Organizations implementing knowledge strategies generally go through five stages: pre-implementation, implementation, reinvigoration, inculcation, and holistic. This presentation details steps ADB took in 2008–2011 to initiate, develop, standardize, optimize, and innovate knowledge management and learning.

1. The views expressed in this presentation are the views of the author/s and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Asian
Development Bank, or its Board of Governors, or the governments they represent. ADB does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included
in this presentation and accepts no responsibility for any consequence of their use. The countries listed in this presentation do not imply any
view on ADB's part as to sovereignty or independent status or necessarily conform to ADB's terminology.
Building a Knowledge-
Centric Organization
Olivier Serrat
2015

2. The Learning Organization
A learning organization
manages knowledge and
innovates fast enough to
survive and thrive in a
rapidly changing
environment.
• Are built around people—
their know-what, know-how,
and know-why—and centered
on human interaction and
community building.
• Encourage and support critical
thinking.
• Allow mistakes and value risk
taking.
• Highlight experience as the
source of learning.
• Generate and share
knowledge for incorporation
in day-to-day activities.
Learning Organizations

3. What is Knowledge Management?
Knowledge management is the
explicit and systematic
management of processes
enabling vital individual and
collective knowledge resources to
be identified, created, stored,
shared, and used for benefit. It is
the fusion of information
management and organizational
learning. It is about providing the
right knowledge to the right
people at the right time, and
helping them apply it in ways that
improve organizational
performance.

4. Core Knowledge Activities
Core knowledge management
activities should be aligned with the
business processes of an
organization.
They should be balanced according
to the specificities of each process.
A knowledge management solution
should not just focus on one or two
core knowledge activities in
isolation.

5. Five Levels of Knowledge
Management Maturity
The Most Admired Knowledge
Enterprises (MAKE) Knowledge
Management Implementation
Model suggests that
organizations leveraging
knowledge strategies generally go
through 5 stages:
• Stage 1: Pre-Implementation
• Stage 2: Implementation
• Stage 3: Reinvigoration
• Stage 4: Inculcation
• Stage 5: Holistic
In 2008, ADB fleshed out a
knowledge-centric model based
on the five step approach.
This presentation illustrates what
activities ADB undertook
between 2008 and 2011 to
simultaneously initiate, develop,
standardize, optimize, and
innovate knowledge
management and learning.

6. Five Levels of Knowledge
Management Maturity
Extending
& Sustaining
Knowledge
Management &
Learning
Full Implementation
Pilots and Measures Change Management
Information &
Communication
Technologies
Organizational
Design, Culture, &
Learning
Communities
& Networks of Practice
& Learning Alliances
Awareness Strategy Target Areas
Knowledge
Taxonomy
Benchmarking

7. Awareness
• Websites
• Publications
• Blogs, Tweets, E-Mail Alerts
• Podcasts
• Multimedia Products
Pre-Implementation: Initiate

8. Pre-Implementation: Initiate
Strategy
Enhancing Knowledge
Management under Strategy
2020: Action Plan for 2009–
2011 delivered knowledge
solutions and knowledge
services from four strategic
thrusts.
Knowledge Management in
ADB moved ADB to improve
its organizational culture,
management systems,
business processes and
information technology
solutions, communities of
practice, and learning and
development mechanisms.

9. Target Areas
Pre-Implementation: Initiate
Sharpening the Knowledge Focus
in ADB's Operations
(Add value at regional, country,
and project levels)
Empowering the Communities
of Practice
(Collaborate for knowledge
generation and sharing)
Strengthening External Knowledge
Partnerships
(Align and leverage
external knowledge)
Further Enhancing Staff Learning
and Skills Development
(Enhance opportunities
for staff to learn)

10. Knowledge Taxonomy
Pre-Implementation: Initiate
A Study of ADB's
Knowledge Taxonomy
The study explored,
recommended, and drew
implications from a
classification of knowledge
products and services that
would improve ADB's
organizational efficiency.

11. Benchmarking
Pre-Implementation: Initiate
Study of Information on
Knowledge Management and
Communication in CPSs, RRPs,
and TA Reports
The study aimed to ascertain the
degree to which information on
knowledge management and
communication is represented in
country partnership strategies,
reports and recommendations of
the President, and technical
assistance reports.
Survey of Audiences of the Knowledge
Management and Learning Web Pages
The survey aimed to further improve the
Knowledge Management and Learning
web pages and ascertain the usefulness
of online products.

