Outline for Initiating a New KM Program
This week as I was going through some old files I came across the beginnings of an outline I had created a few years ago for starting up a KM initiative in a large organization. It was originally a sort of personal outline that I could use in the event I took on a new KM position or client. As I reviewed it yesterday, I decided that it might be useful to publish it here for the benefit of others who might find themselves in a similar situation.
Some of the outline makes use of Six Sigma methodology, and some is just from knowledge I’ve gained over the years and personal experience about what works (or tends to get overlooked). Just to put you into the same mindset as me, I am including in the heading of “knowledge” all of the following: skills/abilities, expertise, accumulated experience, artifacts (documents/drawings), methodologies/processes for how work is done, observations, improvisations, and interpersonal communication. It’s not just “information”. Let me know if you find this useful or if I have missed anything. If you would like to have the document as a Word file, just email me (top right of this page).
KM PROGRAM INITIATION
Pre-Development Phase
DISCOVERY
o Meet Senior Management and interview key managers, especially operations managers
o Culture Audit – small groups/cross section of staff – result: behaviors, assumptions, values of the organization defined (shared K of good and bad stories)
o Network Analysis – analyze email traffic (flows, not content – department/department and staff level/staff level) It’s a proxy for what might be going on. Result: collaboration flows are defined
o Knowledge Audit – Meet with operations managers/department heads. Identify what knowledge is required by each and what already exists to support basic organizational activities. Result: ability to prioritize implementation and types of knowledge being used in the organization
- Inputs needed by department
- Outputs developed by department
- Existing data repositories
- Review other departments’ assets to see what would be useful (opportunities for knowledge sharing)
o Gather VOC for key audiences Result: ability to create success metrics (who is the “customer”?)
o Obtain a technology as-is map
ANALYSIS
o How does KM support how we use knowledge already
o Where are gaps in how knowledge drives basic business operations (what do people need that they aren’t getting now?)
o Categories of Knowledge Used/Needed
o CTQs (success factors) determined from VOC (If more than one customer, prioritize)
o Categories of technology needed to support KM mapped to existing technology stack (identify gaps)
o Options for technology implementation and costs
o Content
o What do we have / what should be restricted
o Who needs access
o What policies do we need for content additions/updates/retirement
DESIGN
o Define principles for a KM strategy
o Structure a KM approach – Use existing barriers and what’s working (try to maintain what’s working – minimize change)
o Create preliminary technology architecture/future state
o Establish KM program governance
VALIDATION (Toll Gate 1 – go/no go)
o Present results to management for buy-in and approval
Planning Phase
o Confirm CTQs and define key metrics
o Ground the KM effort in the organization’s normal business effectiveness (understand the business and how it works)
- Business objectives
- Priorities and gaps in how knowledge is used
- Decision making processes
- Skills/competencies
- Innovations –> products
o Build in resilience – ability to respond to changes in the environment
- KM is about Change/culture/habits – must be rooted in existing practices, issues, values (where are the opportunities and barriers – frame a KM strategy in response to those)
- Secure management participation and support
- Identify opposition/barriers to KM
- Self-examine before establishing a strategy
o Assess amount/type of effort required
- Set realistic expectations (it’s not plug and play)
- Changes in assumptions, practices need to be addressed. It’s not simple. It touches many layers of the organization — habits and patterns of communications, standard processes, collaboration, assumptions about how decisions are made or activities are recorded.
- Cost / People – it will require nursing
- Time constraints
o Create a Cultural Map
o Create a KM Map
- Define KM Vision
- Create a KM Strategy/Framework
- Articulate KM Success Measures (based upon CTQs)
- Define Governance / Roles and Responsibilities
o Create an Infrastructure Map for KM
o Comprehensive Long Term View Roadmap (Toll Gate 2 – go/no go)
Development Phase
INCEPTION
o Confirm the infrastructure needed to deliver desired results
o Communicate phased technology development approach
o Develop communication plan to build user awareness
o Create culture change and awareness materials
o Create use cases for KM system
o Design a content management plan
o Define a phased technology rollout plan and timetable
ELABORATION (Toll Gate 3)
o Assign development teams to KM technology
o Confirm technology timetable
o Develop plan and timetable for user training
o Confirm with KM team
CONSTRUCTION (iterative phases, as needed)
o Begin technology design and/or integration for KM
o User test UI and use cases
o Modify software and UI as needed based upon testing input
o Report to KM team by Phase
Implementation Phase
IMPLEMENTATION
o Technology rollout plan
o Training plan
o Communication plan
o Data security/user authentication plan
VERIFICATION
o Benchmark rollout against original plan
o Track costs against CBA
o Report progress to management
MEASURE AND REPORT (Tollgate 4)
o Monitor CTQ metrics and report periodically to management
o Detail value added to the organization
- Intellectual capital value
- Value stream enhancements
- New proprietary products/services/technologies
- Enhanced decision making
- Staff satisfaction/retention
Transition Phase
o Shift responsibilities for some functions to other parts of the organization or outside vendors, as required
- Communications
- Training
- Technology upgrades
