Cert III in RK - Info Mgt, Chapter 5

Well all good things must come to an end, and our Cert III in RK is no exception.  Today is the final day of the Information Management subject & Cert III.  Cast your minds back to February and our first lesson together (Business Efficiency). . . .where did the time go?

It is quite fitting that the last chapter for IM is about "reviewing information needs", as I will be reviewing the outcomes of the last seven months.  This means that I will be seeking your feedback. I will dedicate a specific space on the blog for you to post your comments.  You will be able to submit your comments (feedback) anonymously if you wish.  I appreciate your input into the course so that we are able to further improve the learning experience for our students.

Chapter 5

To kick off this lesson here is a quick quiz.  It should all get our memories recalling what we have learnt, not only in the IM subject but throughout the year.  Here are the 20 questions:

1. What is data?
2. What is information?
3. What is knowledge?
4. What is tacit knowledge?
5. What is explicit knowledge?
6. Tacit knowledge + Explicit knowledge = _________________
7. What are the linkages between these three entities?



8. List two barriers to information sharing
9. What are the four stages of the "knowledge ecosystem" (hint pg 29)
10. Identify one benefit of a KMS in the workplace
11. Identify one disadvantage of using a blog as a KMS
12. Where can I access information that I need so that it can be put into a KMS?
13. Why is it important to ensure that the information in a KMS is clear, accurate, current & relevant?
14. What is metadata and why is it important in RM?
15. What tool do we use to classify our records & why is it important?
16. Disposal can be three things.  What are they?
17. What three tools can we use when disposing of our records?
18. What is one thing in the access subject that you learnt & found useful?
19. What is one thing that you learnt in the IM subject and found useful?
20. What are you going to do differently in the workplace now that you have successfully completed Certificate III in Recordkeeping?

So how did you go with the answers?  A few challenging questions, some answers easy to recall?  It always amazes me at how much we have gone through over the last seven months!  Some of the answers required us to refer to our tacit knowledge - what we committed to memory, while some answers meant looking through the workbook for the answers. 

Did you know that Albert Einstein didn't know his own phone number?  There is a quote that he is credited for "never memorise something that you can look up", hence why he didn't know his phone number.  What I believe the moral of this story to be is that even though he couldn't recall the answer off the top of his head, he did know "where" to look for the answer.  In this scenario it was the phone book.  You may not be able to recall all of the answers to the quick quiz, however I hope that you would know where to source the answers from. 

Reviewing

So why did I get you guys to undertake the quiz?  Well it was an opportunity to review what we covered in the IM subject and also what we covered throughout the year.  It also showed us how much of the information was retained by us, or through discussion, we could recall.  This lead us to my question of "should we bother reviewing our KMS, IMS or EDRMS that we have in the workplace"?




Why do we review?


Above is an image of some of the answers to my question, Why do we review?  The blue writing is in response to my initial question.  Is there anything else that you can further contribute to the discussion?  You will also notice that there is green & red writing on our whiteboard.  The green comments relate to "planning".  Before we conduct the review process we need to plan the when, what, who & how.  This gives us a solid foundation to undertake the review process.  The red writing relates to the issues that might be faced with reviewing.  By highlighting the issues we can anticipate some of the risks that might be associated with reviewing the system. Knowing what we might be faced against can lead us to seek answers to these pitfalls and mitigate associated risks. 

Is KM dead?

I came across this interesting article - Knowledge Management in 2012?  Probably Dead.  There are further discussions about this topic.  What are your thoughts, do you think that KM is dead, or is knowledge sharing dead?  I would be interested to hear (read) your thoughts.

On a final note . . .

I would just like to say thank you for your participation throughout the year & I hope that you have found this subject & course beneficial to your self development.  I have enjoyed the interaction, thought provoking comments & general conversations that we have shared. 

Have a great week & I look forward to seeing you on October 15th at Gepps Cross.  For those of you who haven't yet advised me of your attendance at the lunch & Gepps, please don't leave it too much longer.

Share the knowledge!
Melisa

Cert III in RK - Info Mgt, Chapter 4

Hi team,

Hope that everyone has had a good week.  On the recent edition of Four Corners (ABC), they were discussing the sharing, and selling, of consumer metadata based upon the electronic data that an individual creates.  Very interesting subject and if you have a spare 40 minutes I would encourage you to watch "In Google We Trust" (Reporter Geoff Thompson).  Metadata is everwhere and it can be seen as a commodity!

To follow on from last week's multi tasking activity & discussion, here is an article that I would like to share with you.

Overview of Chapter 4

As we can see from our learning so far, many KMS originated in the late 1990’s. Since then with the advent of Web 2.0 and Web 3.0 technologies we have seen that the ways in which the world shares information has changed significantly.

