KM Auditing

Gautam Pendharkar

Business Outlook

Competing Interests for limited resources

The dreaded ROI
Adaptability, competition and sustainability
New customers - CRM
Tracking (audit and performance measurement and other
related issues)
Benchmarking and Best Practices
Continually learning organizations of excellence in a
knowledge-based global environment
The Bottom Line (Profit)

Management is troubled by:

Increasing isolation, division, gaps
Decreasing aptitude, commitment and energy
Increasing costs and decreasing returns

And burdened with solutions:

How-to tools, methods and processes
Metrics, benchmarks, best practices
Information and knowledge as product

Why a Knowledge Audit?

Are you sure you know:

What knowledge is needed?
What is the knowledge work of the
organization
Where they are gaps and redundancies?
All you need to know about planned and real
outcomes?
How activity relates to objectives and goals?

Why a knowledge audit?

How things get done and if / how things could
get done better
Whether you have the responsibility and
accountability?
Whether you are getting better or worse at
what you do?
How your clients / partners really view you?

If you have low certainty.

An examination is needed of:

Your organization mission, mandate, objectives
Organizational structure, service distribution
Business processes and evident (known) work issues
Sensitivities
Communication and decision challenges / issues
Knowledge resource strengths and deficiencies.
[Quantify expertise, not number of Web pages].

Audit Hints
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Go
Consult, consult, consult
Educate as you study
Work on your objectivity and receptivity
Bring out your own ideas when the
conversation is stuck
Track your consultation
Deliver an audit and plan report to your
supervisor

Methods, Validity and Reliability

1.
2.
3.

4.
5.
6.

Aim for 80%

On second thought, aim for 60%
Use a mixed methodology:
1.
Interviews and focus groups
2.
Surveys
3.
Observations
Develop findings and test against various audiences
(internal and external)
Develop a draft plan and test
Modify and re-legitimize

What your findings may look like

Personal Knowledge Question

I am confident that I am adequately informed in the
missions and mandates of our partners
Personal Knowledge Question
25
20
15
10
5
0
1

Low

High

Personal Knowledge Question

I am sufficiently knowledgeable in finance and budgets

Personal Knowledge Question

25
20
15
10
5
0
1

Low

High

Personal Knowledge

Employees confident of their knowledge levels

(know what to do or know where to find out)
Less strength in knowledge of govt laws and
policies
Uncertainty in partner missions and mandates
Training needs in defined activity areas: e.g. how
to operationalize something

Sources of Information and

Knowledge (I&K)
I&K flow varies by direction & BU
I&K availability
K! quality a concern
Tools may be an issue
Sharing not a universal organization value
Gaps in policy comprehension

Relationship Issues

Between people doing same function in different

regions
Between people doing different function in same
region
Chain of command, delegation, accountability
Briefing, de-briefing, consultation, collaboration
General communications (anecdotes around nowhear-this e-mailing
Poor meeting and implementation practices

Planned Initiatives

Knowledge Transfer and

Retention
Deployment de-brief
Words of Wisdom
(retirements,
departures)
Just In Time KM
Directories
Governance processes
Info Management
(shredding)

Leveraging
Infrastructure
Internal Web
Employee Profiles
Knowledge Centre
Interactive Forums

Planned Initiatives (2)

Scope Determination
(What it is)
Conference
feedback system
Best or good
practices
Web Portals and
interfaces

Relationships
Internally between related
functions
Externally - with
key communities

Final Words [Audit to plan to

project(s)]

Use the language of

business
Speak of objectives and
outcomes and leave the
methods in the annex
Be realistic dont make
rash promises (culture
change takes time)
Believe in what you are
doing and communicate
that

Keep people informed of

both successes and
failures
Work with an annual plan
in your hand and a three
year plan in your head
Build bridges including
and especially with the IT
and IM support shops
Network with KM
colleagues

Thank You