The program may apply to everyone, or to a subset of the population. There will be different roles for different job types. And leaders need to be aligned to the program direction.
Existing processes and policies will have to be modified, and new ones created. And tools will need to be used, created, obtained, and integrated.
To identify these details, answer the following nine questions about people, process, and technology.
People Questions
1. Which people in your organization need to participate in the KM program? In some programs, everyone will participate in some way. In others, you may target a specific type of participant. The top three objectives you defined will help answer this question. The following dimensions should be considered.
2. What are the different roles that participants will need to play? For each type of participant in the KM program, define what they are expected to do. Some will be providers and some will be consumers of knowledge. Most people will be expected to perform multiple roles. Specify the most important tasks for each type of participant which support the top three objectives.
3. Who are the key stakeholders and leaders to line up in support of the new initiatives? The success of the program will depend on having leaders and respected individuals playing active roles in communicating, inspecting, and reinforcing its goals.
Process Questions
4. What existing processes need to be modified to incorporate KM activities? From the following list, identify all processes which already exist and need to be part of the KM program.
Here is a list of processes:
- Methodologies
- Creation
- Capture
- Reuse
- Lessons learned
- Proven practices
- Collaboration
- Content management
- Classification
- Metrics and reporting
- Management of change
- Workflow
- Valuation
- Social network analysis
- Appreciative inquiry and positive deviance
- Storytelling
There may be existing methodologies. Some collaboration methods may already be in use. Workflow may be performed using some technology. Compile a list of all processes currently in use which you can include in the KM initiative, either as is or by adapting them.
5. What new processes need to be created? In answering the previous question, which processes don't currently exist, but are needed? From the above list, identify all additional processes which are needed but are not currently available.
For example, there may not be any process for capturing and reusing knowledge. Lessons learned and proven practices may not be collected currently. The organization may not be aware of appreciative inquiry as a technique.
Choose the most critical missing processes for inclusion in the program. Consider the potential difficulty in implementation and the anticipated benefits of each in making your selections.
6. What policies will need to be changed or created to ensure desired behaviors? Adopting, enhancing, and creating processes will be of limited value unless there are associated policies which require their use. For the most important processes, plan to create policies to enforce adoption.
For example, a content management policy may be required to specify how content is created, stored, and reused. A classification standard which defines the organization's taxonomy and how it is to be deployed may be needed. A standard procedure for how intellectual property is to be valued may need to be enforced.
Technology Questions
7. What existing tools can be used in support of the new initiatives? From the following list, identify all tools which already exist and need to be part of the KM program.
Here is a list of tools:
- User interface
- Intranet
- Team spaces
- Virtual meeting rooms
- Portals
- Repositories
- Threaded discussions and enterprise social networks
- Expertise locators and ask the expert
- Metadata and tags
- Search engines
- Archiving
- Blogs and microblogs
- Wikis
- Podcasts and videos
- Syndication and aggregation
- Social software
- External access
- Workflow applications
- Process automation applications
- E-learning
- Subscription management
- Incentive points tracking
- Survey and metrics reporting automation
For example, your organization will likely already have an intranet. It may be using a tool for virtual meeting rooms. An e-learning system may already exist. There may be a tool for subscription management. Using all such existing tools as part of the KM program will save money, accelerate implementation, and demonstrate the important concept of reuse.
8. What new tools will need to be created or obtained? In answering the previous question, which tools don't currently exist, but are needed? From the above list, identify all additional tools which are needed but are not currently available.
For example, there may be no suitable technology for team spaces. Discussions may currently be taking place using standard email, and thus not archived for future searches. Emerging technologies such as blogs, wikis, and podcasts may not be available.
Select the most important missing technologies for inclusion in the program. Analyze the likely costs and benefits of each in making your choices.
9. What integration of tools and systems will be required? Purchasing or developing a series of standalone tools which are disconnected will pose problems for a KM program. Users will complain that there are too many sites to visit, redundant data entry required, and overlapping and confusing technology.
To avoid these problems, plan to integrate as many tools and systems as possible. Automate data flows to avoid the need for redundant entry. And purchase or develop suites of products which work well together. For example, add a data feed from a business system to a knowledge repository. Design a web site which pulls information from multiple sources to provide a unified view. Ensure that the incentive points tracking system automatically detects all desired actions and doesn't require manual entry.
What other questions would you ask when starting a KM initiative?
