REFLECTIONS ON 1ST DAYS PROCEEDING Andrew M' Kaniki

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REFLECTIONS ON 1ST DAYS PROCEEDINGAndrew M.
Kaniki

• DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SERVICE ADMINISTRATION
• LEARNING CHAMPIONS WORKSHOP
• 11-12 March 2004
• Misty Hills Conference Centre,
• Krugers Dorp

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Workshop Rationale and objectives

• Imperative to institutionalize learning and
  knowledge management
• Put in place the required resources and processes
  to drive it
• Increase numbers of provincial learning champions
• Individuals equipped with appropriate knowledge,
  skills and attributes
• Individuals instrumental in setting up
  appropriate systems and processes for monitoring
  and evaluation

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Welcome and OpeningMr. Mashwahle DIPHOFA

• Public Service and Service Delivery
• What knowledge (information and data) has and
  continues to inform service delivery?
• Have we, in the process of service delivery
  generated/developed knowledge (Stories--
  Banhegyi) Good practice-Watling? How is it
  kept/stored (Data Banks Watling)? Can it be
  accessed and shared? (Thulis systems)
• White Paper on the Public Service Administration
  1995 the challenges

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Creating effective individual and team
performanceSteve Banhegyi

• Organizations are narratives A series of
  stories - Knowledge
• What stories have been told and or heard in the
  DPSA that we will share with others in order to
  advance the organization and state?
• Knowledge Generation and Sharing is critical
  within an individual and organization
• Frame or context in which stories (knowledge is
  shared is critical)

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Case Studies

• Ken Watling UK Public Sector Benchmarking
• Debbie Blackburn DBSA
• Thuli Radebe DPSA
• Different contexts
• Knowledge management goals based on
  organizational imperatives
• Services and knowledge sharing systems dependent
  on stakeholder/user needs

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Reflections on different organizational
experiences

• There is some sharing of knowledge, but not
  widely institutionalized - No structures for
  implementation (Happening and Not happening)
• Lack of understanding of the concept,
• Lack of support at executive level
• Lack of knowledge databanks (central/
  distributed) Poor information mgt!
• Communication strategies not clearly articulated
  to enhance the flow of information.

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KM Learning Challenges

• Unstructured roll out by DPSA Need for
  guidelines and how to
• Working in silos (Provinces Departments),
• General lack of understanding Learning and KM,
• Custodianship ownership not clearly
  defined/Location of KM function not clear
• Choice of appropriate mode of distribution/learnin
  g sharing
• Structural arrangements and resources,
• Monitoring Evaluation of process by DPSA,
• Lack of consistency sustainability of programme

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Constraints and Prospects

• Constraints
• Lack of implementation strategies/ directive.
• Unhealthy competition amongst employees/ units.
• Lack of capacity and over expectation
• Under-utilised personnel
• Lack of buy in and commitment,
• Lack of appropriate skills - even amongst the
  champions - to sell the concept coherently
• Delegates to this workshop may not be provided
  with a platform to sell the concept to their
  departments

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Constraints and Prospects

• Prospects
• KM is building block for organisational
  memory/record
• Monitoring and Evaluation purposes
• Information sharing
• Openness and transparency (legislation - PAIA
  PFMA Interception of Comm. Act etc)
• Internal Communication
• Improved relationships (internal and external
  clients)

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Facilitation and Institutionalization

• Office of the Premier - Should drive the process
  fully (???)
• DPSA Should Drive the process (????)
• Partnerships among provinces
• Union involvement and buy-in is critical
• Provincial Strategy on knowledge management
• Feedback report from provincial champions to HODs
  and DGs (IDMC)
• Define LKM concept provide info on qualities
  required,
• Centralized, structured info management system,

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(Source Probst, Raub and Romhardt Managing
knowledge management building blocks for
success 2001)
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What is/will be the role of learning champions?
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Thank youAndrew_at_nrf.ac.za