A Knowledge Strategy

Table 3: Piloting knowledge management tools and processes
KM tool
Two or three
Thematic Groups
(COP’s)
Two Peer Assists
Priority area/s
The Thematic Groups should be
prioritised from the following highimpact
areas:
• Existing modular groups
• Improve the delivery of Municipal
Infrastructure
• Improve the capacity of low-rated
clients, defaulters and potential
defaulters
• Improve Provincial strategies
• Energy?
The Peer Assists should be
prioritised from the following areas:
• Client appraisal and early review,
to speed up the borrower
appraisal process
• Proposal preparation and
appraisal processes
• Project design and technical
assistance processes Internal
education on the Treasury
• Client risk rating reviews
undertaken by Risk Management
(before publishing the review)
• Private sector funding –
preparation for first engagement
and early review. Initial
ratification, to identify new
business development
opportunities
• Project evaluation
• Developing risk management
solutions (Already initiated by the
Risk Management Unit)
• Prior to Private sector funding
negotiation phase.
Recommendations
Thematic-based COP’s already exist
in the DBSA in the modular areas.
However their goals are not clear,
and the knowledge assets that they
create have either not been
validated or formalized. Priority is to
provide the skills, the moderation
capability and information
infrastructure to improve the
outputs of these groups.
Especially exciting is the prospect
of creating COP’s where tools,
learning’s, philosophies and
approaches may be validated and
shared with clients. A strong and
defensible methodology, an easy to
use virtual infrastructure, as well
as the development of COP
moderation skills are the required
inputs to what may become a
powerful way for the DBSA to speed
up capacity building, create and
share knowledge assets.
The Peer Assist process has been
positioned predominantly as a
learning and risk mitigation tool for
important decision points, as well
as for areas of the business where
technical skills are at a premium.
Some Units are already realising
the benefits of the Peer Assist
process. The peer assist process
should be simple and repeatable,
as it is has a high potential to build
internal capacity in the DBSA. The
internal ability to conduct a peer
assist should be developed to the
point where a strong internal cadre
of peer assist process facilitators
are available, and the methodology
is entrenched as a way of helping
and raising the standards of
professionalism. The key is sticking
to the ethos of the peer assist and
making sure that participants are
fully recognised for their
contributions.
40 Development Bank of Southern Africa