Organizational Development for Knowledge Management at Water ...

KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT TOOLKIT
[INSERT DATE TAKEN]
Assessment Scoring Sheet
The total score on this assessment of your drinking water utility is [TOTAL NUMBER IS
INSERTED].
As a general guideline, consider the following (with the caveats below) before determining
whether to initiate a KM strategy.
(a) If your total score is 140 or greater, your Utility should be ready to successfully
implement a KM strategy.
(b) If your total score is between 130 and 140, you may consider implementing your KM
strategy, but you may have some assessment items that need to be fixed as part of
that strategy.
(c) If your total score is between 110 and 130, you may have to delay implementation of
the full KM strategy and instead select one or more initiatives for implementation
while fixing or upgrading those specific low-scored items needed for full KM strategy
success.
(d) If your total score is under 110, low-scored items (levels 1 or 2) should be dealt with
prior to implementing a KM initiative (or perhaps a KM strategy if the weak areas are
independent of your KM strategy or they can be corrected).
CAVEATS:
While the total score is one indicator, it is not sufficient to determine your utility’s readiness to
implement a KM strategy. Other factors that may play a significant role in determining
readiness include the specific KM strategy being considered; the history, culture, size, vision
and current situation of the utility; the external environment (customers, government regulations,
local community, Unions, political issues) within which the utility operates; and the nature and
number of the items scored at level 1 or 2. For example, an item scored at level 1 or 2 could
range from highly significant to irrelevant depending upon its impact on your particular KM
strategy.
Shown below is a figure representing the spectrum of your assessment. The figure indicates
the number of items valued at levels 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5.
[A BAR CHART IS INSERTED]
This chart can be viewed from two perspectives. First, the number of items scored for a given
level indicates their potential contribution to assisting in the implementation of a KM strategy.
Second, note the stop-light colors attributed to the various levels. The two right-hand columns
(representing levels 4 and 5) are green, indicating those items fully support implementation of a
KM strategy. The center column (representing level 3) is yellow, indicating a mid-level
assessment for those items and that some caution should be maintained relative to their ability
to support implementation of a KM strategy. The two columns on the left (representing levels 1
and 2) are colored red, indicating that these items provide a low or minimum contribution to a
KM strategy. These two columns also indicate that the items represented may need to be
corrected prior to initiating a KM strategy. For example, if you have two or three assessment
items scored at a 1 or 2 level that are relevant to your specific KM strategy, yet all other items
D-5
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