Managing Knowledge in a

Network Environment

Government Web 2.0 and Social MediaJune 2-3, 2009Ottawa, Ontario

Knowledge Economy• Success based on what you

know

• Knowledge is the primary asset

• Value of goods based on knowledge content

• Creating and using knowledge are key to sustained relevance

Recognized in four Throne Speeches

Knowledge Management Evolution

KM Generation

Type of Knowledge

Knowledge Carrier

Knowledge Process

Technology

1st Explicit Artefacts

Objects (Documents)

Create

Acquire

Preserve

Systems

Internet

2nd Tacit Individual

Team

Share

Integrate

Use

Distribution

World-Wide Web

3rd Emergent Community

Network

Collaborate

Synergy

Connectivity

Web 2.0

Overview

Outline1st. Organization

Mandate, one source, knowledge assets

2nd. Collaboration Agreements, few sources,

knowledge flow

3rd. NetworksInterests, many sources,

knowledge ecosystems

Why Manage Knowledge?

• The Government spends billions every year to create knowledge; we should capture what we know.

• Reusing knowledge can double or triple its value; we should preserve what we know.

• Workers spend a third of their time searching for knowledge; we should share what we know.

• Running a government involves many departments; we should integrate what we know.

Organization

Knowledge management connects creation and use

Knowledge Organization

External Knowledge

ShareShare

Internal Knowledge

Manage UseUse

IntegrateIntegrate

PreservePreserve

Lost Knowledge

Organization

CreateCreate

Nature, Society

Content

What is Content ?

• Collections – objects & artifacts: books, documents, minerals, insects, plant materials

• Data – facts & observations: elements, files, records, datasets, databases, statistics

Information – meaning & context: records, documents, reports, photos, maps, presentations

Knowledge – understanding & predictability: equations, models, learning, experience, know-how

• Wisdom – experience & judgment: enables the correct application of knowledge

Organization

Content Value Chain

“Flow of content through sequential stages, each of which changes its form and increases its usefulness and value.” (NRCan, 2006)

Objects Data Information Knowledge WisdomDomain

Department Admin. Data Records Know how Experience

Organization

Organizational Infrastructure

Peoplelearning, motivation,

rewards, incentives,

staffing, skills

Governance roles, responsibilities, authorities, resources

Processes

work routineslessons learned, best practices,

Content, Services

data, risk analysis, reports, monitoring, operations, policies

Toolssystems to capture, store, share, and process content

Organization

Knowledge Management

Go

vern

an

ce

Organization

Capturing Content

Canadian Forest Service

Organization

Preserving Content

• Organize

• Store

• Search

• Retrieve

• Maintain

• Migrate

Organization

Migrating Content

• Paper• Punch cards• Paper tape• Magnetic tape• Computer disks• Floppy disks• Tape cassettes• Diskettes• CD-ROMS• Flash Drives

Organization

More information is being lost than at any time in history

Sharing Knowledge Public Security Technical Program

• InfoPort / Share Point for communities

• Workshops, symposia, meetings

• Technology demonstrations

• Communications products, media releases

• Annual reports, fact sheets, documents

• Quarterly newsletter

• Website

Organization

Centre for Security Science

Knowledge Services

Use Internally

Use Professionally

Use Personally

Generate

Transform

Add Value

Transfer

Evaluate

Manage

Extract

Advance

Embed

LegendDepartment Sector / Society

Organization

Natural Resources Canada

Outline1st. Organization

Mandate, one source, knowledge assets

2nd. Collaboration Agreements, few sources,

knowledge flow

3rd. NetworksInterests, many sources,

knowledge ecosystems

Parallel Collaboration Partner A

Partner B

Joint Content

Generate

Generate

Joint Products & Services

Transform

Transform

Joint Inventory

Manage

Manage

Joint Solutions

Use Internally

Use Internally

Joint Outputs

Transfer

Transfer

Collaboration

Sequential Collaboration

Idea

scientists

AAFC

Innovation

IC

company

Commercialized

CFIA

farmers

Adopted

Food product

HCproducers

retailers

CFIA

Market

consumers

HC

Consumption

Waste

EC

municipalities

Agriculture Canada

Collaboration

Formal Partnerships

• Charter - Legal agreement to jointly achieve common objectives, within a management framework, with duplicate records and accountability and joint rights and responsibilities.

• Nature: Clearly specified roles, rights, responsibilities, authorities, accountabilities, and reporting. (structured, bureaucratic, minimizes risk).

Collaboration

Types of Partnerships

• Contractors: One-on-one; superior/ subordinate; single ownership of IP

• Mutual: Two or more; among equals; joint ownership of IP

• Consortiums: Multiple members; apportioned membership; common ownership of IP

A B

A B

A BC

Collaboration

Informal Cooperation

• Charter - Mutual agreement to participate in achieving common objectives, within a network structure, with participant records and accountability and common rights and responsibilities.

