Preserving and Using Institutional Memory Through Knowledge Management Practices (2007)

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112 WEBSITES APQC, formerly known as the American Productivity & Quality Center, is primarily an organization that seeks ways to improve productivity in America’s business community, although affiliate members are non-profit organizations. APQC’s website has, however, a “Knowledge Management” page in its free resources area. This part of the website con- tains many highly useful articles, case studies, white papers, and publications regarding knowledge management (KM). Note that although membership requires a fee, anecdotal evi- dence in this author’s experience would confirm that it is worth the investment. The general website can be accessed at: http://www.apqc.org. Dave Snowden is the founder of Cognitive Edge, head- quartered in Singapore. Cognitive Edge Pte Ltd was created in 2006 to take on the work originally initiated at IBM as the Cynefin Centre for Organisational Complexity. Dave has posted numerous short papers, case studies, etc. (see: http:// www.cognitive-edge.com). Dave is a thinker; it is impossible not to be inspired by his fountain of ideas regarding KM specifically and management generally. He is especially inter- ested in social complexity, and his writings are helpful for managers trying to change the paradigms within their organi- zations. His individual papers are not summarized here, except to note Tools for Chief Knowledge and Learning Officers, which is available for viewing on the website. His company, Cognitive Edge (formerly The Cynefin Centre for Organiza- tional Complexity) was spun off from IBM in July 2004. His relatively new website is at http://www.cognitive-edge.com. The Intelligent Transportation Systems Joint Program Office’s Lessons Learned website presents a good example of the use of major classification schemes used for capturing and finding lessons learned. Therefore, it may be able to serve as a resource for state-level organizations creating their own simi- lar sites (see: http://www.itslessons.its.dot.gov). KM.GOV, sponsored by the Federal Chief Information Officers Council (the CIO Council), established the Knowl- edge Management Working Group as an interagency body to bring the benefits of the government’s intellectual assets to all federal organizations, customers, and partners. This site may be helpful to departments of transportation as a model for supporting KM practitioners. The KNOW Network describes itself as a “global commu- nity of knowledge-driven organizations dedicated to network- ing, benchmarking, and sharing best practices leading to supe- rior performance” (see: http://www.knowledgebusiness.com). It is an international web-based professional knowledge- sharing network. The KNOW Network provides an array of web-based services including access to Most Admired Knowl- edge Enterprises (MAKE) studies, self-assessment audits, external benchmarking comparison, and by facilitating trans- fer of best KM practices and communication technologies such as blogs that enable members to tap into the best minds in knowledge organizations worldwide. There is a member- ship fee; however, much information on the site can be accessed by non-members. As a business-oriented resource, the focus is on the economic and competitive advantages of using business strategies based on knowledge leadership; however, the underlying ideas may be useful to government agencies. Annually, the company Teleos, in association with the KNOW Network, identifies winners of the Global Most Admired Knowledge Enterprises (MAKE) study. The exec- utive summaries of the annual MAKE reports are available free of charge on the website, along with other resources. The 2005 winners were selected by a panel of Global Fortune 500 executives and KM experts [2005 Global Most Admired Knowledge Enterprises (MAKE) Report, Executive Summary] and are recognized leaders in: • Creating a corporation knowledge culture • Developing knowledge workers through senior manage- ment leadership • Delivering knowledge-based products and solutions • Maximizing enterprise intellectual capital • Creating an environment for collaborative knowledge sharing • Creating a learning organization • Delivering value based on customer knowledge • Transforming enterprise knowledge into shareholder value (p. 2). In Knowledge Networks: A Management Strategy for the 21st Century: Special Report 284, the Committee for a Future Strategy for Transportation Information Management (2005) highlighted Parsons Brinckerhoff (PB), a planning, engineer- ing, and program and construction management company, for their KM practices. According to the Special Report, PB organizes its professionals by 53 disciplines in people net- works known as practice area networks and describes other aspects of the company’s KM program (p. 21). PB’s acces- sible website, called The Research Library, can be accessed at http://www.pbworld.com/library, which is “devoted to showcasing the broad technical excellence of our employ- ees around the world.” Drilling down, one finds the PB Network (http://www.pbworld.com/news_events/publications/ network), a publicly available website designed to: APPENDIX L Annotated Survey of Other Knowledge Management Resources

113 • Promote technology transfer within the entire firm; • Encourage widespread dissemination and exchange of technical information for the sake of solving problems, creating new applications, and completing projects; • Educate employees on PB’s new, developing, and emerg- ing technical capabilities; • Broaden the understanding and use of computer tools and information technology by PB staff; • Foster the professional development of employees by providing opportunities for writing and publication; and • Support PB in becoming the premier provider of infra- structure services worldwide. The PB website may be useful to STAs not so much for its con- tent, but as a possible model for design, philosophy, and over- all technical approach. The Specialist Library for Knowledge Management within the National Library for Health, United Kingdom National Health Service (NHS), maintains a website directed at staff and organizations throughout the NHS and its partner organi- zations. More importantly for readers of this report, how- ever, is that it is an exceptionally rich site for anyone with an interest in learning about KM techniques, and in sharing ideas and best practices. The stated aim of the site, to para- phrase the information given on the homepage, is to support a knowledge-sharing culture within the NHS, by providing access to high-quality research, practical examples in the form of case studies, tools to help implement KM within individual organizations, and details of events relevant to this area. Although the content of the site is not related to transporta- tion, the site itself provides an excellent model of how such a site can be developed, and it also provides a wealth of useful, practical advice on KM practices, especially in the toolkit section at http://www.nelh.nhs.uk/knowledge_management/ km2/toolkit.asp (2005). The U.S. Army’s Combined Arms Center’s Center for Lessons Learned (CALL) website is another potential model for how to use web technology for lessons learned applica- tions. According to its mission statement it • Collects and analyzes data from a variety of current and historical sources, including Army operations and train- ing events; • Produces lessons learned for military commanders, staff, and students; and • Disseminates these lessons and other related research materials through a variety of print and electronic media, including the website at http://call.army.mil/ mission.asp. The Wildfire Lessons Learned website is located at the National Advanced Resource Technology Center (NARTC) in Arizona and serves as a resource center for the wild land firefighter professional. It promotes a program of “train as you work and work as you train.” The LLC was modeled after the U.S. Army’s Center for Army Lessons Learned. The site includes many examples of after action reviews, case studies, and other resources. It provides a potential model for STAs developing a lessons learned resource. The WWW Virtual Library on Knowledge Management website is aimed squarely at KM professionals. There are plenty of links and lots of information on events around the world. This website can be found at: http://www.brint. com/km. OTHER RESOURCES An example of the academic world’s involvement in KM is the newly formed Institute for Innovation in Information Management (I3M) at the University of Washington, Seattle, which is chartered with the mission to be the premier research institute that will help organizations attain agility and com- petitive successes by managing their most vital assets— information and knowledge. I3M will undertake research projects shaped by the interests of its partners and expertise of Institute faculty (see: http://www.ischool.washington.edu/ i3m/index.html). According to Michael Crandall, one of the Institute’s faculty members (as of March 6, 2006), results of I3M studies will be made available at seminars and ultimately be published. In addition, the I3M will host a one-week, intense summer program, Knowledge Management Summer Institute. There are many other examples of graduate and undergraduate programs, seminars, symposiums, etc., in KM now available at various universities—the University of Washington example serves as a model.