Transcript Knowledge management: fact or fiction?

Spotlight on ‘standards’:
2004 update
Sue Halbwirth
Assoc Prof Helen Hasan
University of Technology Sydney
University of Wollongong
Standards Australia KM Committee
5th Annual Conference ACTKM Forum
14 October 2004
News flash!!
The Australian KM Standard will
be released by the end of 2004.
There were many who said that it could
not, or should not, be done
but
we have
managed to
bottle the fog
Standards in Australia



the peak non-government standards body in Australia
international responsibilities
development of technical and business standards
What is a standard?
“a published document … specifications and procedures …
to ensure that a material, product, method or service is fit
for its purpose and consistently performs the way it was
intended to.” (Standards Australia International)
Trends in standards “first generation”
ABOUT
•Technical rules
•Compliance
•Prescriptive
TO
•Universality
•Conformity
•Specific desired
outcome
Trends in standards “new generation”
ABOUT
Small “s” standard
Guidelines
Descriptive
TO
Improve quality
Describe ‘good’ practice
Voluntary code of practice
Guidance and clarity
Thoughts
Standards Australia has embarked on an initiative to develop
some standards from the point of view of
performance
by bringing all of the pieces of the puzzle together rather
than
conformance
Standards are one tool for:
defining, aggregating, sharing practice
KM
2001
KM
‘Bottling fog….’
Consultation
2003
KM
Standard
AS-5037
Interim
standard
AS-5037
2004
KM:
a
guide
Feedback
www.standards.com.au
The interim KM standard
Key messages:
Alignment with strategy
Understand of culture and
capability
Understand knowledge gaps
Balance “elements”
Balance enablers
“one size does not fit all”
Aim: Describe and clarify NOT
constrain or limit diversity
The journey continued…
 Feedback
? declaring assumptions
? examples and case studies
? developing/discarding ?? the model
? organisational readiness
? more on implementation
? thought leadership
? shared language
 Supporting documents
Guide to KM Vocabulary
The Controversies
unnecessary
meaningless
potentially harmful
makes KM too rigid
no matter what definitions were adopted there would be
those who would disagree with them.
would reduce KM to the lowest common denominator
Is the next step certification?”
exclude legitimate approaches to KM
A definition ?…
Knowledge management is
“ a multi trans disciplinary approach to achieving
organisational objectives outcomes and learning, by making the best
use
through maximising the use of knowledge.”
(AS5037-2004)
Key messages of the
Standard







The knowledge eco-system
Readiness
A cyclical approach
From alignment to transformation
Balance
Increasing the range of enablers
Emerging issues and trends
AS 5037 – Knowledge Management: A Guide
Contents









Scope and general
Introducing the concepts
Mapping context and capability
Building experience and linkages
Operationalising initiatives and capabilities
Enablers
Evaluating and Measuring
Issues and trends
Appendix
Knowledge eco-system
Map/Build/Operationalise Cycle
Challenges
 Process
Building collaboration and consensus
Collecting public feedback
 Product
Target audience?
Format and style
Limits on acknowledging intellectual inputs
 Content
Trans disciplinary nature of KM
Tensions – what and how, diversity and complexity
The highlights





The team
Trust
Mutual respect
The celebrations
KM in action
Where to now???
 Is Australian KM at a crossroad?
 Can the Standard contribute to the future directions
of KM practice and research in Australia?
 The Standards process like KM itself is continually
evolving
 Future handbooks ….
 Please get involved eg: ActKM, state forums …..
The KM Standard is about:



innovation and sharing behaviours,
managing complexity and ambiguity through knowledge
networks and connections,
exploring smart processes and deploying people-centric
technologies.
How and when you apply it depends on
the context of your organisation!!