It is important to remember that KM, as with RM, is always changing & evolving. We need to ensure that whatever system we have in place, whether it be for RM, KM or IM (information management), that we review the system in order to make further improvements.

So how do we improve our KMS?

To improve our KMS we need to involve others. Isn't that the whole point, generating new ideas & thoughts & then collating that information? By involving others in the process for continuous improvement we can make educated decisions on how well we are doing things. Involving others means that we seek feedback from others. This means that we can undertake the following;

Gap Analysis - To identify the gaps in the system you need to ask a number of open questions to extract answers from the users. Some questions that you could consider might include

• How is the information currently shared?
• How is the information documented in the KMS?
• How & who is accessing the KMS and how often?

It is always best to ask a variety of open, closed, reflective and probing questions. Refer to page 66 - 67 in your handbook for more info on the groups of questions that you can ask.  Can you add any more questions to the list?

Fig 1 - Courtesy of "eisenbergalex" (Flickr)

Brainstorming - this technique is used to encourage a spontaneous flow of ideas. This type of method is best usually done with smaller groups of up to 12 people. Larger groups of people may need to be broken down into smaller groups as it is easier to manage. Remember you want to encourage people to speak out and offer solutions to your questions. No ideas should be discounted & if time permits you could explore all of these solutions further.

Learning from experience

So you have decided to undertake a review of your KMS. Ideally you would have decided on the process you are going to use to gather user feedback.  We also need to document the lessons learned during the implementation & administration of our KMS.  This enables us to evolve our policy and practices to enhance successful strategies or to avoid re-making mistakes from the past.  Recording this process, both as a record in the conventional sense and as part of the KMS to improve work practices. Bearing that in mind, the KMS must be “captured” as a record for historical, administrative and legal reasons.

Continuous improvement of our systems is a vital first step to ensuring their longevity, relevance and usefulness.  Taking the time out to offer and receive feedback and to learn from our experiences has become a particularly strong feature of knowledge management.  This is likely to do with the very human approach to reflection, and the emphasis on people and communities being the major players, and not the technologies, in knowledge management.

Next week - Chapter 5

Can you believe that next week will be our final week for this subject & for Certificate III?  Wow where did the year go?  I commend you all on your efforts demonstrated throughout the year.  You have all worked so hard in developing your skills in RM.  This is evident in your submissions, countless emails I have received from you & the conversations that we have shared.  I encourage you guys to keep your networks going, even when you complete this course.  You play a vital part in how government operates, by ensuring that the records, information and knowledge is captured, maintained and readily accessible.  Be sure to share your enthusiasm with others!  Show your colleagues how important RM, IM & KM is within the workplace and continue to be the best role model within your agency.

Share the knowledge,
Melisa

Want a new challenge? Job opportunities in RM

Hi Students,

For those of you that work in SA Government, there are two job opportunities in RM that were recently advertised.  

ASO3 - RECORDSMANAGEMENT OFFICER - Vacancy No. 5595/2013

ASO5 - SENIORRECORDS MANAGEMENT PROJECT OFFICER - Vacancy No. T5602/2013     

Applications close on 20 September.  For more info visit the Notice of Vacancies website.

Good luck with your applications!

Ciao,
Melisa Z-G

Brown Bag Q&A Lunch

This was an email sent from RIMPA that I thought you may all be interested in.  Would be great to see you there!

The next Brown Bag Q&A Lunch, co-hosted State Records SA & RIM Professionals Australasia will be held at 12.30pm on Tuesday 24^th September in the Lower Ground floor Training Room at State Records Leigh Street offices.  You are invited to attend this open discussion forum, there is no cost and you can bring your lunch with you.

Around 35 people attended the last one held on Thursday 2^nd May 2013.  Representatives from both organisations were on hand to field questions and there was a great deal of discussion on sentencing and archiving with some great input, along with numerous questions from the floor.   We hope to continue these sessions every 6 months and believe that local record keepers will find benefit in attending.

While you are welcome to attend without booking, if you wish to book to assist us with numbers please RSVP to Paul Fechner:  Paul.Fechner@epa.sa.gov.au

Cert III in RK - Info Mgt, Chapter 3

Overview of Chapter 3

Well it looks like you guys are getting the hang of this blog!  Some really good discussions & comments about using a KMS.  Great effort!  I have noticed that some of you still haven't dipped your toe into the "blogosphere".  Go on. Do it.  I promise that it won't hurt a bit!

