Getting started on a Regional Knowledge Strategy
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Getting started
Why do this?
A Regional Knowledge Strategy can help your regional NRM organisation to:
- Develop a common understanding of how to enhance capability to create, share and use information and knowledge.
- Cope with the exponential explosion in information.
- Respond to requests and issues more quickly and effectively.
- Share learnings and avoid 'reinventing the wheel'.
- Prioritise current and future R&D needs.
See information and knowledge management for regional NRM to further understand the benefits of developing a Regional Knowledge Strategy.
What is involved?
The five stage Regional Knowledge Strategy process is designed to take your region from its current situation right through to a tangible information and knowledge strategy with interventions and projects and an ongoing process to make sure things happen.
The Process Overview diagram at right summarises what is involved in each of the five stages.
The process explores three lines of enquiry to explore the current situation:
- Information mapping.
- Online information and knowledge needs surveys for internal staff and board and external stakeholders.
- Narrative Inquiry. This line of inquiry produces narrative material through processes including anecdote circles. This is a narrative technique used in the business community, which enables a richer and deeper understanding than could be achieved with just information mapping or surveys.
Then a sensemaking step, also a business narrative technique, is used to enable the region to gain a comprehensive understanding of what the three lines of enquiry have revealed and a resolve to take action in the final action planning step.
Why is it done this way?
Many organisations fail in their quest to improve information and knowledge management because they only address the 'information' part of the equation through initiatives such as new intranets, websites or records management systems. Information and knowledge are not the same thing. Knowledge doesn't exist in databases or intranets - it exists in peoples heads. And the knowledge in people's heads needs to make its way into those databases and intranets, and in turn people need to be able to effectively use the information in databases and intranets and to turn that information into knowledge.
The only way to succeed is to involve people - your staff, managers and stakeholders - in the development and implementation of a complete knowledge and information system. To do this the Regional Knowledge Strategy process uses business narrative techniques, which are a tried-and-true knowledge management planning approach. Yes, business narrative techniques take people's time, but if something is worth doing, then it is worth doing well.
Can other lines of enquiry be included?
If your region has carried out or is carrying out another activity to explore information or knowledge management in the region, then you could consider adding it as an additional line of enquiry, and particularly if it is one of the techniques listed in the resource library. For example, the Land & Water Australia knowledge strategy process is including their organisational network analysis as an additional line of enquiry.
However, you should not substitute any of the existing three lines of enquiry for a different line of enquiry.
How do I facilitate the process?
Regional Knowledge Leaders will be able to use the RKRK resources to facilitate development of a Regional Knowledge Strategy. The process documented here in the RKRK is intended to be generic, and you may need to adapt it slightly to suit your regional situation or requirements.
Can I use external facilitators to facilitate the process?
The successful facilitation of the Regional Knowledge Strategy process requires an in-depth understanding of the process and techniques used, and in particular of business narrative. An external facilitator won't have this necessary understanding unless they are one of a number of specialist facilitators experienced in the use of narrative techniques in knowledge strategies.
If you feel that you need help facilitating your Regional Knowledge Strategy, consider working cooperatively with trained Regional Knowledge Leaders in adjacent or nearby regions, or with some of the State-level people who have also completed the Regional Knowledge Leaders training. Look through the Regional Knowledge Leaders list and think about who you might be able to approach about a Regional Knowledge Strategy collaboration.
If after exploring collaboration options you feel that you have no alternative but to engage an external facilitator, then the Regional Knowledge Leaders list also includes consultant facilitators who are experienced with the RKRK Regional Knowledge Strategy process. A good place to start is with Anecdote Pty Ltd who were involved in developing the RKRK and whose proprietary methods are used under license for the RKRK.
How do I engage my region?
A successful Regional Knowledge Strategy depends on the involvement of the people in your region - in particular your staff, managers and board. For them to want to be involved, especially considering the time they will need to commit to the process, they will need to really want to improve how information and knowledge is used in the region.
To get people interested you might start by collecting examples of where information and knowledge have been poorly used and this has had a significant impact on how well work gets done. It is also important to acknowledge areas in which your region excels by collecting examples of information and knowledge excellence. See information and knowledge management for regional NRM for some guidance on how your region should be managing information and knowledge.
You might then start a series of informal conversations and build the commitment to the development of a Regional Knowledge Strategy by:
- Having discussions with your CEO/General Manager and Managers/Executive, and through these discussions achieving their buy-in and endorsement.
- With your Manager's support, achieving the approval/endorsement and participation of your Board.
- Promoting the benefits of a Regional Knowledge Strategy to all staff of your region, using the success stories from this Resource Kit.
See the discussion tab for this page for some further suggestions on engaging your region in the development of a Regional Knowledge Strategy. Feel free to add your own ideas.
Next steps
Go to the "Developing a Regional Knowledge Strategy" Quick Links Page to access the resources for Stages 1 to 5 of the process for developing a Regional Knowledge Strategy.
