Draft framework for Public Service Learning

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Draft framework for Public Service Learning
Knowledge Management the gist

• Reflecting DPSA Initiatives

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Structure of presentation

• 1. Justification
• 2. About defining KM
• 3. Relationship between IM, RM, KM, IT
• 4. Draft framework
• - purpose
• 4.1 Public service-wide focus
• - pillars of framework
• 4.2 Corporate (institution) focus
• 5 Conclusion

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JUSTIFICATION

• The public service of today is premised on
  integration, adaptiveness, connectedness,
  across-department collaboration,
  joined-up-government principles/values for
  maximised modernised service delivery, Single
  public service imperatives all proving very
  complex (rigid bureaucracy, red tape, protocol)
• Urgency to deliver services compels a conscious
  move beyond conceptualisation (policy
  formulation) to practical implementation
• Urgency compels innovation creativity
  (out-of-box)
• Knowledge-intensivity of government jobs
• Forces of globalisation and knowledge economy

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Justification continued

• Calls for Back to basics, Economies of scale,
  ROI
• Commitment to developmental imperatives
• PS Reform/transformation permanent
• Scope creep (Mandate) Call for us to intervene
  within government (nationally) and between
  governments (DRC, Sudan, etc.)

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Justification continued

• To achieve all greatest ingredient/driver is
  KNOWLEDGE within context of a learning
  organisation
• - Special niche for our field of KM to facilitate
  maximum access to knowledge contained in
  practical solutions
• - simplifying demystifying of complex theories
  into practical lessons and solutions

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About defining KM

• Diversity within public service as key
  determinant - Need to allow definitions of KM to
  emerge from the work that we do (in each
  constituency) informed by practical challenges
  and related knowledge gaps and initiatives put in
  place
• Need tapestry of definitions which all converge
  in a statement around transferring lessons from
  best practices and mistakes, experiences and
  solutions, from one part of an organisation
  (government) to where it is needed when it is
  needed or even before it is needed (to prompt
  creative thinking) creating opportunities for
  such to happen packaging repackaging for
  simplification
• Not lock ourselves into one definition call it
  what works for and in your environment

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Relationship between KM, IT IM in our context

• Information management personnel
  data/statistics including on utilisation of
  personnel access is open but concerns for
  corruption and manipulation of data
• RM flow of documents files in institutions to
  improve and sustain communication and movement of
  such between various stakeholders a measure of
  secrecy and security is important in this
  activity with access permissions
• KM about managing what organisations know
  (explicit tacit) mapping it to business
  processes, preventing/ minimising its loss
  how-to knowledge in case studies, ideas,
  lessons, methodologies, models, innovations,
  solutions, etc. freedom and openness around
  sharing and access (no censorship)

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Relationship continued

• IT a great enabler facilitator of the above
  challenge in making them all sit on one platform
  (system) and facilitating/entrenching leveraging
  of and cross-referencing between each other (data
  needed to beef up contexts captured in
  submissions, cabinet memos, etc.)
• Common value all for relevant appropriate
  decision-making
• - Interrelatedness interdependence between them
  (one not complete at exclusion of the other)
• - Need to separate coordination and management of
  each with focus on collaboration and mutual
  benefit between the three
• - Used interchangeably in various situations and
  environments (call it what it is when it serves
  your particular need)

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Draft Framework purpose

• Purpose entrench culture and practice of KM
  through
• providing guidelines direction for
  implementation
• Suggest models for knowledge management
  activities (sharing, creation/generation)
• Support for institutionalisation of KM through
  resources, processes, drivers, etc. in public
  service
• Suggest pointers for institutionalisation of KM

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Draft Framework What informs it

• Needs expressed and observations made across the
  public service
• - comments and concerns raised by public servants
  in knowledge management workshops that were run
  in the nine provinces by a joint team from the
  DPSA and the Department of Communications in
  2002/2003 current
• - subsequent engagements with various
  departments, NGOs, academic and private sector
  institutions.

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What informs it continued

• - Inputs from various change management
  initiatives in government departments that have
  revealed numerous factors and issues that confirm
  the public service every government department
  as fertile ground for a sound KM programme
• Organic crafted from practical trials and
  inputs from practitioners, experts (learning
  process for us)

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Pillars/levers for implementation of KMPublic
service-wide focus
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1. Marketing/advocating KM

• Premise Challenges of abstractness - Public
  service stuck in theorising conceptualisation
  (pockets of progress)
• - Urgent need to arrive at practical
  understanding of its role and benefits for PS
• - Need to raise awareness for KM and its
  imperatives, e.g. enabling environment
• Need to demystify, market and soliciting inputs
  from various stakeholders.
• Need to demonstrate through practical
  illustrations what KM is and how it can benefit
  organisations

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2. Coordinating Maximising access to
knowledge(experiences, solutions, lessons, etc.)