To kick off the lesson I want to show you all the above YouTube clip which challenges us to a multi tasking activity.  Not always the easiest thing to achieve!  Watch the clip & see how you go :)  There are a whole number of these brain teasers on YouTube & more recently there was a series on SBS, Test Your Brain (produced by National Geographic).  The episode (Series 1, number 3) that I watched discussed how our sense of sight can be "tricked" depending on light & motion.  It then got me thinking of how our brain interprets this information and draws on past experiences (tacit knowledge) to make an "educated" guess.  Should we always "trust" what we see?

Fig 1

After some research on DPC's intranet I came across a discussion paper about the "Eight principles of knowledge management".   (Refer to fig 1).  Lets have a look at each one of these points in more detail

            1.Knowledge management is expensive

The knowledge of employees should be viewed as an agency "asset".  Unfortunately it is rarely seen in this light or if it was we would probably have a system in place to capture the corporate knowledge.  While managing a KMS is undoubtedly expensive does this overall cost outweigh the costs of loosing corporate knowledge when employees leave? 

          2.Effective management of knowledge requires hybrid solutions of people & technology

It almost appears that people & technology go hand in hand.  The trick is trying to combine the two!    There are various KMSs that could be used to capture and distribute information across the agency (ref Fig 2)  The conclusion is that any KMS has to be two way, an exchange of ideas or a place where people can share their thoughts & ideas.  It would be a system that is transforming & changing depending on the needs of the business or the individual.  One student had mentioned, how they found a KM road map for their organisation.  It looked very formal & contained pretty diagrams.  But that's where it ended!  There wasn't any further information directing the reader where to go to add value to the KMS.  The KMS needs to be communicated to others for it to be effective!





Fig 2

Is an EDRMS the same as a KMS?  The above image depicts some brainstorming on that question.  It was decided that an EDRMS by itself wasn't, but would be a valuable resource as it would "house" the policies & procedures to support the KMS. 

         3. Knowledge management is highly political
Ever heard the saying that "knowledge is power"?  This is about people's attitude to sharing their personal knowledge with others.  You may have heard of W.I.I.F.M.  No it's not an FM radio station, it is an acronym for "What's in it for me".  If I ahare with you the easiest, and tastiest, banana cake recipe what's in it for me?  There are a number of reasons why some people are afraid to share knowledge with their colleagues (refer to point 5). 

         4. Knowledge management requires a knowledge manager
Do you have someone in your agency that is the driving force behind successful implementations?  Sharing knowledge isn't anything different.  Unless an individual, or a designated group, are held responsible for collecting, categorising knowledge & setting up a system then it's quite likely that KM won't eventuate.  Are you ready to be the driver of knoweldge management in your agency?

         5. Sharing & using knowledge are often unnatural acts
According to the discussion paper, our natural tendency is to hoard our knowledge (relates to point 3).  It can be threatening to some people when others ask "so how do you . . . " It means that you are confronted with sharing your knowledge & what about if your knowledge isn't right, or it may be challenged further?

         6. Knowledge management never ends
Cast your mind back to your first mobile phone.  I remember the one that I owned.  It was the size, and weight, of a small brick!  How things have changed & progressed.  Not only do phones make & receive phone calls but we can take photos, emails, text & picture message & check our FB (facebook) status.  As technology evolves so does our thirst for knowledge grow.  We need to keep changing to ensure that we are keeping up with the newest trends.  This can be adapted to almost anything new to us.  Wanting to know a tasty & easy banana cake recipe, or sharing info on how to make a blog.  As the saying goes, "you learn something new every day".  What new things did you learn today?

         7. Knowledge access is only the beginning
Getting people to access the KMS & using it can be a task in itself.  Depending on the KMS that you install, may require training so that users are confident & comfortable in using it.  How do you feel about using the blog as a KMS?  As time goes on your confidence levels will increase.  Some of you may even start your own blog :)

         8. Knowledge management requires a knowledge contract
Is the knowledge of employees owned or rented?  This is an interesting question which raises some interesting points.  We have heard of the term Intellectual Property, but how does this relate to knowledge gained during the course of your employment?  Consider the following scenario:  Sally has been working in the agency for 3 years & during this time has become quite a whizz at using the EDRMS.  The agency has paid for her to attend training courses to increase her knowledge in operating the EDRMS.  An external job is advertised & seeks someone with the same skills as Sally.  Sally applies for the position and is successful.  Because Sally gained her knowledge & experience in the previous agency, can she apply & use it in her new role?  Ultimately who "owns" the knowledge, Sally or her employer?

Organisations may view the knowledge of their employees belongs to them & can only be used during the course of their employment with the company . . .

Johari Window

Fig 3 - Johari Window

The Johari window is a tool that when used can improve self awareness between a group.  It can also contribute to people sharing their knowledge about a particular topic.  Some people have described it as an "information processing tool".  The window is divided into four quadrants representing "open" (information about person known by them self & others), "blind self" (what is known about a person by others in the group, but is unknown by the person),"hidden self" (what is known to ourselves but unknown to others) and "unknown self" (unknown to self and to others).  Further info is available here.

