Knowledge Mapping

101

Knowledge for Development Seminar

09/22/03
 Knowledge Mapping
Agenda
• Knowledge for Development
– What is Knowledge Management?
• Knowledge Mapping
– Mapping Overview Leadership

• Definitions
Share

• Why
Create

Apply Organizational
Knowledge Identify

• How Measurement

Organize
-needed by Processes
-supporting Strategies
Culture

– USAID Examples
Collect
Adapt

– Discussion Technology

Knowledge Management
Enablers

Knowledge
Management Process
 Knowledge Management
Discussion

– What do we mean by “management”?

– What is “knowledge”?
Know Who, Know How, and
Know What
Knowledge
experience
Information
context

Data
fact

Tacit Explicit
Conversion of knowledge
between tacit and explicit forms
 An iterative process
Know-how,
Know-how,expertise,
expertise, Culture,
Culture,roles,
roles,history,
history,
improvisation,
improvisation,instinctive,
instinctive, ritual,
ritual,workflows
workflows
Tacit
Tacit automatic
automatic

Job
Jobaid,
aid,technical,
technical, Documents,
Documents,
notes/journals
notes/journals Databases,
Databases,strategies/
strategies/
Explicit plans,
plans,directories,
directories,
Explicit
processes
processes

Individual
Individual Collective
Collective
Characteristics of Knowledge

• Created by anyone
• Distributed cheaply
• Increases when shared
• Transmitted in networks
• Guided by vision
• Unique for individuals
• Infinite resource
Knowledge Management
Alan Marwick, IBM Research Division

• Knowledge
– includes both the experience and understanding
of the people in the organization and the
information artifacts, such as documents and
reports, available within the organization and in
the world outside
• Knowledge Management
– name given to the set of systematic and
disciplined actions that an organization can
take to obtain greatest value from the
knowledge available to it
Knowledge Management
• APQC Definition
– Connecting people to the best practices,
knowledge, and expertise they need to create
value. From its 4th Annual Conference on Knowledge Management
held in Washington, D.C. in May 2002, the American Productivity and
Quality Association (APQC)

• USAID Working Definition

– Systematic approaches to help information
and knowledge emerge and flow to the right
people at the right time to create value.
 Knowledge Management
Processes and Enablers
Collect

Adapt
Identify
Organize

Information Process 1 Information Process 2 Information Process 3 Information

Create
Apply

Share

Culture Leadership Measurement Technology

Knowledge Management
Framework -American Productivity Quality Center
Leadership

Share
Create

Apply Organizational
Knowledge Identify
Measurement Culture
-needed by Processes
Organize -supporting Strategies
Collect
Adapt

Technology

KM Enablers

KM Processes
Knowledge Management

• Questions
• Suggestions
• Concerns

Systematic approaches to help information and knowledge emerge

and flow to the right people at the right time to create value.
 Knowledge Mapping
Overview
• Some Definitions
– What is Knowledge Mapping?
– What it is not
• Why Knowledge Mapping?
Leadership

• How to Map
Share
Create

Apply Organizational
Knowledge Identify
Measurement Culture
-needed by Processes
-supporting Strategies
Organize
Collect
Adapt

Technology

Knowledge Management
Enablers

Knowledge
Management Process
Knowledge Mapping Definitions
• What is Knowledge Mapping ?
– Knowledge mapping is a process of surveying,
assessing and linking the information, knowledge,
competencies and proficiencies held by individuals and
groups within an organization
(Dr Ann Hylton, KeKma-Training 2002)
Knowledge Mapping Definitions
– An ongoing quest within an organization
(including its supply and customer chain) to:
• help discover the location, ownership, value and use
of knowledge artifacts,
• learn the roles and expertise of people,
• identify constraints to the flow of knowledge, and
• highlight opportunities to leverage existing
knowledge.
– It illustrates or "maps" how knowledge flows
throughout an organization.
(D. Grey, 2002 Smith Weaver Smith Inc)
What is Knowledge Mapping?
• Knowledge mapping is a process by which
organizations can identify and categorize
knowledge assets within their organization –
people, processes, content, and technology.
• It allows an organization to fully leverage the
existing expertise resident in the company, as well
as identify barriers and constraints to fulfilling
strategic goals and objectives.
• It is constructing a roadmap to locate the
information needed to make the best use of
resources, independent of source or form.
(W. Vestal, APQC, 2002)
What is Knowledge Mapping ?
– A Knowledge Map describes what knowledge is
used in a process, and how it flows around the
process. It is the basis for determining knowledge
commonality, or areas where similar knowledge is
used across multiple processes.
– Fundamentally, a process knowledge map contains
information about the organization’s knowledge. It
describes who has what knowledge (tacit), where
the knowledge resides (infrastructure), and how the
knowledge is transferred or disseminated (social).
(IBM Global Services - Technique Paper, 2000)
Knowledge Mapping: Where to
focus?
• Enterprise-level
Strategic