• Nature: Flexible, dynamic, opportunistic, synergistic, unpredictable. (unstructured, self-organized, maximizes reward)

Collaboration

Types of Cooperation

• Individuals: 2-3 participants; exchange knowledge (conversations, questions & answers)

• Groups: 10 participants; elicit knowledge; unstructured; (task or working group)

• Communities: 30 participants; share knowledge; self-directed; common interest (departmental IM community)

Collaboration

Canadian Food Inspection Agency

Centre for Security Science

Share Point Functions

• Libraries – documents, images, forms, spread sheets*

• Lists – announcements, links, members, contacts

• Searching - tags and full text within and across sites

• Tracking – calendars, events, tasks, work flow

• Collaboration – surveys, dialogue, blogs, wikis

• Site management – creation, functions, layout, views, members, permissions, integration

*Microsoft compatible only

Collaboration

Share Point Uses

• Content Management capture, organize, and store information. (architecture, taxonomy)

• Document Management manage documents and records. (version control, access privileges)

• Project Management support projects. (plans, schedules, tasks, progress, budgets, reports)

• Portal provides “single-window” access to content. (members, permissions)

• Sharing enables internal and external participants to exchange content.

• Collaboration facilitates joint production of content across a dispersed group.

Collaboration

Centre for Security Science

Outline1st. Organization

Mandate, one source, knowledge assets

2nd. Collaboration Agreements, few sources,

knowledge flow

3rd. NetworksInterests, many sources,

knowledge ecosystem

Network StructureNetworks

Infrastructure

• Mandate, authority, resources, decisions

• Employees, roles, responsible, accountable,

• Policies, manuals, rules, guides

• Mandatory organizational systems

• Interests, trust, self-sustaining, conventions

• Participants, values, volunteer, autonomous

• Self-organized, informal, ad hoc

• Convenient, user-friendly, useful

Networks

Organization Network(Collaboration)

Culture and Behavior

• Discussion

• Winners & losers

• Authority counts

• Domination wins

• Represent agenda

• Existing processes

• Structured thinking

• Dialogue

• Everyone wins

• Equal participants

• Meritocracy of ideas

• Support the group

• Emergent ideas

• Group synergy

Organization Network

Networks

Knowledge Network

External Knowledge

ShareShare

PreservePreserve

Lost Knowledge

Networks

Knowledge Knowledge ManagementManagement

UseUseIntegrateIntegrate

Issue

Synergy Emergence

CreateCreate

Nature, Society

CaptureCapture

Content

Content Providers

• Increased visibility and influence

• Feedback on content needs and use

• Seen as active and knowledgeable

• Encourage partnerships, and leveraging

• Altruism, personal values fun

• Little tangible reward• Incurs cost• Uses resources• Takes time• Unfriendly technology• Trust others• Limited control• Voluntary• Self-motivation

Incentives Disincentives

Networks

Public Security Technical Program Network

The value of a network is proportional to the number of users squared.

Networks

Global Knowledge Map

Network

Social Network Sites

• Wikipedia – 75,000 contributors, 10 million articles in 260 languages, 684 million annual visits.

• You Tube – Enables easy publishing and viewing of video clips on the Web.

• Innocentive – Global “Ideagora” in which those with problems can meet those with solutions.

• Slide Share – Enables easy publishing and sharing of PowerPoint presentations on the Web.

Networks

Natural Resources Canada

Social Network Principles

• Openness – collaboration based on candor, transparency, freedom, flexibility, and accessibility.

• Peering – horizontal voluntary meritocracy, based on fun, altruism, or personal values.

• Sharing – increased value of common products benefits all participants.

• Acting Globally – value is created through network knowledge ecosystems.

Networks

Social Network Successes• Linux – open-source operating system developed

by thousands of programmers around the world

• GoldCorp – released geological data in an open contest to find gold; increased reserves by factor of 4.

• Procter & Gamble – uses network of 90,000 external scientists to leverage internal research capacity.

• Leggo – uses imagination and creativity of worldwide toy owners to create new products.

Networks

Capturing Value

Bring it inside the organization

Stabilize it; make it work

Networks

SWOT Analysis

• Strengths – rapid development, creative solutions, emergent properties, creative synergies, vibrant collaboration, openness

• Weaknesses – constant change, unknown quality, less used by mature individuals, need to motivate participants, cannot be forced

• Opportunities – leverage internal capacity, provides new solutions, easy to implement, low cost, can monitor emerging trends

• Threats – undesirable leaks, free expression poses risk, documents subject to ATIP, compatibility with mandate

Networks

Challenges

• Legislative

• Policy

• Regulatory

• Financial

• Infrastructure

• Human resources

• Cultural factors

• Intellectual Property(Neish, 2007)

Networks

Road to Success• Support from senior

management• Clear understandable

statement of what you want to do and why

• Good working relationships with corporate and legal enablers

• Willingness to compromise on issues that are not mission critical

• Perseverance and persistence(Neish, 2007)

Networks

A Knowledge Network

• Helps communities work together

• Works the way that’s best for each group

• Captures and shares ideas and knowledge

• Promotes creation and synergy of many minds

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