Knowledge Mapping for Effective Decision Making in a

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Knowledge Mapping for Effective Decision Making
in a Sustainable Urban Environment Workshop
7th December 2004
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• Programme
• 100 Registration and Lunch
• 130 Introduction to Knowledge Management and
  Knowledge Mapping within the Context of a
  Sustainable Urban Environment
• Prof. Charles Egbu
• 150. The Glass recycling Industry
  Sustainability issues and need for Knowledge
  management and Mapping Hugh McCoach
• 210. Applying a Knowledge Mapping Technique
  Content, Challenges, benefits and the way
  forward Dr. Derek Hoy
• 2.30 Coffee/tea
• 240. Break-out sessions to discuss selected
  issues on Sustainability and the role of
  knowledge management and mapping
• 310 Presentation by a rapporteur from each
  group
• 325 General Discussions

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EPSRC Sustainable Urban Environment Programme

• Sustainable Urban Environment  To improve the
  quality of life of the UK's citizens, support the
  sustainable development of the UK economy and
  society, and to meet the needs of users of EPSRC
  funded research in industry, commerce and the
  service sector.
• The specific objectives of the Research Consortia
  will be
• To strengthen the capability of the UK research
  base in sustainability issues within the urban
  environment in both breadth and depth.
• To provide an identifiable source of
  multidisciplinary academic excellence able to
  respond to the needs of the end users of research
  in industry, commerce, the service and public
  sectors through a programme of collaborative
  research and technology transfer.
• To develop and promote a strategic research
  agenda to address sustainability in the urban
  environment for the 21st century and beyond.

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EPSRC Sustainable Urban Environment Programme

• 14 concepts for SUE Consortia were identified
  within four clusters 
• Cluster One Urban and Built Environment
• Cluster Two Waste, Water and Land Management
• Cluster Three Transport
• Cluster Four Metrics, Knowledge Management and
  Decision Making

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Aims of the Study

• To undertake a feasibility study on improving
  knowledge creation, transfer within and between
  organisations, and application, in the context of
  Glass Recycling
• To undertake a parallel scoping study on the
  systematic management of knowledge mapping,
  communication and application across a complex
  user and contract chains

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• Objectives/deliverables
• Provide an assessment of how knowledge on glass
  recycling is currently mapped across entire chain
  from generator to user.
• Create a roadmap resource for glass recycling
  knowledge, and analyse the strengths and
  weaknesses of knowledge mapping and application.
  Abstract generalisable principles from these.
• Analyse the feasibility of designing a knowledge
  mapping method that can handle the complexity of
  knowledge on sustainability issues, different
  backgrounds and types of knowledge the
  difficulty of discriminating between source of
  knowledge and good and poor knowledge .
• Evaluate the feasibility of incorporating the
  above principles in the design of integrated
  knowledge portals and mapping taxonomies
• Appraise the scope to develop a robust protocol
  for managing knowledge mapping within
  organisations and between organisations.

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Sustainable Urban Environment is defined as a
complex integrated urban system1 with an
ability to absorb changes and sustain key
environmental variables2 (as well as economic
and social), while answering the needs of the
present and future urban users3. 1 Urban
System is a complex mix of natural elements
(including air, water, land, climate, flora and
fauna) and the built environment (i.e. a physical
environment constructed or modified for human
habitation and activity encompassing urban
buildings, infrastructure and open spaces). 2
Environmental variables include natural
resources use and depletion, health hazards,
pollution (water, air and land), traffic
congestion, renewable and non renewable
energy. 3 An urban user includes business
(private and public) and citizens.
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Knowledge Management and Knowledge Mapping

• Knowledge
• Consists of truths, beliefs, perspectives,
  concepts, judgements, expectations, methodologies
  and know-how. Originates in the minds of
  knowers.
• Knowledge Management
• The management of any process or practice of
  creating, acquiring, capturing, sharing and using
  knowledge wherever it resides in order to meet
  existing and emerging needs, to identify and
  exploit existing and acquired assets and to
  develop new opportunities.
• Knowledge Mapping
• The process, methods and tools for analysing
  knowledge domains in order to discover features
  or meaning and to visualize these in a
  comprehensive, transparent form such that the
  business-relevant features are clearly
  highlighted. This involves identifying the key
  concepts within the domain of interest and
  defining how those concepts are related.

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Decision Making in SUE The Role of Knowledge

• Decision making refers to the cognitive processes
  used in judging, evaluating, choosing, selecting,
  picking, and resolving.
• Problem definition
• Information gathering
• Information assessment
• Choice of decision making
• Behavioural action
• Review