The document provides an overview and roadmap for establishing a Virtual Knowledge Commons (VKC) at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in South Africa. It outlines the project in four phases from April 2010 to March 2011. The first phase involves defining objectives and scope. The second phase develops a roadmap for implementation in consultation with stakeholders. Phase three implements the roadmap, and phase four establishes practices and assesses the VKC based on the roadmap. The goal is to extend knowledge sharing and collaboration beyond the physical Knowledge Commons into a virtual space, amplifying connections between people and information across the organization.

1. Virtual Knowledge Commons
Project Overview
28 April 2010
Elmi Bester
Manager: CSIR Knowledge Commons

2. Project Outline
April – June 2010 July – Sept 2010 Oct – Dec 2010 Jan – March 2011
Envisioning and Implement
solution definition Roadmap Implement
Scouting Confirm the objectives and Define the roadmap for
As per roadmap
desired contribution of the implementation and
•Out there deployment in
VKC, such as
• In CSIR consultation with
• Dissemination
• Technology stewardship • SCSR
Background • Contactivity, connection, • ICT
collection and • CSIRIS
reading • R&D Office
sensemaking
• KC Advisory Panel
Technology Confirm the solution scope
and services Variables to take into
Stewarding
account
course Understand relationship • ICT Infrastructure &
with other initiatives Applications
Architecture, capability,
capacity and readiness
Confirm stakeholders
• ICT Policies (in
progress)
Initial competency • Social Media policies
framework • Readiness of CSIR to
support the initiative
Relevant guidelines and (competencies &
governance – curation, IP & capacity)
TT, privacy, scholarly and • Potential cost/
researcher code of conduct, • Curation/ longevity
Social Media guidelines • Business priorities
• Readiness of user base
(adoption cycles)
To establish the right
practices, you have to
Establish wiki and blog & explore potential and dynamics practice first yourself.
(experiential learning and developing) © CSIR 2009Refine competency
www.csir.co.za
framework and model

3. Knowledge Commons Business Plan:
Overview
• Rationale:
- Part of the continuous strategic drive to the improve the CSIR
infrastructure and facilities, and is positioned to nurture and
contribute to synergies across intra- and inter-organisational
boundaries, as well as across disciplinary boundaries
- to provide physical and vertical knowledge spaces that are conducive
to collaboration, knowledge transfer, sharing and social learning
- Looking into opportunities to nurture the underlying knowledge
behaviours and practices for the above
• Priorities for 2010/2011 planning cycle
- Operational management of the Knowledge Commons as a fully
functional facility
- Establish the KC virtual space
- Play an integral role in the entrenchment of a knowledge sharing,
collaboration and learning culture in the CSIR
© CSIR 2009 www.csir.co.za

4. Business Plan
Utilisation trending
© CSIR 2010 www.csir.co.za

5. Phased targets
(showing interdependencies with VKC)
KPI Jun 10 Sep 10 Dec 10 Mar 11
Establish Virtual Outline Roadmap Implement Implement
KC
Promotion Review & Review & Review & Review &
Implement Implement Implement Implement
Support/ enabling Review Cilla Literature research Model and pilot Initiate pilot & first
framework for course project results
knowledge
communities and Synergies – social Monitor integration
networks media adoption – VKC & model
Strengthen culture Street-smart – PDCA PDCA PDCA
and practice of plan for
reflective practice sustainability & Overview of Define initial
and social learning impact models model
Special initiatives Co-operate and id PDCA PDCA PDCA
opportunities
Establish wiki and blog & explore potential and dynamics
(experiential learning and developing) © CSIR 2009 www.csir.co.za

6. It is about…
• Communities and networks and events and lateral ties and
conversations and dialogue
• Technology – functionality (I want to …)
• People
- Social comfort with others, with tools and with the subject matter
- Novel in organisation, unit utilising Wikis
• Content
- E.g curation, sensitivity to privacy and confidentiallity
- Interoperable formats
- Meta-data to make it findable, mashable, shareable
• Governance
• Knowledge dynamics
For instance – understanding wikis = what is possible and setup +
how do I and how do I nurture the growing of the BoK?
© CSIR 2009 www.csir.co.za

7. Community Orientation Diagram
Virtual…
Example
Meetings
10
9
Open ended conversation 8 Projects
7
6
5
4
3
Content 2 Access to expertise
1
0
Individual participation Relationship
Community cultivation Context
© CSIR 2009 www.csir.co.za
30/11/2009 Target Value

8. Wiki (‘quick’) In addition to being quick and easy to create, wikis also allow multiple
users to add, remove and edit content in real time, thereby making it ideal
for collaborative writing or information collection purposes.
Information repository, shared editing space and version history.
Blogs •Learn as you go record
Social •Online bibliography
bookmarking •Keep notes during workshop
© CSIR 2009 www.csir.co.za

9. Way forward & Stakeholders
• Orientation diagrams as perspectives
- Flesh out tool landscape
• CoP
© CSIR 2009 www.csir.co.za

10. • CoP
• Already WIP
- Video Conference
• For events
- Service
• record and make available to meeting organizers
• x
• Friends of the Knowledge Commons
• Share photos
© CSIR 2009 www.csir.co.za

11. Research framework
Establishing a Virtual Knowledge Commons – amplifying the efficacy of connecting, collecting and
creating knowledge
Abstract
The CSIR established a Knowledge Commons as a dedicated space to nurture knowledge sharing and
contactivity within a multi-disciplinary organisation that is physically distributed across various
buildings. The first phase entailed the establishment of a physical building and the associated
operations which is now completed. The second phase will focus on the establishment of a so-called
Virtual Knowledge Commons, extending the space into the digital sphere.
This paper will present the model and roadmap for the establishment of the Virtual Knowledge
Commons. The model will take into consideration the needs for connecting and collecting
knowledge, sense-making and the creation of new knowledge and insights, as well as the role of
event intermediation to nurture and accelerate knowledge flows. We will also discuss the
opportunities presented by the Virtual Knowledge Commons to extend and amplify the contribution
and dynamics of such a dedicated physical knowledge space, as well as the synergy between the
physical and virtual space. It is imperative that the organisation perceives this as ‘one’ Knowledge
Commons, and not as two separate initiatives.
Lastly, we will also present the associated competency framework required to mobilise, stabilise and
sustain such an initiative, both for the Knowledge Commons team and the users of the facility.
© CSIR 2009 www.csir.co.za

12. Thank you