Basics on Knowledge Sharing

1. Basics on Knowledge Sharing April, 2007 Webinar presentation, LINGOS

2. Mare Fort Knowledge Sharing Senior Advisor CARE USA

3. PRESENTATION • PART I: Key Concepts and Relevance of Knowledge Sharing for the Development Sector • PART II: Some KS stories… that shows the difference! • PART III: Critical organizational enablers for KS in Development organizations (open conversation) • Conclusions

4. Knowledge Sharing Collecting information Connecting people What is Knowledge Sharing for a development organization? • Connecting people • Collecting Information • “Knowledge Sharing refers to the open and efficient sharing and use of the critical pieces of knowledge that enables an organization to increase its effectiveness in fighting poverty and social injustice” • It Implies process of : • Generation • Communication and Sharing • Application of Knowledge

5. What is Knowledge? “Knowledge is a set of meaning & relations that people establish in their minds between their available information, experience, feelings, believes and ideas.” Knowledge Project: Improving cattle breeding in Highlands communities. Puno, Peru. One of the Winners of LAC Knowledge Fair, CARE 2004

6. Knowledge sharing and Information Sharing “ Sharing knowledge is not about giving people something, or getting something from them. That is only valid for information sharing. Sharing knowledge occurs when people are genuinely interested in helping one another develop new capacities for action; it is about creating learning processes” Peter Senge

7. Knowledge flows through networks… The learning possibilities depends mainly in the networks people or organizations establish. Knowledge grows always in interaction.

8. WHY is relevant? Making Knowledge Sharing a core support process in our organizations will contribute significantly on: • Raised efficiency, effectiveness and productivity across sectors and themes to improve program quality and reduce duplication of efforts • Established a dynamic and collaborative environment that enables reflection and foster innovation • Increased cost effectiveness and efficiencies in the operational support areas

9. Explicit Level of consciousness Tacit KS implies the use of Tacit and Explicit Knowledge We know in the practice We know that we know But we don’t know all we know. We can not explain all we know The majority of our knowledge is TACIT What’s underneath? • Explicit knowledge is organized and structured. It is available in documents, databases, training videos and other traditional knowledge sharing channels. • Tacit knowledge is mainly based on experience. It exists in people’s minds as memories, impressions, practical know-how, etc.

10. Many times…Tacit knowledge can be expressed only in Action

11. Explicit knowledge is usually expressed in symbols, oral or written.

12. Tacit Explicit Socialization Externalization Combination Internalization Tacit Explicit Tacit to Explicit: Organizational Learning process Nonaka & Takeuchi developed a model on how tacit knowledge is transformed to explicit and then back to tacit Socialization: share tacit knowledge Externalization: transform tacit into explicit Combination: Open the borders and deepness of knowledge Internalization: Transform explicit knowledge into tacit.

13. Synthesis Creation Socialization Application Knowledge Sharing process: CCASS Communication

14. Some KS principles: • Knowledge is considered a social and not a private asset • Value tacit and explicit knowledge coming from outside our organization: partners, participants of our projects, universities, etc. • The real benefit of KS is not achieved unless the Knowledge is used and applied for all development actors. • KS is about fostering personal attitudes ad behaviors but also about creating process, capabilities and technology to support these attitudes.

15. Stories to share…. Do you have an inspiring KS story to share with us?...

16. Stories to share….

17. Critical organizational enablers How well are we practicing Knowledge Sharing in our organizations? Good or very good:  Not that good…Could be better:  (please vote)  

18. What are the critical organizational enablers for KS?: Open dialogue

19. Successful Knowledge Sharing Requires the interaction between: people, processes and technology aligned withbusiness strategy and enabled by organizational change activities.

20. Organizational challenges to achieve them LEARNING AGENDA Strategic Directions Strategic plan Successful Knowledge Sharing Global IT platform/connectivity KS model: core process Global Intranet: Knowledge Gateway Collecting and connecting Enabling processes: capacity building, hiring & performance management, reward & recognition system, tools and methods available Websites to share (incl. 2.0) Leadership support Roles diversity Behavioral change