12. Benchmarking
Pre-Implementation: Initiate
Learning for Change Survey
The survey aimed to examine
organizational learning against the
four subsystems of a learning
organization: (i) organization; (ii)
people; (iii) knowledge; and (iv)
technology. It set benchmarks for
deeper understanding of progress
toward creating and sustaining a
learning organization.

13. Benchmarking
Pre-Implementation: Initiate
Survey of Demand for ADB Knowledge
Products Through Resident and Regional
Missions
The survey aimed to ascertain what ADB
knowledge products in-country audiences
request from Resident and Regional
Missions, specifically (i) what knowledge
products are being sought and how often;
(ii) which parties seek them and in what
format; and (iii) whether Resident and
Regional Missions are able to meet in-
country demand.
ADB Perceptions Surveys
This triennial survey aims to
gauge stakeholders' perceptions
of ADB's mission. It canvasses 900
opinion leaders in 31 member
countries, drawn from a broad
cross section of stakeholders in
government, media,
civil society,
academia,
the private sector,
and development
partners.

14. Information and
Communication
Technologies
Implementation: Develop

15. Information and
Communication
Technologies
Implementation: Develop

16. Information and
Communication
Technologies
Implementation: Develop

17. Information and
Communication
Technologies
Implementation: Develop

18. Information and
Communication
Technologies
Implementation: Develop

19. Organizational Design,
Culture, and Learning
Implementation: Develop
Handle with Knowledge Flash
Animations
Ten Flash learning modules aimed
to capture the essential concepts
of Knowledge Solutions referred
to in the Knowledge Management
and Learning Series.
Knowledge Management and
Learning Series
The series aimed to reinforce the
ability of staff, particularly those in
operations, to understand the
principles and practice of individual
and collective learning and
strengthen performance
within that conceptual
framework.

20. Organizational Design,
Culture, and Learning
Implementation: Develop
Learning for Change Primers
Six primers aimed to raise in-house
awareness of and capacity in (i)
leveraging knowledge with ICT; (ii)
communities of practice; (iii)
knowledge management and
learning essentials; (iv) managing
knowledge at work; (v) building a
learning organization; and (vi)
designing knowledge partnerships
better.
Roles and Functions for
Knowledge Management
Coordination
Rationalized roles and functions
were proposed for knowledge
management coordination.

21. Communities and
Networks of Practice and
Learning Alliances
Implementation: Develop
RSDD Aggregator
The i.promtp.u alert gathered
and consolidated CoP knowledge
products, news, and events in a
single-entry platform.
Annual and Triennial Sector and
Thematic Reports
Highlights of sector and thematic
reports were posted on adb.org
and through the CoP tab in MyADB.

22. Communities and
Networks of Practice and
Learning Alliances
Implementation: Develop
Guidelines for Knowledge Partnerships
ADB's knowledge solutions must be
enriched through internal learning from
operational practice and external
learning from long-term knowledge
partnerships. The guidelines specified
the essentials of designing knowledge
partnerships for performance,
articulated building blocks, and
underscored success factors and special
considerations.

23. Communities and
Networks of Practice and
Learning Alliances
Implementation: Develop
Enhance Internal and External
Knowledge Partnerships
Presentations on topical knowledge
management and learning issues
were organized for stakeholders and
partners. Participation in
international events was
maintained to further establish and
strengthen linkages with knowledge
management practitioners
worldwide.

24. Communities and
Networks of Practice and
Learning Alliances
Implementation: Develop
Management of Membership to The KNOW Network
The KNOW Network offers individual members unlimited access to MAKE studies,
the network's e-newsletter, best knowledge practices, proprietary databases, and
digital library resources; and a link to knowledge management practitioners
around the world.

25. Communities and
Networks of Practice and
Learning Alliances
Implementation: Develop
Global Knowledge
Exchange Network
Collaborated with the
Global Knowledge Exchange
social network sponsored
by the Harvard Business
School and the Copenhagen
Business School.

26. Pilots and Measures
Reinvigoration: Standardize
Building Narrative Capacity
in ADB
Storytelling was leveraged
as a tool to preserve ADB's
institutional memory, and
develop capacity in support
of Enhancing Knowledge
Management under
Strategy 2020: Action Plan
for 2009–2011 .

