Organizational Development for Knowledge Management at Water ...

Chapter 8: The KM Toolkit | 85
Bibliography, Suggested Reading, and Glossary
The KM Toolkit also includes a Bibliography, Suggested Reading and a Glossary. The
Bibliography is a systematic list of books and other works such as articles used to prepare the toolkit.
Suggested Reading is a short list of books and articles suggested for reading to further understand
KM. The Glossary provides detailed definitions for knowledge and terms related to knowledge
for those who wish to reflect deeply on these terms. Note that each tool is defined and described
individually under Tools.
FINAL THOUGHTS
In summary, the KM Toolkit has been developed to aid drinking water utility leaders and
managers who desire to implement KM strategies in their utilities. In addition to the Assessment
Instrument, and detailed procedures for Planning→Preparing→Executing→Sustaining a KM
strategy is provided, together with tools, many additional Ideas, and examples of drinking water
utility projects and external case studies.
Implementing a KM strategy is different than most other organizational projects because it
includes employees, their culture, perspectives, behaviors, how they relate to each other and their
utility, the structure of the utility, and management and leadership styles and responsibilities. In
addition to the complexity of these aspects of a KM strategy, KM often represents a sea-change in
the self-image and operation of the utility.
Perhaps the single largest difference between a KM strategy project and other projects is
that KM cannot be forced on an organization by historic leadership and management control. KM
projects succeed when employees and managers create an environment within the utility in which
knowledge creation, sharing, leveraging and application occurs naturally.
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