Information and knowledge management for regional NRM

From Regional Knowledge Resource Kit

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Why is information and knowledge management important?

There has never been greater public investment in natural resource management (NRM) in Australia or in research that provides the information and knowledge to improve it. There are compelling reasons for investment in knowledge generation, sharing and management. These include to inform better management decisions; to support innovation in the development of more sustainable and profitable systems, practices and technologies; and to facilitate better use of existing knowledge and lesson sharing, so that the whole system learns as it develops.

A challenge exists in ensuring that investment in NRM know-how flows through to, and from, on-ground change. The 56 regional NRM bodies around Australia are key users of this knowledge, and function as critical pathways in the flow of knowledge. Without these pathways working effectively there is a risk that investments in NRM will not be based on the best available information.

Did you know...
How much information will be generated worldwide this year?
...the astonishing speed of change is illustrated in this slide-show

But isn't our region already doing that?

• Is your region properly storing its information? Is it secure? Is it organised in a way that makes it accessible? Is everything included, or are there important pieces of information in people's bookcases or desk drawers that no-one else knows about?
• Can staff easily access your region's information stores so that they can readily respond to issues and stakeholder requests?
• Are some staff in your region reinventing the wheel because they didn't know that other staff already had knowledge of a particular issue?
• Are staff in your region free from information overload?
• Are you communicating information and knowledge to your stakeholders in the best possible way? How do you know that what you are doing is working?
• Are you accessing the best available information to use in your decision-making?

If you answered "no" to any of these questions then you need to improve the way in which your NRM region is managing information and knowledge.

Did you know...
How much time is wasted looking for information in Australia?
...according to Information Management Journal (1 November 2007):
"Australian managers spend 67 minutes a day searching for corporate information to support their decision making, according to a new survey. But that's nothing: Marketing managers Down Under spend almost 90 minutes each day looking for data".

What can we do?

1. Understand the difference between information and knowledge

The words "information" and "knowledge" are often used interchangeably in the NRM sector. However, they are actually different things. Don't dismiss the difference - while a new database may be an ideal solution to your region's information storage needs, it can never be a solution to managing your region's knowledge as that knowledge is in people's heads.

To learn more about the difference between information and knowledge and why understanding the difference is important click here.

2. Develop a Regional Knowledge Strategy

Don't assume that you know what is actually happening with information and knowledge management in your region or that you can readily identify the solutions. This is particularly the case with knowledge - can you know what is going on in the minds of every staff member in your region? Use the RKRK Regional Knowledge Strategy resources to fully explore what is really happening with both information and knowledge management in your region and then collaboratively identify solutions.

3. Understand your information management responsibilities

Your regional NRM body is custodian of its information. It is responsible for:

• Managing information, storing information securely and describing information so as to make it visible and, where appropriate, accessible.
• Making information available for evidential and historical purposes.
• Archiving information in accordance with Government policy and legislation.

In managing its information, your regional NRM bodies needs to be mindful of its legislative requirements in relation to matter such as:

• Record keeping and archiving.
• Copyright.
• Legal deposit.
• Intellectual property.
• Public access to Australian publicly funded research.
• Internet publishing.

See the legislative requirements resource for guidance.

4. Learn more about information and knowledge management

Use the RKRK resource library to learn about a wide range of information and knowledge management topics.

5. Adopt and promote information and knowledge management principles in your region

Information management principles

Information is a valuable regional asset that feeds into strategic and operational requirements. The management of information as a resource ensures that information can be easily found, reliably identified and constitutes a record of decision making.

A key principle of information management (IM) is that as far as possible systems should facilitate information being entered into electronic form only once, then being reused in many different ways through standard inter-application interfaces: a "store once, use many times" approach. Information sharing is about getting the right knowledge to the right people at the right time to serve the right objectives. This occurs when people share knowledge or when people access information and knowledge stored in systems.

Other information management principles include:

• Productivity and efficiency through effective storage of information – IM an important component of organizational effectiveness.
• Information ownership and custodianship for consistency, coordination and control of business activities.
• Accessibility – use "metadata" to describe information assets which makes them visible and easily re-used. "Metadata" is "information about information", that is, a list of important things about a piece of information for example its title, who wrote it, when it was written, and a summary of what it is about.
• Personal responsibility - everyone needs to be actively thinking about the way in which they are using, sharing and storing information and knowledge.
• Mitigation of risk - is there a business continuity plan to ensure the organisation’s vital records will be preserved in the event of a major disaster?
• Use and re-use of information - avoidance of rework and redundancy of resources and effort.
• Provide the source of the information – identify and make accessible (accountability).
• Delivery of seamless stakeholder experience.
• Record keeping.
• Accuracy and fit for purpose.
• Compliance and accountability – IM practices to comply with statutory and regulatory requirements e.g. FOI, security, privacy.
• Interoperability of systems – breaking down information silos.

Information sharing principles

• Recognition of your region and individuals that they need to work at sharing information.
• Management of personal information stores so that work related knowledge is not lost to an organization. Did you know that professionals spend 5-15% of their time reading information, but up to 50% looking for it?
• Describe documents/objects with a useful title and keywords (metadata).
• Place information in open databases where others may share - accessibility.
• Recognise, reward and contribute to knowledge sharing.
• Encourage others in information sharing.

Knowledge management principles

• Share what you know and help others learn.
• Has this been done before? Don’t reinvent the wheel!
• Collaboration.
• Synthesis - transfer knowledge concisely rather than overloading your audience.
• Learning.
• Team work.
• Innovation / creativity.
• Use networks of expertise.
• Promote knowledge champions.
• Language - make sure it is appropriate to the audience.
• Knowledge is volunteered, never conscripted.
• We know more than we can say, and we say more than we can write down.
• We only know what we know when we need to know it.
• Being well connected. The Paul Revere story provides a good example why.