operating in the Information Society; Development partners and donors funding projects to democratize access to health information sources; Health workers from underprivileged locations with open and equal access to sources of scientific and technical information; Underprivileged locations connected to the Internet. Knowledge Management and Communication Strategy for all PAHO/WHO entities Page 7

IV. Objective of the KMC Strategy The objective of the Strategy is to guide the Organization in the adoption of knowledge management and communication practices, policies, standards and procedures. V. Scope of the KMC Strategy This strategy is for all PAHO/WHO entities and is associated with the following products and services: ehealth elearning PRODUCTS AND SERVICES MOST COMMONLY ASSOCIATED WITH THIS STRATEGY Library and information networks Marketing (campaigns and special events) Scientific information & communication Social communication Editorial services Media relations Social networks Innovation Knowledge transfer Public information Risk communication Virtual & Web-based collaboration Web & Intra-Extranet services VI. Implementation Approaches and New Paradigms A number of new paradigms are considered critical in the implementation Strategy. These new paradigms represent new contemporary approaches to Knowledge Management and Communication and have implications for several of the Key Performance Targets enumerated in this document. The new paradigms are summarized in the table below: OLD PARADIGMS Communication to share information Copyright Message One central message Production Proprietary sources Publication Sale of publications Target audience passive NEW PARADIGMS Communication to generate change Creative commons Dialogue Several coherent and articulated messages Creation of norms and standards Open sources Content production Open access to publications Different actors are full participants Unidirectional communication Multidirectional communication (2.0) Aggregated data Data disaggregated according to gender, age, ethnicity and socio-economic status Knowledge Management and Communication Strategy for all PAHO/WHO entities Page 8

VII. Strategic Goals of the KMC Strategy 3 The Strategic Goals of the Strategy are meant to inform PAHO/WHO entities (PWRs, Centers, Areas, and Projects) about directions and priorities for knowledge management and communication in the Organization and with Member States. The Strategy contains five Strategic Goals. For each Goal there are a number of Key Performance Targets to be accomplished in a coordinated fashion by the relevant PAHO/WHO entities. Strategic Goal 1 Strategic Goal 2 Strategic Goal 3 Strategic Goal 4 Strategic Goal 5 PAHO/WHO Must be an Authoritative Source on Evidence- Based Health Information and Knowledge PAHO/WHO Must be an Effective Collaboration-Based Organization PAHO/WHO Must be a Learning Organization PAHO/WHO Must be a Partnership and Network-Building Organization PAHO/WHO Should be a Catalyst for Effective use of Communication for the Achievement and Maintenance of Health VIII. Key Performance Targets The Key Performance Targets are meant to provide PAHO entities a menu of options for their Office Specific Expected Results (OSERS) in the Biennial Work Programs (BWP). Strategic Goal 1 - PAHO/WHO Must be an Authoritative Source on Evidence- Based Health Information and Knowledge The Organization will serve, in collaboration with its Member States, as a primary, secondary, and tertiary source of evidence-based, reliable data, information, analysis, and knowledge on health in the Americas. That collaboration comprises the determination of health information needs and demands, acquisition of information, and promotion of information and knowledge production in response to those needs with strict adherence to scientific and technical standards. The Organization will share information and knowledge among its constituencies through various coordinated systems and strategies taking advantage of available and emerging technologies to assure cost-effective and equitable access. Key Performance Targets Ensure that PAHO is widely recognized as a source of authoritative scientific and technical information; Promote incorporation of KMC components in key planning processes of the organization, including: 3 Presented and approved by PAHO s EXM, August 15, 2010 Knowledge Management and Communication Strategy for all PAHO/WHO entities Page 9

o o o Strategic Plan; Resolutions of the Governing Bodies; BWP. Improve existing policies (Web, Content Management, Record Management, Institutional memory, Publishing, Library and Information Networks, Multilinguism, Style Manual and others); Develop and/or update policies and guidelines for the oversight of PAHO s knowledge sharing processes and services and information and communication products, as well as their consistency and high quality, including: o o o o o o The editorial policy, aligned with the WHO editorial policy; Guidelines for the Cooperative Identity; One taxonomy for the whole organization (PAHO/WHO Style Manual, Glossary and List of Acronyms); Guidelines for sharing information with external communication purposes; Guidelines for the development of communication components in all technical initiatives; Guidelines and standard operating procedures for emergencies. Develop and implement of the ehealth Regional Strategy and Plan of Action; Improve the PAHO Institutional Memory in the context of the WHO Global Institutional Repository; Standardize the platforms of internet, intranet and external and ensure interoperability and join search capabilities of all PAHO/WHO sites (HQ, countries, centers, Virtual Campus, Institutional Repository and the BIREME specialized libraries); Promote the active participation of PAHO/WHO staff in the advancement of PAHO/WHO Web 2.0 as a core corporative responsibility; Enable PAHO/WHO staff to actively contribute to the Pan American Journal of Public Health; Complete the integration of BIREME s network, methodologies and technical staff into projects and processes of KMC and all other PAHO/WHO entities; Promote and support the generation, production and dissemination of disaggregated health information by Member States, capturing and promoting the knowledge capital in the Region; Knowledge Management and Communication Strategy for all PAHO/WHO entities Page 10

