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Date: Tue, 18 Apr 2006 11:53:36 +0200
From: "Peter Ballantyne" <peter.ballantyne@iaald.org>
Subject: [inars] Re: First Discussion Questions: Defining KM and KS in
	agriculture
To: "Information and agricultural services - research, innovation, extension"
	<inars@dgroups.org>
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Dear colleagues,

In February, we had a short discussion around the 
question: "How do you - or your organization - 
define knowledge management (KM) and/or knowledge sharing (KS)?"

As preparation for the next phase, it may be 
useful to re-look at some of the earlier 
responses shared by colleagues - see below.

It's interesting to see that technologies hardly 
feature - the emphasis is on people and processes 
of learning and interaction and 'profit' making. 
Interesting also is that information management 
is closely linked to knowledge management; but 
little mention is made of communication as such. 
Perhaps because this is often seen to be 
more  'one way' or tends to fulfill that role in 
an organization? My own experience is that much 
KM and KS is practised at an organizational level 
and many of the tools and approaches are designed 
for this. Yet the cross-organization or 
inter-community sharing is often very vital; it 
is good therefore to see mention of this wider 
concept of KM and KS as not being bound to an 
organization. I wonder if some of the emerging 
web-based 'social' tools (like blogs, wiki's, and 
more) are going to be the key to sharing across boundaries?

If you have some definitions of KM or KS - they 
can be explicit or tacit - please do share them 
with us before we delve deeper into KM in the research environment.

--------
Some responses to question 0.1: How do you - or 
your organization - define knowledge management 
(KM) and/or knowledge sharing (KS)?

- Knowledge management (KM) is knowing something 
personal (mental) and sharing it so it can be 
harnessed and actioned to gain profit or a competitive advantage.

- It's not about creating an encyclopedia that 
captures everything that anybody knew. Rather, KM 
is about keeping track of those who know the 
recipe, and nurturing the culture and the 
technology that will get them talking.

- In the CGIAR, Knowledge Sharing (KS) is a way 
to encourage open and inclusive sharing of 
expertise and experiences among CGIAR staff 
members and partners, in support of learning and 
change for improved effectiveness and impact in 
our work. By exploring the potential of KS tools 
and techniques as a means to foster collaboration 
the focus shifts from data to people, and 
therefore is process orientated (based on lessons 
learnt), developmental (including staff 
competencies and learning), and fosters 
innovation and creation (through collaboration and community building).

- Personally, when I think of KM it ... [has] a 
focus on people, networks and organisations. I 
suppose it is a combination of hard and soft 
systems. While the techniques for systematic 
collection, transfer, security and management of 
information are obviously important, how people, 
networks and organisations collectively utilise 
and interact with this information and add value 
to it to me is as important, if not more. I 
believe the latter is much more challenging, 
demanding much better engagement, better 
communication, better collaboration and ultimately better partnerships.

- I can define knowledge management simply as the 
management of knowledge within an organisation, 
with the view of achieving a certain purpose.

- To us, the KM concept extends beyond 
organizations and is applicable to projects, 
communities, sectors, even societies. Any 
aggregate that would qualify as a living system.

- Information management can be viewed as the 
supporting base for knowledge management. However 
to be able to communicate the knowledge within an 
organization there is need for the organization 
to be able to describe the information that they 
are collecting. In the same manner for KM at a 
domain level like agriculture we all need to have 
agreed ways to describe the information we 
collect as a group. Once we have descriptors for 
the information we are collecting then everybody 
can collect information that can be managed as 
knowledge. Starting from the building blocks of 
agreed information description for a domain, a 
good KM system for that domain can be realised 
much easier and with less effort.

- Information management is acquiring, 
processing, organising and disseminating 
Information. That information may be processed 
data or repackaged knowledge that is shared and 
decoded by recipients. Information and Content 
Management focuses on transactional KM 
applications (like help desks, analytical 
applications like data warehousing, and asset 
management applications like document management).
  



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<P><TT><FONT SIZE=2>Dear colleagues,</FONT></TT>
</P>

<P><TT><FONT SIZE=2>In February, we had a short discussion around the </FONT></TT>

<BR><TT><FONT SIZE=2>question: "How do you – or your organization – </FONT></TT>

<BR><TT><FONT SIZE=2>define knowledge management (KM) and/or knowledge sharing (KS)?"</FONT></TT>
</P>

<P><TT><FONT SIZE=2>As preparation for the next phase, it may be </FONT></TT>

<BR><TT><FONT SIZE=2>useful to re-look at some of the earlier </FONT></TT>

<BR><TT><FONT SIZE=2>responses shared by colleagues - see below.</FONT></TT>
</P>