— Strategic business, technical, market knowledge

— Determine the organization’s “bench strength”
— Identify areas to focus KM efforts
• Cross-functional between divisions/business groups
— Operational assessment of working knowledge
Tactical

• Working group/process
— Tactical and operational knowledge applied to process
excellence, innovation, customer relationship
 Types of Knowledge Maps

Enterprise Knowledge Map

Cross-Functional Knowledge Map

Process Knowledge Map

 What it’s NOT...
– Knowledge Inventory
– Knowledge Audit
– Search Tool
• Autonomy
• VisuAlert

Not a
‘visualization’
 What it’s NOT...
• A KM assessment of how well a KM initiative is
performing
• An assessment of how well a Community of Practice
is performing
• Either explicit knowledge OR tacit knowledge; both
are necessary
• A solution
• A method to identify projects
• A way to create a KM strategy
 Process Knowledge Mapping
– A method of analysis to define the knowledge
needed and the knowledge available to support a
business process.
– Knowledge Mapping identifies the:
• explicit knowledge (knowledge artifacts)
• tacit knowledge (undocumented information, expertise
in people’s heads)
• infrastructure (where does it the reside)
• organization ( who and where are the people)
– In context of a specific business process
 Why Map?
• Organizations use knowledge maps for a number of
different reasons. Some organizations compile
company locators to find internal and external
resources.
• Others use them to identify knowledge sharing
opportunities or knowledge barriers within cross-
functional work groups.
• Many companies use knowledge mapping before
developing formal communities of practice or
After-Action Reviews.
 Uses of Knowledge Maps
• Compile company locators – internal and external
resources - KM Yellow Pages
• Identify opportunities to reuse information
• Locate naturally-occurring knowledge stewards
• Identify knowledge dependencies within cross-
functional work groups
• Categorize value-added information resident within
your organization
• Identify knowledge sharing opportunities
• Precursor to developing formal communities of practice
• Create a knowledge tool that helps users find what they
need (e.g. Agricultural Trade Programming Tool).
Process Knowledge Mapping
Answers Key Questions
• At all levels, the knowledge map provides an
assessment of existing or required knowledge
and information in the following categories:
– What knowledge is needed?
– Who has this knowledge?
– Where does this knowledge reside?
– Is the knowledge tacit or explicit?
– Is the knowledge routine or non-routine?
– What issues does it address?
What a Knowledge Map Reveals
about an Organization
• Identifies the core and contextual
knowledge inside of an organization
• How information and knowledge flows
• What individual knowledge or expertise is
critical to a process or focus area
 When To Map
Organizations should not
design a KM approach
without first mapping
their knowledge.

Within the context of

APQC’s Road Map to
Knowledge Management,
mapping knowledge is
recommended in stage 2
(develop a strategy) or
stage 3 (design
and launch a knowledge
management initiative).
 How To Map...
Sample Knowledge Map:
(1) (2) (3) (N)
Determine test site concept Establish test site scheduling Identify test site coordinator Etc....
Process Step regarding which features to
address
Create list of expected problems Make sure it's ready so it is Assign responsibility to Etc...
Objective of Step and test structures to address useful to product ensure test site design is
complete
Databases with info of Look at previous schedules Nothing Etc...
previous projects (product Project plan (top down Note: no learning
and failure test results) req.) captured and applied re.
Infrastructure Design manuals Test site schedule Experiences
Test site documents Process roadmap Note: need to define roles
and responsibilities
Discussion among process Discussions with designers Relationship between Etc...
design people (knowledge of work behind managers and prospective
Connecting with previous design-how long it takes) test site coordinators
Social Capital test site designers (all Discussions with test site
previous experience coordinators regarding
related) timing

Knowledge of previous test site ·Knowledge of how long Mgr's knowledge of Etc...
designers steps take people's capabilities
Objectives of design Knowledge of process Knowledge of someone's
Experience re. What worked and design re. what's experience (someone
Content well and potential problems possible who is systematic, can
Knowing how long it will drive things upward,
really take in mask available, willing)
house
Process Knowledge Mapping
Process knowledge mapping analyzes a business
process or method to identify:
– Decision milestones (where knowledge is needed)

– Knowledge requirements (what knowledge is needed)

