Implementing Knowledge Management in Government: Operational Skills and Mechanisms

Implementing Knowledge Management in Government: Operational Skills and Mechanisms 1. Typical Evolution of Knowledge Management within an Organization Implementing knowledge management programs by no means is some sort of short-term activity. Actually it requires long-term devotions and a lot of fine-tuning along the way. A typical evolution of knowledge management within an organization goes through several phases: Ad-hoc: knowledge management is being practiced to some level in some parts of the organization (although it may not be recognized as such or called knowledge management ) Formal: knowledge management is recognized as a formal project or programme Expanding: the use of knowledge management as a discipline grows in practice across different parts of the organization Cohesive: there is a degree of co-ordination of knowledge management activity; knowledge can be more easily shared across departmental boundaries Integrated: there are formal standards and approaches that gives every employee access to most organizational knowledge through common interfaces (e.g. a corporate portal) Embedded: knowledge management is part-and-parcel of everyday tasks; it blends seamlessly into the background. 2. Factors Leading to the Success of KM Programs in Government Generally speaking, during the KM processes four steps and associated critical success factors have been proposed by Belardo 1. The four general steps include: Identification: What knowledge do we need? Who has it? What type of knowledge is it? Elicitation: How can we acquire the knowledge, what tools can we use? Dissemination: How do we represent, store, process and disseminate knowledge? and, 1 Belardo, S. (2001), Learning Organizations and Knowldge Management: A Conventional and Alternate View,. Advanced Info. Systems Techniques Course Lecture Series, SUNY/Albany, 2001

Utilization: How much are we making use of? What are the benefits? Considering the complex nature of knowledge Belardo has further identified four enablers that act as critical success factors (CSF) of KM: Leadership; Culture; Technology; and Measurement These KM processes and enablers when juxtaposed on a 4x4 table form sixteen cells representing Belardo s matrix approach to KM: Table1: Belardo s matrix Approach to Knowledge Management Technology Leadership Culture Measurement Identification Elicitation Dissemination Utilization The matrix focuses attention on critical questions in accordance with the relative impact of each CSF on the various processes. For example the matrix calls attention to the critical role that leadership plays in identifying knowledge by analyzing who the organization listens to. External boundary spanning that has been shown to dramatically improve an organization s absorptive capacity and its ability to learn, innovate and compete is dependent upon which knowledge sources are available. Its culture determines the success of its internal boundary spanning capability and the degree to which individuals are capable of communicating with one another and their willingness to share what they know. Besides Belardo s matrix we also introduce the following leading factors that contribute to the ultimate success of KM projects and, some of which will be revisited in Chapter 6. 2.1 A Link to Economics Knowledge management can be expensive and therefore must somehow be linked to economic values or certain measurements need to be built to monitor its success even within government organizations. The most impressive benefits of good knowledge management involve money saved or earned. Benefit calculations may also be indirect, perhaps through process measures like cycle time, customer satisfaction, or even phone calls avoided. Knowledge Management in Government Organization - Basic Understanding and Principles 2

2.2 Clarity of Vision and Language Clarity of purpose and terminology is a critical factor with any type of organizational change project, but it's a particularly important element of good knowledge management. The successful knowledge management projects should address this issue 2.3 Knowledge-Conducive Environment and Knowledge-Oriented Culture Within this category examples may include projects intended to measure or improve the value of knowledge capital, efforts to build awareness and cultural receptivity; initiatives attempting to change behavior as it relates to knowledge, and attempts to improve the knowledge management process. 2.4 A Link to the United Nations Millennium Development Goals The United Nations Millennium Declaration 2 also provides an important background for the implementation of knowledge management within governments. From the perspectives of mankind and human society it can be viewed as a complete matrix for a global world-making effort. It describes a desirable societal context of peace, prosperity and justice for all. It defines a number of very concrete goals that, if achieved, would bring the world closer to that societal context. It ties its vision of the peaceful, prosperous and just world, and specifically achievement of selected development goals, to good governance within each country. It records the determination of the Member States to spare no effort to promote democracy and strengthen the rule of law, as well as respect for all internationally recognized human rights and fundamental freedoms, including the right to development, to strengthen the capacity to implement the principles and practices of democracy and to work collectively for more inclusive political processes, allowing genuine participation by all citizens in our countries. Furthermore, it confirms the resolve of the Member States to ensure the right of the public to have access to information. Such noble and grand strategies for the whole world, by no means, are easy to be achieved. But we believe, with the help of and only through strategic design and systematic implementation of knowledge management, one step at a time, these goals will be eventually attained and we will celebrate a new millennium that is truly better for all. 3. Techniques Recommended for Successful KM Programs in Government For the process of knowledge management we recommend the following general steps: 3.1 Analyzing core governmental functions/work flows: never lose the big picture and avoid high-tech obsession Implementing knowledge management project is in effect a change management endeavor. Just like any other change management projects, the organizations should never lose the big picture during their design and implementation processes. Many times a certain project is initiated only for the sake of changing the status quo, while its ultimate purpose of linking the result of the 2 See General Assembly resolution 55/2 of 18 September 2000. Knowledge Management in Government Organization - Basic Understanding and Principles 3

