Information and knowledge management for NRM

From Regional Knowledge Resource Kit

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Why is information and knowledge management important?

We all use information and knowledge in our work, but have you ever stopped and thought about how well you and your colleagues are managing information and knowledge:

• Is your organisation properly storing its information? Is it secure? Is it organised in a way that makes it accessible? Do people share the information they have in their bookcases or desk drawers?
• Can staff easily access your organisation’s information stores so that they can readily respond to issues and stakeholder requests?
• Are staff in your organisation free from information overload?
• Is your organisation aware of the difference between "information" and "knowledge" and the different ways in which they need to be managed?
• Can staff easily access past work so that the organisation is not constantly re-inventing the wheel?
• Do staff know how to find that elusive knowledge in the ‘hidden’ web?
• Are you communicating information and knowledge to your stakeholders in the best possible way? Do know if what you are doing is working?
• Are you accessing the best available information and knowledge to use in your decision making?

If you answered "no" to any of these questions then you need to improve the way in which your organisation is managing information and knowledge.

Did you know...
How much information will be generated worldwide this year?

...the astonishing speed of change is illustrated in the "Shift Happens" slide-show

The cost to your organisation of staff not finding information?

...managers often delay or reject information and knowledge management initiatives on the basis of cost, but what is the cost to your organisation if staff can't find the information they need? Take a look at this blog post.

How much time is wasted looking for information in Australia?

...according to Information Management Journal (1 November 2007):

"Australian managers spend 67 minutes a day searching for corporate information to support their decision making, according to a new survey. But that's nothing: Marketing managers Down Under spend almost 90 minutes each day looking for data".

What can we do?

1. Understand the difference between information and knowledge

The words "information" and "knowledge" are often used interchangeably in the NRM sector. However, they are actually different things. Don't dismiss the difference - while a new database may be an ideal solution to your organisation's information storage needs, it can never be a solution to managing your organisation's knowledge as that knowledge is in people's heads.

To learn more about the difference between information and knowledge and why understanding the difference is important click here.

2. Develop an Information and Knowledge Strategy

Don't assume that you know what is actually happening with information and knowledge management in your organisation or that you can readily identify the solutions. This is particularly the case with knowledge - can you know what is going on in the minds of every staff member in your organisation? Use the IKRK Information and Knowledge Strategy resources to fully explore what is really happening with both information and knowledge management in your organisation and then collaboratively identify solutions.

3. Understand your information management responsibilities

Your organisation is custodian of its information. It is responsible for:

• Managing information, storing information securely and describing information so as to make it visible and, where appropriate, accessible.
• Making information available for evidential and historical purposes.
• Archiving information in accordance with legislative requirements resource.

In managing its information, your organisation needs to be mindful of its legislative requirements resource in relation to matter such as:

• Record keeping and archiving.
• Copyright.
• Legal deposit.
• Intellectual property.
• Public access to Australian publicly funded research.
• Internet publishing.

See the legislative requirements resource for guidance.

4. Learn more about information and knowledge management

Use the IKRK resource library to learn about a wide range of information and knowledge management topics.

5. Adopt and promote information and knowledge management principles in your organisation

Information management principles

Information is a valuable organisational asset that feeds into strategic and operational requirements. The management of information as a resource ensures that information can be easily found, reliably identified and constitutes a record of decision making.

A key principle of information management (IM) is that as far as possible systems should facilitate information being entered into electronic form only once, then being reused in many different ways through standard inter-application interfaces: a "store once, use many times" approach. Information sharing is about getting the right information to the right people at the right time to serve the right objectives. This occurs when people share information or when people access information stored in systems.

Other information management principles include:

• Productivity and efficiency through effective storage of information – IM an important component of organisational effectiveness.
• Information ownership and custodianship for consistency, coordination and control of business activities.
• Accessibility – use "metadata" to describe information assets which makes them visible and easily re-used. "Metadata" is "information about information", that is, a list of important things about a piece of information for example its title, who wrote it, when it was written, and a summary of what it is about.
• Personal responsibility - everyone needs to be actively thinking about the way in which they are using, sharing and storing information and knowledge.
• Mitigation of risk - is there a business continuity plan to ensure the organisation’s vital records will be preserved in the event of a major disaster?
• Use and re-use of information - avoidance of rework and redundancy of resources and effort.
• Provide the source of the information – identify and make accessible (accountability).
• Delivery of seamless stakeholder experience.
• Record keeping.
• Accuracy and fit for purpose.
• Compliance and accountability – IM practices to comply with statutory and regulatory requirements e.g. FOI, security, privacy.
• Interoperability of systems – breaking down information silos.

Information sharing principles

• Management of personal information stores so that work related knowledge is not lost to an organization. Did you know that professionals spend 5-15% of their time reading information, but up to 50% looking for it?
• Describe documents/objects with a useful title and keywords (metadata).
• Place information in open databases where others may share - accessibility.
• Recognise, reward and contribute to information sharing.
• Encourage others in information sharing.

Knowledge management principles

• Share what you know and help others learn.
• Has this been done before? Don’t reinvent the wheel!
• Collaboration.
• Synthesis - transfer knowledge concisely rather than overloading your audience.
• Learning.
• Team work.
• Innovation / creativity.
• Use networks of expertise.
• Promote knowledge champions.
• Language - make sure it is appropriate to the audience.
• Knowledge is volunteered, never conscripted.
• We know more than we can say, and we say more than we can write down.
• We only know what we know when we need to know it.
• Being well connected. The Paul Revere story provides a good example why.