This document discusses the need for knowledge auditing and provides guidance on conducting a knowledge audit. It notes that knowledge audits can identify gaps and redundancies in organizational knowledge, assess how well knowledge needs are being met, and determine how to improve knowledge work and processes. The document outlines various methods for a knowledge audit, including interviews, surveys, observations, and testing findings with internal and external audiences. It suggests the audit should identify strengths and deficiencies in employee knowledge, information flows, relationship issues, and planned knowledge management initiatives. The goal of the audit is to inform a knowledge management plan and projects to enhance the organization's knowledge work and processes over time.
2. Business Outlook
The Bottom Line
Competing Interests for limited resources
The dreaded ROI
Adaptability, competition and sustainability
New customers, new methods
Tracking (audit and performance measurement
and other related issues)
Benchmarking and “Best Practices”
Continually learning organizations of excellence
in a knowledge-based global environment
3. Business-side Challenges
Unenthused about penetrating the complexity and
dedicating a lot of time to IT issues
Tends to view whole thing as “plumbing” – not as
business factor
Leery of costs, high risks (of doing and not doing),
profile, the unknown
Unable to respond quickly and effectively to
sector defined urgencies
4. Management is troubled by:
Increasing isolation, division, gaps
Decreasing aptitude, commitment and energy
Increasing costs and decreasing returns
And burdened with “solutions”:
How-to tools, methods and processes
Metrics, benchmarks, “best” practices
Information and knowledge as product
5. Why a “Knowledge Audit”?
Are you sure you know:
What knowledge is needed
what is the knowledge work of the
organization
Where they are gaps and redundancies
All you need to know about planned and real
work outcomes
How activity relates to objectives
6. Why a knowledge audit?
Are you sure you know:
How things get done and if / how things could
get done better
Whether you have the responsibility and
accountability right
Whether you are getting better – or worse – at
what you do
How your clients / partners really view you
The employee situation
7. If you have low certainty……….
An examination is needed of:
Your organization – mission, mandate,
objectives
Organizational structure, service distribution
Business processes and evident (known) work
issues
Sensitivities
Communication and decision challenges /
issues
Knowledge resource strengths and deficiencies.
[Quantify expertise, not number of Web pages].
8. Who is going to deliver it?
Only a few organizations in the realm, and they
have only limited experience
Tends to the tech side or to “information auditing”
Corporate bias may be significant
Can be expensive
Control can be a challenge (ref: the alleged
uncertainty of KM)
Can take a lot of time
May suffer from a need to meet “standards”
The answer? That’s right – you have to do it
9. Audit Hints
1. Go
2. Consult, consult, consult
3. Educate as you study
4. Work on your objectivity and
receptivity
5. Bring out your own ideas when the
conversation is stuck
6. Track your consultation
7. Deliver an audit and plan report to
your supervisor
10. Methods, Validity and Reliability
1. Aim for 80%
2. On second thought, aim for 60%
3. Use a mixed methodology:
1. Interviews and focus groups
2. Surveys
3. Observations
4. Develop “findings” and test against various
audiences (internal and external)
5. Develop a draft plan and test
6. Modify and re-legitimize
12. Personal Knowledge Question
I am confident that I am adequately informed in the
missions and mandates of our partners
Personal Knowledge Question
25
20
15
10
5
0
1 2 3 4 5
Low High
13. Personal Knowledge Question
I am sufficiently knowledgeable in finance and budgets
Personal Knowledge Question
25
20
15
10
5
0
1 2 3 4 5
Low High
14. Personal Knowledge
Employees confident of their knowledge levels
(know what to do or know where to find out)
Less strength in knowledge of gov’t laws and
policies
Uncertainty in partner missions and mandates
Training needs in defined activity areas: e.g. how
to operationalize something
15. Sources of Information and
Knowledge (I&K)
I&K flow varies by direction
I&K availability and issue
Info quality a concern
Tools may be an issue
Sharing not a universal organization value
Gaps in policy comprehension
16. Relationship Issues
Between people doing same function in different
regions
Between people doing different function in same
region
Chain of command, delegation, accountability
Briefing, de-briefing, consultation, collaboration
General communications (anecdotes around “now-
hear-this e-mailing”
Poor meeting practices
17. Planned Initiatives
Knowledge Transfer and Leveraging
Retention
Deployment de-brief
Infrastructure
Internal Web
Words of Wisdom
(retirements, Employee Profiles
departures)
Knowledge Centre
Just In Time KM
Directories Interactive Forums
Governance processes
Info Management
(shredding)
18. Planned Initiatives (2)
Scope Determination Relationships
(What it is) Internally -
Conference
between related
feedback system functions
Best or good
Externally - with
practices
Web Portals and
key communities
interfaces
19. Final Words [Audit to plan to
project(s)]
Use the language of Keep people informed –
business of both successes and
Speak of objectives and failures
outcomes and leave the Work with an annual
methods in the annex plan in your hand and a
Be realistic – don’t make three year plan in your
rash promises (culture head
change takes time) Build bridges – including
Believe in what you are and especially with the
doing and communicate IT and IM support shops
that Network with KM
colleagues