– Routes for access and retrieval of knowledge (through

people and technology)

– Gaps between required skills and current skills

What do you need to know? Where does the knowledge come from?
Who owns it? What knowledge, tools and templates exist today?
What knowledge, tools and templates should be created? What
barriers or issues exist ?
 Tactical Steps
• Select the process/focus area (scope)
• Identify the key business value of mapping the
knowledge – who will use it?
• Map the process(es)
– Determine routine/non-routine tasks
– Identify key decision points, hand-offs
– Locate owners of, and stakeholders in high-value processes
– Interview--follow the knowledge pathways through the
organization
– Inventory types of knowledge utilized and needed
– Identify gaps, lack of connectivity, and information overload
– Develop plan for collecting, reviewing, validating, storing and
sharing knowledge and information
• Map the knowledge against the process, using the template
 Knowledge Mapping Matrix
What Is it What
knowledge Who has Who needs Where is Is it tacit routine or issue(s)
is needed? it? it? it? or explicit? non- does it
routine? address?

(W. Vestal, APQC, 2002)

 Knowledge Mapping Steps
1) Review critical processes
2) Identify individual process steps within each process
3) Identify the knowledge required to fulfill the purpose of each
process step
Determine the knowledge required by brainstorming, or conduct
interviews with the process owners. Categorize the knowledge
Content (Explicit, Tacit, Embedded), the Social capital ( trust,
interpersonal relationships, cultural norms) and Infrastructure
( processes, tools, roles & responsibilities, incentives).
4) Identify the knowledge generated for each process step
5) Create measurement criteria for each critical process step
6) Analyze the process maps (knowledge quality, knowledge
sharing, ease of access, etc.)
 Provide Answers to the
Following
– What do you need to
Questions: (1) (2) (3) (n)

know? Process Step Conduct design Document product Develop prototype Etc…
session gap

– Where does the Objective of Gather requirements

for COTS software
Clarify requirements
not met by package
Create working
model for reqs
Etc…
Step
knowledge come from? verification

Methods and Tools Vendor Supplied Vendor Supplied Etc…

Database Methods Tools
– Who owns it? Deliverables Methods and Tools
Infrastructure Database Database

– What knowledge,tools Project Mgmt

Guidelines
Deliverables
Database
and templates exist Discussion among Discussion with Relationship Etc…
today? Social Capital
functional
consultants
vendor between vendor rep
and tech consultants
Discussion with
Connecting with Technical
– What knowledge,tools SME’s Consultants

and templates should be Knowledge of

previous design
Knowledge of
developers skills
Knowledge of
vendor’s tools
Etc…

Tacit sessions
created? Knowledge Knowledge of Experience with
Estimating package capabilities functional reqs
experience

– What barriers or issues

exist ?
 Analyze the process maps
Review completed process maps; for each process step, review
the knowledge resources and determine:
• Do we leverage this today?
• Is the knowledge available and accessible to everyone who needs it?
• Are decisions made with all the right knowledge?
• Where should we focus our improvement efforts?
• Summarize the analysis:
• Create list of key strengths (things we do well should continue)
• Create list of key opportunities for improvement (things we need to
fix), and expected benefits
Determine the knowledge required by brainstorming, or conduct
interviews with the process owners. Categorize the knowledge Content
(Explicit, Tacit, Embedded), the Social capital ( trust, interpersonal
relationships, cultural norms) and; Infrastructure ( processes, tools, roles
& responsibilities, incentives, etc.).
 Lessons Learned
• Remember the 80/20 rule
• High level mapping of the process you want to share
knowledge around is key!
• Make sure people who are intimate with the
organization and process are involved
• Update your “map” periodically – knowledge has a
shelf life (people move, technology changes, etc.)
• Do something with it – if you map for the sake of
mapping, you’ve lost! What is the value proposition?
Knowledge Mapping

• Questions
• Suggestions
• Concerns

A method of analysis to define the knowledge needed and the

knowledge available to support a business process
 USAID Examples
• EGAT
– Agricultural Trade Programming Tool

• Global Health
– HIV/AIDS
– http://inside.usaid.gov/GH/technical/so4/hivcop
/index.html
Discussion
• Which processes
should be mapped?
• Who will do it?
• How should we
coordinate the
effort?

A method of analysis to define the knowledge needed and the

knowledge available to support a business process
Next Steps...
Leadership

Share
Create

Apply Organizational
Knowledge Identify
Measurement Culture
-needed by Processes
Organize -supporting Strategies
Collect
Adapt

Technology

KM Enablers

KM Processes -American Productivity Quality Center