Strategic Goal 2 - PAHO/WHO Must be an Effective Collaboration-Based Organization The Organization promotes an environment in which aggregate data, information, experience, successful practices, and publications are developed and shared through effective internal networking and collaboration, thereby enriching and developing staff and ensuring that PAHO continues to play a pivotal role as a technical cooperation agency in support of health initiatives in the Americas. Key Performance Targets Develop an Internal (PAHO, WHO, OAS, UN and key partners) Communication Plan; Develop the new intranet as the main internal communication tool of the organization; Promote equitable and efficient access and dissemination of health information and communication to priority audiences, especially in Member States; Develop an inventory and extract lessons learned, best practices, successful projects and innovative ideas from regional, national and thematic networks and communities of practice led or integrated by PAHO/WHO staff; Improve the existing virtual collaboration platforms and internal networks for internal use and for technical cooperation; Establish a network (or Functional Team) of PAHO/WHO Knowledge Management and Communication professionals. Strategic Goal 3 - PAHO/WHO Must be a Learning Organization The Organization, in order to assure and maintain its position as an authoritative source of health information and knowledge, will engage in a process of permanent learning. It considers and supports learning as a critical ongoing activity that enables staff to cooperate effectively with countries in anticipation of and in response to health challenges. The learning process is grounded in the sharing of ideas, lessons learned, and experiences among staff and with their many partners. Key Performance Targets Promote the Digital Literacy Program, including an elearning Plan; Implement a mechanism to incorporate lessons learned into policies, procedures and practices in the organization; Implement a mechanism to incorporate the Cross-Cutting Priorities into policies, procedures and practices of knowledge management and communication in the organization; Knowledge Management and Communication Strategy for all PAHO/WHO entities Page 11

Promote incorporation of KMC competencies and responsibilities in key managerial processes, including: o Job announcements and job descriptions; o Lists of staff competencies; o PPES; Train of PAHO/WHO, researchers, managers and other professionals on the use of scientific evidence in making health decisions; Train of PAHO/WHO researchers, managers and other professionals to communicate health information to broader audiences; Systematically document, evaluate and share results of the communication initiatives led by PAHO; Create a system for ongoing consultation about KMC activities, open to all staff, including a help desk; Develop a mechanism to capture corporative knowledge from departing staff; Implement coaching and mentoring programs; Establish an environment for innovation; Develop a mechanism to incorporate innovations in PAHOs technical cooperation activities, policies and administrative procedures. Strategic Goal 4 - PAHO/WHO must be a Partnership and Network-Building Organization The Organization recognizes that to operate effectively in an increasingly complex global environment, it must seek, build, and strengthen strategic alliances, networks, and partnerships with other entities academia, research centers, nongovernmental organizations, bilateral and multilateral cooperation agencies, and international financial institutions, among others. The resulting partnerships create opportunities for the advancement of human resources, for the development and sharing of information and knowledge, and for improving the health status of the peoples of the Americas. Key Performance Targets Engage development partners and donors in KMC vision and initiatives and ensure that their support for PAHO/WHO is properly communicated; Create or strengthen strategic networks of health communicators and health journalists; Knowledge Management and Communication Strategy for all PAHO/WHO entities Page 12

Create or strengthen strategic networks and partnerships with non-traditional partners; Develop KMC partnerships with media organizations, private sector and academia, including the designation of KMC Collaborating Centers; Adopt new technologies that allows knowledge sharing and information dissemination and access in electronically format; Improve the set of skills that PAHO Staff and Public Health Workers need to work within the Information Society; Highlight projects, programs and publications completed by PAHO with donor funds to reinforce with the donors the value of their investment in the organization. Strategic Goal 5 - PAHO/WHO should be a catalyst for effective use of communication for the achievement and maintenance of health The Organization will promote equitable, free and efficient access to health information and communication materials in a strategic manner, in order to achieve the individual, social and political change necessary for the achievement and maintenance of health. This process is based on an active dialogue of stakeholders, including the marginalized populations and vulnerable groups. Communication for PAHO/WHO includes both the campaigns, materials and other activities developed by the organization as well as the technical cooperation in communication with governments, civil society and partners in the various realms of communication (communication for development, communication for behavior change, risk communication, advocacy, and others). Key Performance Targets Develop a plan of action to raise awareness of the PAHO s regional and global work in the area of Knowledge and Information Management in Health; Provide timely access to PAHO/WHO information and communication materials to relevant audiences, using a variety of communication platforms (news media, multimedia, social media, etc); Develop an annual communication and advocacy agenda, which clearly articulates priority issues and approaches, based on PAHO/WHO Strategic Objectives, BWP, and opportunities generated by the political, social and technological environment; Further align PAHO s corporate communication strategy with WHO s and to ensure that relevant audiences clearly understand PAHO s role as WHO s office for the Americas; Knowledge Management and Communication Strategy for all PAHO/WHO entities Page 13

