Organizational Development for Knowledge Management at Water ...

CHAPTER 5
CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS AND BARRIERS TO SUCCESSFUL
IMPLEMENTATION OF KM IN DRINKING WATER UTILITIES
This chapter addresses critical success factors (CSFs) and barriers to the successful implementation
of knowledge management in drinking water utilities. The results described below were
pulled from surveys, focus groups, personal interviews with senior leaders and managers of drinking
water utilities, and the literature on organizational development, culture, and knowledge
management.
CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS IN SUCCESSFUL IMPLEMENTATION OF KM IN
WATER UTILITITES
Project 4003 survey participants were asked: What are the critical factors in your organization
that support successful implementation of new initiatives? There were 290 responses from
207 responders. Figure 5.1 shows the general areas of responses. The largest number of these
responses (17.9%) were focused on support: from leadership, management, staff, directors, the
water board, the commission, the city council, the city manager, the community, and support from
employees and other departments. Several of these coupled commitment with support.
The results displayed in Figure 5.1 were combined with the results from the leadership and
management interviews, workshops and focus groups. The barriers most often cited are described
below.
Leadership and Management Support
Leadership and management support of the KM project is critical to motivating staff personnel
and letting the employees know that the project has the full backing of senior leadership and
management. Leadership and management support not only applies to the planning phase and
beginning of the KM project, but support must be consistent throughout project implementation.
Ideally, the governing board will also have given its support, particularly if the project is a KM
strategy impacting the entire utility. Management commitment throughout the project ensures that
the project is recognized as a significant effort to improve the utility’s performance.
Lead by Example
Leading by example can substantially enhance the effectiveness of the KM project. As
leaders and managers create the KM initiative and develop the project for implementation, their
actions, communications and behavior should reflect and be consistent with the intentions of the
KM project. For example, if employees see leaders and senior managers sharing information and
knowledge and openly asking questions and considering new ideas and ways of improving the
utility’s performance, they are less likely to resist changes and more likely to adopt similar
behavior.
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