Page 29 - Service Delivery Review_Volume 14_Number 3_2022

KM CoP Case Studies

FOCUS AND SCOPE OF KM KM CHAMPIONS

The NT KM strategy is focused on three main issues, name- We have been fortunate that the leadership of the NT has
ly: (1) the development and implementation of an Integrated always been aware of the benefits of KM to the organisa-
Knowledge Processing System; (2) facilitating the adoption tion. Much of this goes back to the early 2000s when the
and implementation of knowledge operations in the busi- department took the first baby steps towards KM. Over the
ness units; and (3) organisational capacity building and years this has created an enabling environment that en-
end-to-end business process mapping. courages experimentation and trial and error. Moreover, the
different chief directorates within the NT continue to dem-
Integrated Knowledge Processing System onstrate high levels of awareness and appreciation of the
This focus area drives the formalisation and standardisation value add of KM in their work. Not only do they value the
of knowledge processing within the NT. We do this tacti- partnership with their KM colleagues, but this value shows
cally by creating awareness of the benefits of KM for the itself in willingness to plan and allocate resources for their
respective operational areas. specific KM related needs.
Knowledge operations in the business units LESSON LEARNED
This focus area concerns facilitation of the adoption and
implementation of knowledge operations in the business We at the National Treasury have been on this long journey
units. Its purpose is to support and enable NT divisions to of institutionalising KM. It is a process that is far from over
embed and implement knowledge operations in their busi- and one that we continue to learn from and refine as our
ness processes. business environment evolves. In conclusion, this section
looks at some of the lessons learned over the past decade
Business process mapping or so of grappling with the complexities of implementing
This focus area relates to organisational capacity building KM.
and end-to-end business process mapping to ensure the
development, implementation and maintenance of opera- Evidence-based approach
tional business processes, procedures and how-to guides We have learned that KM can best be sold by using the
for business units within the NT. Emphasis on business pro- evidence-based approach. This means being sure of your
cess mapping was a major entry point for selling KM within story when you engage executives and other senior man-
the NT as people could thereby directly see the interven- agers. Building evidence might include benchmarking and
tion’s value add. supporting your case from a range of sources, including
your peers in the Public Sector. It may even involve being
LOCATION brave enough to open yourself up to internal auditing pro-
cesses, in the process of which, in the NT, our colleagues
While in the preceding sections the location of KM activities did their independent research and benchmarking, produc-
was inferred, its importance merits clear restatement. The ing valuable feedback.
decentralised approach we have taken to the implementa-
tion is such that the various business units define their own Avoid one-size-fits-all
KM needs. These needs are based on their respective busi- We are often encouraged to craft KM strategies to bring uni-
ness processes so as to ensure ownership and account- formity in implementation. This might suggest that advising
ability. A KM practitioner might not be an expert in account- against taking a one-size-fits-all approach is a contradiction.
ing or any other area of business within the NT. In other However, introducing something new and not easily under-
words, one might not be able to operationally manage that stood calls for a nuanced approach. To build trust, a lot of
knowledge but be able to support the respective experts in time needs to be spent on educating or creating spaces for
managing their knowledge. In this sense, the KM Directo- conversations. Moreover, committing to change manage-
rate is like a group of consultants to the other functional ment through KM is in the first place about creating aware-
areas of the NT. ness, educating and repeating yourself. Have a THICK SKIN.
This determines whether you are going to break through or
The KM Directorate itself is located within Corporate Ser- not.
vices and therefore benefits from the coordination role that
that division plays in the development and implementation Through sustained conversations, we have learned that it
of corporate-wide policies. Moreover, strategic planning, does not help to be dogmatic and pushy in selling KM in our
monitoring and evaluation are corporate service functions. organisations. From a practitioner perspective, KM might be
This kind of proximity is a game-changer in terms of trans- a matter of “life or death”, but to colleagues burdened by
lating policy to practice. It ensures that KM becomes part of work and capacity issues, it might be a “nice to have”.
the planning, monitoring and evaluation processes.
Focus on quick wins
A better tactic is to focus on quick wins that demonstrate
value and then work backwards to the strategies. At the

Volume 14 No.3 of 2022 | SERVICE DELIVERY REVIEW 29