Knowledge Management: Capacity Building in Professional Practice

1. Knowledge Management: Capacity Building in Professional Practice Zeno Leung, APSS, PolyU Helen Lui, SCIC, SBHK Elsa Chan, ISE, PolyU April 28, 2006

2. I. KM in Social Work – An Introduction

3. From IM to KM • Ever increasing machine power in data processing & manipulation since the invention of integrated circuit (IC) in 1958 • Leading to believes & promises in organization success through information management • Huge $ spent on MIS, expert systems, etc.

4. But … • Researches show that IM itself does not necessarily lead to success, rather • Organization and people in it learn from those information matters, so • To be a Learning Organization (Senge,1990; Kaplan & Norton, 1996)

5. Where is Organizational Knowledge located? • organization databases • organization artifacts • policies, procedures & manuals • R&D researches, innovations, prototypes, etc. • People & Networks

6. What is KM? • approach to improve organizational learning and outcomes, • mechanisms and processes that govern • creation, • collection, storage, retrieval, • dissemination and • utilization of organization knowledge, and • that help an organization to compete (von Krogh, 1998)

7. What is KM (cont’) • "Knowledge Management is not about data, but about getting the right information to the right people at the right time for them to impact the bottom line." (IBM)

8. Expected Gains from KM • ↓error (single-loop learning) • ↓“reinventing the wheel” (not knowing what’s known & loss org k when people leaves) • ↑productivity/ efficiency • ↑ creativity / invention

9. ‘Knowledge’ in KM • “actionable information” • “justified belief for action” • different from the epistemological concern of ‘truthfulness’ • best practice, regulations, procedures and manuals, practice wisdom, etc. • all as important organization knowledge to be managed

10. Technical-oriented effective capture, manipulation and dissemination of organization knowledge computing science, information systems, AI, cognitive psychology Human-oriented promoting and improving knowledge sharing studying socio-cultural factors affecting knowledge sharing management science, organizational psychology Two Perspectives in KM

11. Knowledge Information Data K in Technical-oriented KM • Processed data and information with assigned meaning • Hierarchical relationship among the three

12. Data Information Structure Information gathering analyzing selecting synthesizing Decision Judgment Insight weighing evaluating K in Technical-oriented KM • As progression of state • Similar to previous one, but focus on progression within processors (especially in computer systems) • data-mining, decision-support designs

13. K in Technical-oriented KM • As stocks • Artifacts stored in organization • Replenishment, perishability and tracking, etc.

14. Tacit Explicit To Tacit Socialization Externalization From Internalization Combination Explicit K in People-oriented KM • Nonaka (1994) • ‘process’ of knowledge transfer • itself exists per se

15. K in People-oriented KM • revisits 1998 & 2003 • dynamic dialectical process of knowledge sharing and creation • internal dialogues or explicit conversations • community of practice, best practice sharing

16. Knowledge-as-object being dominant in KM literature (even in human-oriented perspective) already in existence in processors to be captured (if tacit), manipulated, stored and disseminated Knowledge-as-process address the dialectic and dynamic nature of knowledge creation utilization an “act of knowing” instead (McDermott, 1999) (Leung, 2004) Conceptions of Knowledge in KM

17. ‘Knowledge’ in Social Work Literature Positivistic, evidence-based perspective vs. Social constructivist perspective

18. Positivistic Perspective • substantive knowledge gained from practice, or borrow from other disciplines • supported by scientific researches • “procedural knowledge” (Gibson & Nurius, 1992) or “product knowledge” (Sheppard et al., 2000)

19. Social Constructivist Perspective • NOTan application of whole set of formal knowledge gained beforehand • but a process of reframing and creating meaning and ‘meaning for action’ out of client’s situation • for post-modernist, it’s further a co-constructing process between practitioner and clients

20. Positivistic view already in existence explicit or can be externalized recapping when applying e.g. procedures & policies, service records K-as-object K-as-process SW Knowledge on a Continuum • Social constructive view • by nature tacit and relational • reconstructing or co-constructing when acquiring & applying • e.g. during intervention, supervision, conference

21. K-as-object K-as-process SW Knowledge on a Continuum • blended representations of substantive knowledge and subjective experiences • can be tacit or explicit • when captured, inevitably trimmed out contextual details • reconstitution when reuse • e.g. programme manuals, mental schema/models

22. Other K attributes to note for KM in SW • Source • organization, policy community, research community, practitioner and service user • by Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE), UK • Mode • explicit vs. tacit • Orientation • domain vs. relational vs. self knowledge • Time • immediate vs. non-immediate use

23. K-as-object K-as-process

24. II. The Joint Venture SBHK & the Case Library System

25. The Project • “A Knowledge-based Case Management System for Positive Intervention in NGOs” • PolyU Internal Competitive Research Grant (CRG) • Feb 2005 – Aug 2007

26. Samaritan Befrienders Hong Kong • Established in 1960, first service of its kind in Asia • Founded and run by volunteers, non-religious nature • Served emotional distressed and suicidal persons by Hotline Service over 40 years

27. For more comprehensive suicide prevention, 2 more service units developed in 2002 • 3-years pilot project funded Lotteries Fund and Hong Kong Jockey Club • Further 3-years subvention thereafter in 2005

28. Life Education Centre Hotline Service Centre Suicidal Crisis Intervention Centre

29. Suicidal Crisis Intervention Centre (SCIC) • Round-the-clock suicide prevention service • Crisis Intervention and Intensive Counseling • Target on service users with high / moderate suicidal risk • 24-hour basis referrals from other human services including social workers, hotline volunteers, medical staffs, teachers, police officers, church / community leaders

