Organizational Development for Knowledge Management at Water ...

50 | Organizational Development for Knowledge Management at Water Utilities
INDIVIDUAL ASSESSMENT INTERPRETATIONS
It is suggested that several managers in the utility take the Assessment Instrument, then use
a team dialogue approach to arrive at a common understanding of your utility’s readiness to implement
a KM strategy.
When the Assessment Instrument has been completed by each individual, an assessment
scoring sheet will appear. The total score provided at the top is intended as a general guideline. It
is one indicator, but not sufficient, to determine the 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.
Just below a discussion of your overall score appears a bar chart that maps out the items
scored at each of the five levels of the Likert scale. This represents the items at levels 1, 2 and 3
that may require additional reflection, and the items at levels 4 and 5 that may assist in your implementation
strategy. Finally, the assessment scoring sheet will provide ideas and suggested areas for
reflective thought related to each of the 1, 2 or 3 levels selected.
For additional information on the assessment scoring and evaluation, the generic template
used to support the assessment scoring sheet in the toolkit is included in Appendix D.
THE ASSESSMENT INSTRUMENT AS A TOOL
While the Assessment Instrument is developed to assist in determining a utility’s readiness
to implement a KM strategy, the final determination of readiness lies with the utility’s leadership.
They are the experts who know the intended KM strategy, the management and leadership styles,
the history and organizational structure of the utility, the utility’s ability to learn and change, and
the environment within which the utility operates.
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