27. Pilots and Measures
Reinvigoration: Standardize
ADB Sustainable
Development Timeline
An anthology of videos, the
evolving ADB Sustainable
Development Timeline
catalogs major sector and
thematic landmarks in
ADB's operations since
1966.

28. Pilots and Measures
Reinvigoration: Standardize
Generate Knowledge Showcases
The series highlights innovative ideas from
project and knowledge products to promote
further discussion and research.

29. Change Management
Reinvigoration: Standardize
Survey of ADB-Hosted
Communities of Practice
The survey assessed the
status of CoPs in ADB
and recommended ways
to enhance performance.

30. Change Management
Reinvigoration: Standardize
Most Admired Knowledge Enterprises Survey
This annual global survey gauges perceptions
of knowledge management benchmarked
against eight MAKE knowledge performance
dimensions. In ADB, the 2010 survey revealed that
the organization had transitioned from Stage 2
(Implementation) to Stage 3 (Reinvigoration). In 2011, the
survey showed that ADB had transitioned from Stage 3
(Reinvigoration) to Stage 4 (Inculcation). ADB was recognized
as a 2011 Asian MAKE Winner at the 12th World Knowledge
Forum held in Seoul in 2011. The following year, ADB was
again selected as a 2012 Asian MAKE Winner.

31. Change Management
Reinvigoration: Standardize
Results-Driven
Management Model
Future
State
Current
State
Hear
Understand
Support
Act
Use
Own
Strong Personal
Connection
Intensifies

32. Full Implementation
Inculcation: Optimize

33. Working in
Teams
As a
Community
Ask
I ask questions.
Inquiring minds are
welcome here.
We check first to
see what already
exists.
We question
accepted wisdom.
Every Single
One of Us
Share
I share personal
details, roles, and
skills.
We share
experience,
evidence, and
feedback.
We share
achievements,
outcomes, and
pride.
Learn
I contextualize
learning to make
it real.
We connect and
take opportunities
to learn.
We review lessons
as we go and apply
our learning.
Committing to Learning

34. Leadership
Technology
Learning
Organization
Performance
Today
Performance
Tomorrow
The Promise of Knowledge
Management and Learning

35. Further Reading
• ADB. 2008. Strategy 2020: The Long-Term Strategic
Framework of the Asian Development Bank, 2008–2020.
Manila. www.adb.org/documents/strategy-2020-working-
asia-and-pacific-free-poverty
• ——. 2008–. Knowledge Solutions. Manila.
www.adb.org/knowledgesolutions
• ——. 2009. Enhancing Knowledge Management under
Strategy 2020: Action Plan for 2009–2011. Manila.
www.adb.org/documents/knowledge-management-action-
plan-2009-2011

36. Further Reading
• ADB. 2010. ADB: Reflections and Beyond. Manila.
www.adb.org/publications/adb-reflections-and-beyond
• ——. 2010. Crafting a Knowledge Management Results
Framework. Manila. www.adb.org/publications/crafting-
knowledge-management-results-framework
• ——. 2010. Compendium of Knowledge Solutions. Manila.
www.adb.org/publications/compendium-knowledge-solutions
• ——. 2010. Learning in Development. Manila.
www.adb.org/publications/learning-development

37. Further Reading
• ADB. 2011. Guidelines for Knowledge Partnerships. Manila.
www.adb.org/publications/guidelines-knowledge-
partnerships
• ——. 2012. Knowledge as Culture. Manila.
www.adb.org/publications/knowledge-culture
• ——. 2012. Enhancing Knowledge Management Under
Strategy 2020: Plan of Action for 2009–2011—Final Progress
Report on Specific Activity Indicators. Manila.
www.scribd.com/doc/86865414/enhancing-knowledge-
management-under-strategy-2020-plan-of-action-for-2009-
2011-final-progress-report-on-specific-activity-indicators

38. Further Reading
• ADB. 2012. Enhancing Knowledge Management Under
Strategy 2020: Plan of Action for 2009–2011—Final Progress
Report on Useful Results Indicators. Manila.
www.scribd.com/doc/104055371/enhancing-knowledge-
management-under-strategy-2020-plan-of-action-for-2009-
2011-final-progress-report-on-useful-results-indicators

39. Quick Response Codes
@ADB
@ADB Sustainable
Development Timeline
@Academia.edu
@LinkedIn
@ResearchGate
@Scholar
@SlideShare
@Twitter