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By David Skyrme, Edited by Simon Lelic |
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Title:
Public Sector - Public Knowledge The KM Contribution to Better Government
Review:
Not "re-inventing the wheel" can often be difficult for those working
in the public sector where the culture tends to favour silos rather
than sharing. This report, part of the Knowledge Insight Series by Ark
Group, written by David Skyrme, of David Skyrme Associates
http://www.skyrme.com, aims to provide "insights" into current and
future KM developments in the public sector and to provide practical
guidance, using examples from round the world. It costs GBP345.
Divided into seven chapters, the report begins by discussing the
difference between KM in the public and private sectors making
reference to various KM surveys, including Ark Group's own from 2003.
It goes on to cover policy making, knowledge-enhanced government,
joined-up services, improving KM capabilities and how to succeed; the
final chapter is a concise conclusion. There is an appendix of useful
resources which is certainly "useful", but it might have been good to
include more UK examples, like the National KM Project http://www.knowledgemanagement.org.uk/, or IDeA Knowledge
http://www.idea-knowledge.gov.uk/.
The report stresses that it is not an introduction to KM and that its
primary audience is those with some responsibility for this area,
although others should also find something of value. Its easily
readable style should certainly make it appeal to anyone with an
interest in KM in the public sector as it provides a good introduction
to the key areas (e.g. joined-up government) and avoids the academic
debates about KM definitions which can be found in other sources.
It is well organised, enabling you to focus on sections of interest,
without the need to read from cover to cover. Chapters are written
with short paragraphs, making use of bullets to highlight benefits and
good practice, and accompanied by longer sections of case studies that
are easily identifiable allowing you to refer back to them later. I
counted 31 case studies in the report coupled with quotations from
"experts", both including a good split between UK and overseas
examples; public sector focussed diagrams further enhance the text.
Each chapter ends with a ten point Action Checklist, which could form
the basis of a KM strategy.
The report argues that sharing good practice between the public and
private sector can be helpful, but ultimately the former needs strong
leadership if KM is to be adopted as a corporate strategy.
Conversations with colleagues in other local authorities indicate many
of us already have in place some of the initiatives described (e.g.
Intranet, Internet, customer focus). We are beginning to seriously
acknowledge the need for a corporate IM and KM strategy to achieve
E-Government targets and compliance with legislation and standards.
This report could be considered expensive for the public sector, but
"beg, borrow or steal" a copy: I feel that its 146 pages present a
well researched synthesis of the current state of KM in the public
sector and its contribution to better government. All this coupled
with practical ways of proceeding in the future provide a good way to
avoid "re-inventing the wheel!"
FreePint Reviewer:
Alison Ross-Dow is the Information Manager at the London Borough of
Hammersmith & Fulham, responsible for co-ordinating Data Protection
activities at a corporate level and for implementing a council-wide
strategy on Freedom of Information. This work forms part of the
council's Information and Knowledge Management strategy.
Regularly attending conferences, Alison is involved with
Workstream 1 of the KM National Project and sits on the BSI Editorial
Boards for Data Protection and Freedom of Information.
She previously worked as the Information Resource Manager at Aslib-
IMI, where her five years gave her a good understanding of IM and
KM; she is also a member of Aslib's KIMNET special interest group
http://www.kimnet.org.uk.
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