<P><TT><FONT SIZE=2>It's interesting to see that technologies hardly </FONT></TT>

<BR><TT><FONT SIZE=2>feature - the emphasis is on people and processes </FONT></TT>

<BR><TT><FONT SIZE=2>of learning and interaction and 'profit' making. </FONT></TT>

<BR><TT><FONT SIZE=2>Interesting also is that information management </FONT></TT>

<BR><TT><FONT SIZE=2>is closely linked to knowledge management; but </FONT></TT>

<BR><TT><FONT SIZE=2>little mention is made of communication as such. </FONT></TT>

<BR><TT><FONT SIZE=2>Perhaps because this is often seen to be </FONT></TT>

<BR><TT><FONT SIZE=2>more  'one way' or tends to fulfill that role in </FONT></TT>

<BR><TT><FONT SIZE=2>an organization? My own experience is that much </FONT></TT>

<BR><TT><FONT SIZE=2>KM and KS is practised at an organizational level </FONT></TT>

<BR><TT><FONT SIZE=2>and many of the tools and approaches are designed </FONT></TT>

<BR><TT><FONT SIZE=2>for this. Yet the cross-organization or </FONT></TT>

<BR><TT><FONT SIZE=2>inter-community sharing is often very vital; it </FONT></TT>

<BR><TT><FONT SIZE=2>is good therefore to see mention of this wider </FONT></TT>

<BR><TT><FONT SIZE=2>concept of KM and KS as not being bound to an </FONT></TT>

<BR><TT><FONT SIZE=2>organization. I wonder if some of the emerging </FONT></TT>

<BR><TT><FONT SIZE=2>web-based 'social' tools (like blogs, wiki's, and </FONT></TT>

<BR><TT><FONT SIZE=2>more) are going to be the key to sharing across boundaries?</FONT></TT>
</P>

<P><TT><FONT SIZE=2>If you have some definitions of KM or KS - they </FONT></TT>

<BR><TT><FONT SIZE=2>can be explicit or tacit - please do share them </FONT></TT>

<BR><TT><FONT SIZE=2>with us before we delve deeper into KM in the research environment.</FONT></TT>
</P>

<P><TT><FONT SIZE=2>--------</FONT></TT>

<BR><TT><FONT SIZE=2>Some responses to question 0.1: How do you – or </FONT></TT>

<BR><TT><FONT SIZE=2>your organization – define knowledge management </FONT></TT>

<BR><TT><FONT SIZE=2>(KM) and/or knowledge sharing (KS)?</FONT></TT>
</P>

<P><TT><FONT SIZE=2>- Knowledge management (KM) is knowing something </FONT></TT>

<BR><TT><FONT SIZE=2>personal (mental) and sharing it so it can be </FONT></TT>

<BR><TT><FONT SIZE=2>harnessed and actioned to gain profit or a competitive advantage.</FONT></TT>
</P>

<P><TT><FONT SIZE=2>- It's not about creating an encyclopedia that </FONT></TT>

<BR><TT><FONT SIZE=2>captures everything that anybody knew. Rather, KM </FONT></TT>

<BR><TT><FONT SIZE=2>is about keeping track of those who know the </FONT></TT>

<BR><TT><FONT SIZE=2>recipe, and nurturing the culture and the </FONT></TT>

<BR><TT><FONT SIZE=2>technology that will get them talking.</FONT></TT>
</P>

<P><TT><FONT SIZE=2>- In the CGIAR, Knowledge Sharing (KS) is a way </FONT></TT>

<BR><TT><FONT SIZE=2>to encourage open and inclusive sharing of </FONT></TT>

<BR><TT><FONT SIZE=2>expertise and experiences among CGIAR staff </FONT></TT>

<BR><TT><FONT SIZE=2>members and partners, in support of learning and </FONT></TT>

<BR><TT><FONT SIZE=2>change for improved effectiveness and impact in </FONT></TT>

<BR><TT><FONT SIZE=2>our work. By exploring the potential of KS tools </FONT></TT>

<BR><TT><FONT SIZE=2>and techniques as a means to foster collaboration </FONT></TT>

<BR><TT><FONT SIZE=2>the focus shifts from data to people, and </FONT></TT>

<BR><TT><FONT SIZE=2>therefore is process orientated (based on lessons </FONT></TT>

<BR><TT><FONT SIZE=2>learnt), developmental (including staff </FONT></TT>

<BR><TT><FONT SIZE=2>competencies and learning), and fosters </FONT></TT>

<BR><TT><FONT SIZE=2>innovation and creation (through collaboration and community building).</FONT></TT>
</P>

