Organizational Development for Knowledge Management at Water ...

Collaborative Problem Solving Forum 6
An approach for creating and sharing knowledge about best practices.
Supports: collaboration, problem solving, process improvement, workforce learning
LEVEL OF EFFORT
SIZE OF UTILITY
SCOPE OF WORK
MED
SCALABLE
WIDE
A forum is a periodic meeting or gathering for purposes of discussion, dialogue or debate. It
is a means of sharing information, knowledge and research while focusing on common interests
and challenges. A well-facilitated forum can be an excellent approach to creating and sharing
knowledge about best practices. These forums can serve a variety of purposes such as solving
relevant, day-to-day problems; building trust among community members by actually learning
from and helping each other; and solving problems in a public forum thereby creating a common
understanding of tools, approaches, and solutions. This is also an effective approach for groups
to develop common standards and guidelines.
A five-step roadmap for problem solving as a means to generate new knowledge is provided
below which can be used by an individual or a group. It is a variation on an approach commonly
used for problem solving. This roadmap works well for best practices that can easily be reused;
for example, methodologies, analytical models, diagnostic approaches, case studies, and
benchmark data. The steps are: (1) Define a problem, (2) Conduct analysis, (3) Generate
ideas, (4) Select a best practice or solution, and (5) Capture the knowledge in explicit form.
(1) Problem Exploration and Definition
Explore the problem and determine if additional information is needed. For example,
members of the group may decide to observe specific practices, or research existing information
on a topic. Methods to collect additional information might include conducting interviews with
impacted individuals or subject matter experts.
Jumping to a conclusion without understanding a problem can save time, but it can also waste
time if you solve the wrong problem. Before jumping to the wrong conclusion, consider the
following:
Examine the problem from all angles. Try to see it from the perspective of different
utility stakeholders.
Separate fact from fiction. Perception is important, but it must be distinguished from
fact.
Identify key players affected by the problem. Who is responsible for solving the
problem, and who has the authority to accept and implement a solution?
Dissect or decompose the situation. Break the problem down into pieces.
Develop a plan for gathering information. Use surveys, interviews, observations,
brainstorm sessions, or benchmark reviews if needed.
6 Adapted from the Department of the Navy cPort Toolkit
C-29
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