• Premise 1 Endless futile search for existent but
  hidden knowledge/information
• Global estimation on average most people spend
  no less than three weeks per year searching for
  information that already exists within their
  organisations (public service)
• Challenge to create conditions that facilitate
  free circulation of hidden knowledge
  information within and amongst government
  institutions in all spheres (break down
  siloisation of knowledge)

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Coordinating maximising access continued

• Premise 2 Document overload (inaccessible
  documents)
• Inundation with cryptic and thick documents
  against backdrop of limited time-frames urgent
  need for solutions and policy advice to
  principals
• - need for easy access to simple solutions and
  methodologies as opposed to highly conceptual
  documents has been identified (need to zoom into
  what is relevant)
• Brief, simple documents succinct, correctly
  packaged, 2-pagers (thickness does not
  necessarily depict value or depth)
• Need for access to one another as colleagues
  facing similar challenges has been identified
  (learning networks) crucial knowledge may be
  just a phone call away, HENCE

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Coordinating maximising access continued

• Premise 3 Opportunities for knowledge sharing
  creation
• - need for engaging on common challenges
  frustrations and collaborative exploration of new
  methods
• - Need for continuous research on public service
  issues for enlightenment and evidence-based
  decision making action
• KNOWLEDGE PLATFORMS Learning networks, CoPs,
  Learning journeys (site visits) staff parties,
  Tea-times breakfast sessions, etc.) integrated
  conferences e.g. provincial SMS Conferences,
  Batho Pele Learning Networks
• - Support to these is a key strategic activity
  for building an adaptive learning public
  service- as they provide an open environment of
  trust for robust debate and dialogue on our
  performance

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3. Documenting (preserving) disseminating PS
knowledge

• Premise Fate of knowledge created in knowledge
  platforms
• - previous claim that there is no how-to
  information is countered by/with existence of
  numerous experiences, successful and failed
  projects and various tried and tested solutions
  already developed and shared through platforms
• Coordination preservation THROUGH KNOWLEDGE
  PRODUCTS
• Case studies to be documented (sector-specific
  and cross-cutting) with emphasis on
  methodologies, models and practical lessons for
  replication
• Journals/newsletters to be prioritised for
  publication of case studies
• Writing support to be provided and
  institutionalised (knowledge sources/creators
  can/do not write)

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Documenting (preserving) disseminating PS
knowledge continued

• Guides manuals for simplification very popular
  identification of areas of complexity with
  purpose to develop them (DGs exasperation led to
  Machinery of Government Manual) Batho Pele
  Handbook (need for idiots guides)
• Knowledge databases Projects of Transformation
• Web sites pages posting of all the above is
  critical for global access.
• - take over of these platforms into our KM realms
  to ensure they go beyond communications
  responsibility (failing which, close
  collaboration)

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4. External partnerships for knowledge sharing

• Premise Private, academic, Non-governmental
  civil society organisations broker sell (very
  high cost) our own knowledge to us
• - situation of public servants paying to learn
  from their colleagues
• (perhaps!) In context of developmental public
  service, form appropriate cost-saving
  partnerships for mutual benefit to support
  creation of livelihoods for those sectors
• - negotiate lower rates for public servants where
  colleagues are presenting
• - if sidelined (thus value/depth lost) discourage
  participation

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5. Retention, preservation of PS tacit knowledge
(most difficult!)