Integrate and strengthen PAHO/WHO technical cooperation in the different realms of communication (communication for development, communication for behavior change, risk communication, advocacy, etc); Promote strategies and platforms that facilitate the participation of vulnerable populations in the formulation and implementation of health interventions, as a mean to achieve equity in health.; Implement procedures for communicating during emergencies, which includes expeditious deployment of communication staff (in media relations, risk communication, social mobilization and other others), and establishes autonomy levels for the implementation of communication activities; Safeguard PAHO s intellectual property and branding against any use contrary to the Organization s mission and principles. IX. Monitoring and evaluation A three-tier approach will be used to monitor this evaluation: 1. Degree to which the Office Specific Expected Results (OSERS) of the relevant PAHO entities incorporate the Key Performance Targets recommended by this Strategy. 2. KMC-related indicators included in the PAHO Strategic Plan 2008-2012 Number of countries incorporating knowledge management and technology-based health strategies to strengthen their health systems. (Strategic Objective 11 indicator); 11.3.2 Number of countries that participate in initiatives tending to strengthen the appropriation, production and use of results from research to inform in policies and practices; 11.3.3 - Number of countries that have access to essential scientific information and knowledge as measured by access to Virtual Health Libraries (VHL) at national and regional levels; 11.5.1 Number of hits to PAHO s Web page; 11.5.2 Maintain the number of countries that have access to evidence-based, health information and advocacy material for the effective delivery of health programs as reflected in the country cooperation strategies; 15.1.3 Number of PASB entities implementing leadership and management initiatives (coordination and negotiation of technical cooperation with partners, technical cooperation among countries [TCC], advocacy for the PAHO/WHO mission, and Biennial Work plans, and reports) on time and within budget; Knowledge Management and Communication Strategy for all PAHO/WHO entities Page 14

15.3.1 Number of countries where PAHO/WHO maintains its leadership or active engagement in health and development partnerships (formal and informal), including those in the context of the United Nations system reform; 16.4.3 Number of PAHO/WHO country and sub regional entities, and Pan American centers using consistent, near real-time management information. 3. The Strategy will also be monitored through the achievement of the indicators of the next PAHO Strategic Plan (2013-2019). X. Drivers Strategic drivers WHO Eleventh General Program of Work 2006-2015 The Millennium Development Goals Strategic Framework for Cooperation Strategic Plan 2008-12 Health Agenda for the Americas 2008 2017 Technical Drivers Primary Health Care strategy Information and Communication Technology Strategy Information Security Policy Research Policy Editorial Policy Virtual Campus Strategic Model Virtual Health Library Strategic Model Regional Observatory Strategic Model Global mandates and strategic models XI. Principles of operation Conceptual Quality Equity Interoperability Innovation Content production Free and Open access to content Standards People Information dissemination Access to learning materials Processes Knowledge Sharing Access to ICT tools & methodologies Content Communications Interactions (2.0) Technology Knowledge Management and Communication Strategy for all PAHO/WHO entities Page 15

XII. Annex I Documents consulted for the development of this Strategy: Reports from 10 working groups: Distance Education (2010); Finance (2010); Graphic Design and Multimedia Services (2010); Human Resources (2010); Information and Communication Technologies (2010); Publishing and Translation (2010); Scientific and Technical Information (2010); Social Communication and Media Relations (2010); Users (2010); Web (2010); Strategy and policy documents: Health Agenda for the Americas Information Sharing and Knowledge Sharing Task Force ( IKM Strategy ) (2005) Internal Communication Roadmap (2006) External Communication Roadmap (2006) Resource Mobilization Roadmap (2007) PAHO ITS Strategy (2010) PAHO HR Strategy PAHO Research Policy PAHO Gender Equality Policy Information Security Policy Other references: Draft ehealth Strategy Draft editorial policy Results Based Management guidelines Information Sharing Strategy Web 2.0 Model and Directive Virtual Campus of Public Health Model Virtual Health Library (VHL) Model Regional Observatory Regional Platform for Access and Innovation for Health Global Institutional Repository Communication for Development Meeting Executive Summary eportuguese GIFT Global Health Library HINARI AGORA OARE Multilingualism WHO Blue Trunk Libraries WHO Publications Policy Knowledge Management and Communication Strategy for all PAHO/WHO entities Page 16