Organizational Development for Knowledge Management at Water ...

Knowledge Management Plan
A plan to implement a knowledge management initiative or strategy within a drinking water
utility.
Supports: knowledge sharing, knowledge creation, succession planning, creating a
learning organization
LEVEL OF EFFORT
SIZE OF UTILITY
SCOPE OF WORK
MED
SCALABLE
WIDE
In order to execute a Knowledge Management Plan—which would call out specific actions to
be accomplished—an individual or team must be tasked with leading implementation of the
plan. The way a plan is implemented is as important as what is being implemented. Since
knowledge is a critical asset of any utility and it is embedded in every single employee of the
organization, knowledge management cannot be done to an organization. While leadership is
necessary, effective knowledge management is accomplished from the inside-out, through
individuals, groups, teams and whole organizations becoming networked among themselves
and with external stakeholders and information sources and proactively creating, sharing and
applying information and knowledge.
As an example, a Sample KM Plan used by an organization in the Department of the Army
(DOA) is provided. However, as with the DOA, each water utility has different knowledge needs
that are heavily dependent on the size of the organization, the number and breadth of changing
environmental demands, the age and condition of the plant infrastructure, the technology
infrastructure that is in place, the level of training and expertise achieved across the
organization, the turn-over rate, the culture and many other factors. The example below was
used for an organization of around 400 people. A Knowledge Management Officer (KMO) had
been tasked as lead (a collateral duty), and had pulled together a team that crossed functional
and departmental lines to ensure coordinated implementation in their areas of work. Thus while
the description is written from the viewpoint of the KMO, the way the program was implemented
was through a KMO team. The organization also participated in a number of Communities of
Practice that connected them to other organizations working in similar functional domains.
Other connections were sustained through participation in associations similar to AWWA and
regular attendance at conferences which provided opportunities for Benchmarking.
An approved Knowledge Plan serves as a guide, a source of authority to meet objectives,
and as a contract between the implementing team and higher authority. While plans must often
be adjusted during implementation, knowledge management plans almost always require the
support and cooperation of other individuals in the utility. This must be voluntary on their part,
and is obtained only through sharing and understanding the nature and importance of
information and knowledge to the success and future of the utility. Although senior
management approval of the plan is necessary, it is also necessary for them to show visible
interest and backing for implementation of the plan. See Leadership Commitment Visibility.
One useful way to ensure success is to have all key participants and senior management
personally sign the plan document. This ensures ownership—thereby most likely backing—for
the effort.
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