project with the overall organizational goal tends to be forgotten. This is especially true in the case of knowledge management. Currently many organizations so-called knowledge management projects are typically ended with the expensive investments on ICT infrastructure. It is true that technology is employed in all the processes of KM and various technological solutions are already available over the horizon. Unfortunately, technology solution providers tend to amplify the benefits. In this process they erroneously present technology as the sole answer to KM. In reality, this is not so. The same principle applies here: effective use of technology depends on how well the technology fits the process it supports. As a general principle, it is best to know what has to be done before looking for a technology to support it. If the objective is to locate knowledge, then knowledge bases, search and retrieval tools, and yellow pages would be considered technological enablers. If the objective is to create knowledge, then collaborative decision-making, expert, decision support and data mining systems, notes databases, externalization tools, etc would be considered technological enablers. If the interest is to reuse and validate knowledge, then customer support and feedback, knowledge bases, discussion databases, past project records and communities of practice would be used. Therefore, for practical reasons, we recommend to proceed with KM by analyzing core governmental functions/work flows and determining the existence of pre-conditions for KM in government. After all, organizational goals and people-oriented policies determine the results of all programs. 3.2 Developing a KM communication strategy to seek both external and internal inputs Benefits and possible associated costs of the forthcoming knowledge management need to be clarified and effectively conveyed among employees and to external people. For this purpose, an effective communication strategy needs to be established as part of the holistic strategy for the implementation of KM. There are three important components to consider when developing a communication strategy: (1) the stakeholders; (2) the message of change; and (3) the communication vehicles that are used to deliver the message. The critical objectives for such a plan are raising awareness; increasing understanding of the benefits of implementing KM initiatives to the target audience; building commitment and ownership by the target audience through communication of project initiatives, goals and directions; facilitating effectual communication between staff so that effective knowledge sharing can take place; and lastly, providing proactive and reactive communication to achieve acceptance and commitment to KM initiatives in the organization. Adopting aspects of a process perspective during KM is usually advisable. The knowledge project manager should have a good sense of his or her customer, the customer's satisfaction, and the productivity and quality of services offered. 3.3 Establishing a knowledge management team and having senior management support and championing As with anything worthwhile it will not happen without resources. The team should reflect all areas of the organization and, while not required to be experts in the area, it is important that they are committed to the exercise. While knowledge management should never be regarded as an IT project, specialist IT experience is required in order to ensure that technological possibilities are exploited fully. The normal practice suggests that it is critical at least one senior management representative is part, though not necessarily chair, of the team. The guidance of someone with a Knowledge Management in Government Organization - Basic Understanding and Principles 4