<P><TT><FONT SIZE=2>- Personally, when I think of KM it ... [has] a </FONT></TT>

<BR><TT><FONT SIZE=2>focus on people, networks and organisations. I </FONT></TT>

<BR><TT><FONT SIZE=2>suppose it is a combination of hard and soft </FONT></TT>

<BR><TT><FONT SIZE=2>systems. While the techniques for systematic </FONT></TT>

<BR><TT><FONT SIZE=2>collection, transfer, security and management of </FONT></TT>

<BR><TT><FONT SIZE=2>information are obviously important, how people, </FONT></TT>

<BR><TT><FONT SIZE=2>networks and organisations collectively utilise </FONT></TT>

<BR><TT><FONT SIZE=2>and interact with this information and add value </FONT></TT>

<BR><TT><FONT SIZE=2>to it to me is as important, if not more. I </FONT></TT>

<BR><TT><FONT SIZE=2>believe the latter is much more challenging, </FONT></TT>

<BR><TT><FONT SIZE=2>demanding much better engagement, better </FONT></TT>

<BR><TT><FONT SIZE=2>communication, better collaboration and ultimately better partnerships.</FONT></TT>
</P>

<P><TT><FONT SIZE=2>- I can define knowledge management simply as the </FONT></TT>

<BR><TT><FONT SIZE=2>management of knowledge within an organisation, </FONT></TT>

<BR><TT><FONT SIZE=2>with the view of achieving a certain purpose.</FONT></TT>
</P>

<P><TT><FONT SIZE=2>- To us, the KM concept extends beyond </FONT></TT>

<BR><TT><FONT SIZE=2>organizations and is applicable to projects, </FONT></TT>

<BR><TT><FONT SIZE=2>communities, sectors, even societies. Any </FONT></TT>

<BR><TT><FONT SIZE=2>aggregate that would qualify as a living system.</FONT></TT>
</P>

<P><TT><FONT SIZE=2>- Information management can be viewed as the </FONT></TT>

<BR><TT><FONT SIZE=2>supporting base for knowledge management. However </FONT></TT>

<BR><TT><FONT SIZE=2>to be able to communicate the knowledge within an </FONT></TT>

<BR><TT><FONT SIZE=2>organization there is need for the organization </FONT></TT>

<BR><TT><FONT SIZE=2>to be able to describe the information that they </FONT></TT>

<BR><TT><FONT SIZE=2>are collecting. In the same manner for KM at a </FONT></TT>

<BR><TT><FONT SIZE=2>domain level like agriculture we all need to have </FONT></TT>

<BR><TT><FONT SIZE=2>agreed ways to describe the information we </FONT></TT>

<BR><TT><FONT SIZE=2>collect as a group. Once we have descriptors for </FONT></TT>

<BR><TT><FONT SIZE=2>the information we are collecting then everybody </FONT></TT>

<BR><TT><FONT SIZE=2>can collect information that can be managed as </FONT></TT>

<BR><TT><FONT SIZE=2>knowledge. Starting from the building blocks of </FONT></TT>

<BR><TT><FONT SIZE=2>agreed information description for a domain, a </FONT></TT>

<BR><TT><FONT SIZE=2>good KM system for that domain can be realised </FONT></TT>

<BR><TT><FONT SIZE=2>much easier and with less effort.</FONT></TT>
</P>

<P><TT><FONT SIZE=2>- Information management is acquiring, </FONT></TT>

<BR><TT><FONT SIZE=2>processing, organising and disseminating </FONT></TT>

<BR><TT><FONT SIZE=2>Information. That information may be processed </FONT></TT>

<BR><TT><FONT SIZE=2>data or repackaged knowledge that is shared and </FONT></TT>

<BR><TT><FONT SIZE=2>decoded by recipients. Information and Content </FONT></TT>

<BR><TT><FONT SIZE=2>Management focuses on transactional KM </FONT></TT>

<BR><TT><FONT SIZE=2>applications (like help desks, analytical </FONT></TT>

<BR><TT><FONT SIZE=2>applications like data warehousing, and asset </FONT></TT>

<BR><TT><FONT SIZE=2>management applications like document management).</FONT></TT>

<BR><TT><FONT SIZE=2>  </FONT></TT>
</P>
<BR>
<BR>

<P><TT><FONT SIZE=2>---</FONT></TT>

<BR><TT><FONT SIZE=2>To join this list, visit <A HREF="http://www.dgroups.org/groups/inars/">http://www.dgroups.org/groups/inars/</A></FONT></TT>

<BR><TT><FONT SIZE=2>---</FONT></TT>

<BR><TT><FONT SIZE=2>You are currently subscribed to inars as: Bokary.Guindo@fao.org</FONT></TT>

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