• Without adequate knowledge continuity between
  employee generations, organisational forgetting
  drains intellectual capital and squanders the
  knowledge capital Beazely, Hamilton (2003)

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Retention, preservation of PS knowledge continued

• Premise General continuous exodus of
  experienced people from the public service
• - governments adopting short-term contractual
  staffing strategies create more rapid turnover
  through shortened tenure of the contingency
  workers
• - utilisation of consultants - knowledge/skills
  transfer not managed
• None of above can be avoided (value in them as
  well)
• BUT THEY TAKE VALUABLE KNOWLEDGE WITH THEM
• This compromises ability to provide integrated
  quick and intelligent responses informed by old
  wisdom (to enrich young wisdom)

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Retention, preservation of PS knowledge continued

• Time space for documenting
• Need to be innovative in instituting processes
  for identifying people nearing retirement with a
  wealth of knowledge providing them with
  opportunities in pre-retirement months to
  document best practices, transfer knowledge
  within and prepare their successors or potential
  successors for continuity - may need writing
  support
• Database of retired experts or those who have
  transferred
• Where loss of corporate memory has already
  occurred in key strategic areas, create a
  database of key retired or transferred employees
  with specific expertise to allow tracking down,
  for instance, for mentorship partnerships for
  knowledge transfer
• HRM processes to be modernised serving of
  notice to be addressed and decent periods
  observed to allow sufficient time for knowledge
  transfer (job shadowing, understudy, etc.)

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6. Growing furthering knowledge base

• Premise Complex nature of citizens needs
  expanding mandate to extend into the rest of
  continent (Africa) our principals taking on more
  global roles - need to continuously expand our
  knowledge
• - Broaden open participation in learning
  sessions, conferences, etc. (as diverse a team as
  there are diverse areas of responsibility for
  institution)
• - Study tours as vehicle for building knowledge
  base
• - Clarity on institutions areas for learning
  partnerships with identified local and
  international institutions with best practices
  (international partners today)
• Will benefit our country as well as recipients of
  our support (DRC, Sudan, Zimbabwe, etc.) -
  requires that we be knowledgeable

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Corporate/institutional focusPillars/levers for
internal KM
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Not all is good in departments

• Condition or expectation is that all is in order
  in departments for them to participate in the
  public service-wide programme
• - Organisational cultures reportedly hinder the
  free sharing of knowledge (no acknowledgement)
  (agility versus rigidity protocol)
• - Knowledge sources not coordinated for access
  important project reports that could inform
  various processes and decision-making are not
  traceable

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Not all is good (continued)

• - Departments do not have grasp of their
  knowledge base, that is, a coordinated
  understanding of what their workers know
• - no proper transfer of skills,
• - restructuring/downsizing efforts have no base,
• - competencies are duplicated and people are
  demoralised from inappropriately placement
• - KM not understood as change management aspect
  and not pursued as such

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1. An institution-wide steering committee
(Drivers)

• Critical mass of people who understand believe in
  the concept
• Infusion within specific line sections (closer to
  business processes and procedures)
• Ensuring that KM initiatives are informed by real
  section needs
• Crucial to draw the right competencies and
  attributes sophisticated thinking (abstract
  needs interpretation) passionate (passion of
  leader must be felt) persistent innovative

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2. Coordination of intellectual memory of each
institution

• Justification of your institutions existence
• - Ncholo Reports, Presidential Review Commission
  (e.g. OGCIO)
• - understand your history to make sense of
  present and plot your future
• - number of interventions per institutions
  quantifiable each time behave as if its the
  first time (where are all project reports,
  intervention reports, situational analyses?)
• System for tracking them down and coordinating in
  repository (indexed)

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3. Dept-wide programme of Knowledge management
(leveraging tacit knowledge)

• Need to build departmental ambassadors through
  learning
• - understanding own department
• - understanding public service transformation
• Knowledge sharing platforms and products e.g.
  breakfast meetings, internal newsletters
• knowledge databases e.g. reflecting competencies
  from experience, qualifications, training,
  hobbies, etc. (what the organisation knows)
• Processes for capturing knowledge from exiting
  key officials before their departure beyond
  superficial exercise (proper exit interviews)

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Conclusion

• This is enshrined in the draft framework which
  should inform (not dictate) our sector-specific/
  institution-specific initiatives
• Most aspects have been tried and tested organic
• Humble achievements
• Already active referencing to the draft framework
• KM Units being set up
• Requests for support - taking ownership and
  adapting (e.g. Mpumalanga Legislature KZN
  premiers office starting a journal) mutual
  benefit
• Challenge internalising into behaviour change
  way of life
• Zooming into what adds value

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Wisdom

• Every so often I learn of something that really
  excites me. What makes it exciting? Well it is
  often when someone has defied all the odds and
  critics to implement an idea they feel passionate
  about, that has gone to have a huge impact on the
  world. Whats your crazy idea?
• David Gurteen. 4 November 2006. The Gurteen
  Khowledge-Letter, Issue 77. (On Dr MuhammadYunus
  of the Grameen Bank).

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• THANK YOU!