30. Professional staff input • 1 Centre-in-charge • 9 crisis counsellors • All as RSW, graduate / post-grad training • Service provision includes cases, groups and training

31. Opportunities & Challenges for SCIC • Opportunities • Genuine & increasing service needs • Established networks for referrals • Good support from community & funders • Challenges • limited manpower • demanding for crisis counsellors (tough & stressful, facing life and death) • staff turnover

32. Opportunities & Challenges for SBHK • Opportunities • “Brand name” • training of volunteers, new recruits, facilitate community education & training (for SBHK as a whole) • Challenges • Demonstrate “value for money” to funders & community • Continuous service quality improvement

33. Why participate? • Improve service efficiency & effectiveness • Practice wisdom and clinical experience objectively and smartly identified and highlighted • Further review on current practice • Strengthen good practice and avoid ineffective ones for service improvement • Extend attainment of support beyond limitation of manpower and time

34. Retain knowledge upon staff turn-over • Prevent loss of experience due to staff turnover • Training new staff & volunteers • More fruitful experiences shared • Manpower and time saved

35. Expected Deliverables • Knowledge portal, which includes • Knowledge-based Case Management System • more than storage of information • an ‘intelligent’ case library that can learn • decision support for crisis counsellors • Other common KM features

36. Preparing to start • Secure top management support • Get colleagues involved • Meet project team • To clarify expectation and possible outcome • Common consensus on what’s going to have and what’s not • Prepare to ‘pay’– monetary & time cost (admin arrangement, reveal document archives, colleagues’ involvement, etc.)

37. Basic Ideas of a Knowledge-based case management system

38. External External External Different Knowledge Different Knowledge Simplified Case Process Experts Experts Experts Sources Sources New Case New Case Intake Intake Hypothesis Hypothesis Formal/ informal Formal/ informal meeting meeting Treatment Plan Treatment Plan Implement Implement New experience learnt from New experience learnt from Review Review successful or failure case successful or failure case SCIC Conventional Ways of Learning–at-Work for SWker

39. External External External Different Knowledge Different Knowledge Simplified Case Process Experts Experts Experts Sources Sources New Case New Case Intake Intake Hypothesis Hypothesis Formal/ informal Formal/ informal meeting meeting Treatment Plan Treatment Plan Implement Implement New experience learnt from New experience learnt from Review Review successful or failure case successful or failure case SCIC How may organizational database help?

40. Simplified Case Process Case info New Case New Case Agreed rule-based reasoning Intake Intake Knowledge Repository (Verified cases) Revised & verified case info Hypothesis Hypothesis Retrieval of similar cases as decision support Treatment Plan Treatment Plan Implement Implement Review Review Basic Concepts of the Knowledge-based Case Library

41. Service Service Knowledge Knowledge Performance Organization Automation Diffusion Acquisition Measurement perspectives Perspective Perspective Perspective and Monitoring Perspective Practitioners’ Practitioners’ Users New Management Decision-support Case info perspectives Staff / volunteer Request Request Input Portal Training & Learning Management Staff Intranet Staff Intranet interface Interface for Staff Intranet Interface Interface New Staff Interface Perception Training Service Perception Training Knowledge - based Service Service Knowledge - based Service Module (PTM) Back - end Performance Module (PTM) Case Library Performance Automation System(KBS) Automation Measurement integrated Measurement Module (SAM) Module (BAM) Monitoring applications Monitoring Module Module (SPMM) Learning outcomes (PMMM) Knowledge evaluation and Verification Repositories monitoring of cases (Verified Cases) MIS TPS

42. Stages of Development • Knowledge Audit (2 months) • System development & Testing (4 months) • Trial run, feedback & fine tuning (3 months)

43. III. Knowledge Audit & System Development

44. Knowledge Audit • “stock-taking” rather than “performance checking” (such as financial auditing); • often a qualitative evaluation and investigation into an organization’s knowledge-related and concerns

45. Objectives in K Audit • Knowing organization’s knowledge needs • Identifying organization knowledge assets • Identifying knowledge gaps • Describing knowledge flows within organization • Identifying blockages to the flows

46. K Audit Approach • Choy, Lee & Cheung. (2004). “A Systematic Approach for Knowledge Audit Analysis: Integration of Knowledge Inventory, Mapping and Knowledge Flow Analysis” • Phase 1: Pre-audit preparation • Orientation • Culture readiness survey

47. K Audit Approach (cont’) • Phase 2: Audit process • Direct observation • In-depth interviews • Review K inventories • Phase 3: Audit analysis • K inventory & K map • K flows & blocks

48. Methods adopted • Preliminary survey • Background data: yr. of service, job duties, training, knowledge/skills required, etc. • Workflows: critical processes & decisions, working parties, major barriers encountered, etc. • Collaboration and knowledge sharing: parties involved, internal & external • Usage of existing explicit knowledge inventory

49. Direct observation • Couples of work sessions • Sit-in office daily operations & meetings • Observing general procedures & work atmosphere • K inventory review • Reviewing existing case handling policy & procedures, client information system, case records, forms, assessment tools, etc.)

50. In-depth interviews with crisis counsellors • Focusing on counsellors’ concern on knowledge sharing and learning within organization, existing methods, strengths & shortcomings, etc. • Identifying critical decisions during practice and factors affecting decisions