background in the area is also very beneficial. Also the KM team needs to be empowered and delegated certain responsibilities within the scope of KM projects. Like almost every other type of change program, knowledge management projects benefit from senior management support. The types of support may include the following: Sending out messages to the organization that knowledge management and organizational learning are critical to the organization's success Clearing the way and providing funding for infrastructure Clarifying what type of knowledge is most important to the organization The championing of the initiative by one or two key individuals is also essential, both to get the project off the ground and to ensure that it becomes embedded in organization life and part of the way things are done around here. In practical terms this means that managers may need to overcome fears which they themselves have in relation to new technology, sharing knowledge etc. It also means that they have to be seen to use the resources available and participate in initiatives like Communities of Practice (CoP). Senior management support would also help to set the tone for a knowledge-oriented culture. 3.4 Building-up some level of knowledge structure and conducting knowledge survey/audit Successful knowledge management projects benefit from some degree--- though not too much---of a knowledge structure. Because knowledge is naturally fluid and closely linked to the people who hold it, its categories and meanings change frequently, which means that knowledge will usually be resistant to engineering. However, if a knowledge repository has no structure at all, it won't be able to serve its purpose. Organizations building a knowledge base or expert network must therefore create categories and key terms. It is often useful to devise a thesaurus to assist users as well. Any knowledge manager should be prepared to redefine the structure of an organization's knowledge base frequently. For this purpose, KM program should commence with some form of knowledge survey/audit. A knowledge audit is a formal evaluation of how and where knowledge is used in operation processes. Through an audit, organizations can identify and evaluate the critical knowledge and information used by its members. It also helps to identify enablers and barriers to knowledge and information sharing. It is also critical that organizations at the outset get some idea of the current situation and also the level of good will towards the concept. A typical knowledge audit process may include: Knowledge Identification: Just as one purposes of KM to avoid reinvention of the wheel within organization, before the actual commencement of a KM project, existing knowledge (especially existing explicit knowledge) needs to be identified within organizations. Knowledge Assets identification: Existing knowledge assets also need to be identified so that relevant measurements could be established to monitor and to manage these assets. i.e. an expert pool could be established to serve as pointer to any specific knowledge bodies in case of need. Knowledge Management in Government Organization - Basic Understanding and Principles 5

3.5 Determining/building-up technical and organizational infrastructure and develop a comprehensive approach Knowledge projects are more likely to succeed when they can take advantage of a broader infrastructure of both technology and organization. Technological infrastructure is the easier of the two to put in place. If these tools and the skills to use them are already present, a particular initiative will have an easier time getting off the ground. Building an organizational infrastructure for knowledge management means establishing a set of roles, organizational structures, and skills from which individual projects can benefit. Because knowledge management reflects a new approach to working, it has to involve a comprehensive approach, not just discrete interventions. Furthermore, as indicated in particular by the private sector experiences, it will not happen unless systems are put in place. While organizations may need to start with one single initiative (for example, developing a knowledge repository), it needs to be explained to employees that this represents only one part of a broader agenda. A useful way of achieving this is through the development of a knowledge management strategy, setting out the specific resources, systems and priorities for an organization, given its own unique environment and operating context. Once a comprehensive KM approach is decided it is the responsibility of the knowledge team to ensure that these recommendations are progressed. 3.6 Establishing knowledge management milestones/indicators and developing incentives and reward mechanisms It is also important that there is some benchmark of what the organization wishes to achieve from its knowledge management strategy. Milestones and indicators should be set in relation to specific projects or initiatives. In general, it is the responsibility of the KM team to identify these. Examples might include: Demonstrable time-savings and improvements in the way people fulfill their tasks and responsibilities Use of KM systems (as measured, for example, by resources most often accessed or downloaded) A shared sense (organizational and stakeholder) that the project is a success and represents value in monetary terms (as measured by surveys of management, staff and key stakeholders). Parallel to the above, incentives and reward mechanisms should also be developed. Knowledge, being intimately bound up with people's egos and occupations, does not emerge or flow easily: Employees must therefore be motivated to create, share, and use knowledge. These motivational aids or incentives cannot be too trivial even within government organizations. Motivational approaches for knowledge behaviors should also be long-term incentives tied in with the rest of the evaluation and compensation structure. If members of the organization see that KM is given a high priority by senior management they are far more likely to engage with it. However, this needs to be observed in actions as well as words. As noted above, managers taking a lead in relation to KM initiatives is one way of emphasizing its importance. Recognizing and rewarding members who support and contribute to knowledge management and sharing initiatives can also complement this. Knowledge Management in Government Organization - Basic Understanding and Principles 6