Social Networking

Take a closer look at social networking and how society today uses this as a medium to create and evolve online communities.  

With the use of social media comes certain risks & benefits.  Refer to pg 49 in your workbook for further info.  When posting comments on this blog you may not want to name your agency, try to keep that info as a broad statement for example, "the council (agency) that I work for".

Why aren’t Tweets (micro blogs) any good for use as a KMS?

• With Twitter, information sharing is limited to 140 characters per tweet
• Abbreviations and acronyms often make the message difficult to read or understand often leaving a true interpretation in doubt
• Because it is a short message information may be incomplete
• Much of the information is not relevant to our needs - depending on who you are following
• The information is often someone’s opinion and not verifiable fact
• The original source of the information can not be confirmed.

Gepps Cross Tour - RSVP required

Can students please RSVP if they would like to attend lunch prior to the tour, so that a booking can be made. 

Details have been sent out to all students of where lunch is going to be held.

And in the spirit of sharing knowledge, for those of you who are interested, here is the most easiest Banana Cake I've ever made.  Enjoy :)

Share the knowledge!
Melisa

Cert III in RK - Info Mgt, Chapter 2

Hi Team,

Hope that everyone has been enjoying the sun!  I hear that by Thursday it's going to be wet & cold again. Soak up the sun while we can :)

Knowledge Management System

This week we take a look at ‘knowledge management systems’ and we learn that Knowledge Management Systems, when implemented correctly, can be a powerful asset for any organisation. 



Figure 1



The above image is what was discussed in class, last year, about KMSs. 

To kick off the lesson my initial question to the class revolved around "What does a KMS mean to you?"  Answers were varied (in black text) but the main constant was that the system needs to be accessible to all users.  Other points that were discussed also included that any system, knowledge, information or records based, needs to ensure it is:

• Relevant to the user
• Only current information/knowledge is promoted on the system
• Accurate information that can be relied upon
• Clear information that all users are able to understand & interpret.

The text in green identified the various tools that can be used when designing or using a KMS.  You will notice that there is a combination of technological & hard copy resources.  Systems do not have to be electronic, however IT systems can be a good way in helping you organise, store & share the information. 

A KMS however isn't just about policies & procedures documenting KM.  It is more than that!  It requires cultural change & support from management to implement a successful KMS.  You could say that KM is also about the attitude & behaviours that people demonstrate towards sharing information.  Some people will willingly offer & share information while other people may have a strong opposition to sharing information.  The KMS is only as good as the information that is put into it.  It will require users to input information into the system to make it a worthwhile tool for the organisation.

While conducting some research on KMS I came across this site on the SAGE website.  It appears that nothing new has been added to it for awhile.  It tells me that maybe KM isn't taken seriously within the business.  Your thoughts?

Case Studies

The following links provide some interesting reading & case studies into KM.  Read the articles and then consider the following:

• Who is the organisation in the case study & give an overview of what they do

• What did they introduce & how did they go about it

• What were the positive, if any, and negative, if any, outcomes identified in the case study.

The ABS as per your workbook, Centrelink, insurance company CNA and law firm Appleby Spurling & Kempe.

 

Fig 2

This brings me to the question, what makes a good knowledge management system?  Fig 2 shows some ideas that previous students have come up with. Here are a few other points that should also be considered:

• A culture which values sharing information,
• A definition of information and knowledge,
• A strategic and innovative approach to managing records,
• A key element in the ABS approach to managing knowledge is its simplicity,
• Embraced, used and driven by senior management,
• Easy to use,
• Staff training provided,
• Clear scope for future generations, information must be migrated as technology evolves,
• Promote a collaborative (IE. non-competitive) approach to the work – meaning to  make extensive use of multi-disciplined teams and place a lot of emphasis on adopting a "corporate approach". This means that work groups are usually very willing to share their information and knowledge with others, and
• Use social networking as a means to share knowledge regardless of where their staff are located. The organisation captured knowledge by holding informal ‘presentations’ on Fridays where staff come together and discuss the week’s work over drinks.

So if you are planning to develop a KMS for your agency or workplace you might want to start small & grow from there.

Commendations

Congratulations to all students who have participated in this blog.  I have really enjoyed reading your comments, even though I may not have a chance to respond to all of your posts I can tell that you have been seriously thinking about KM in the workplace.  Great work.  Keep it up!

Blog Suggestions 

Here are some helpful reminders when posting comments:

• Be sure to sign your name at the end of your post, if you haven't signed in as a user
• Prepare a draft version of what you plan to post to the blog.  That way if your comments are not posted you have a copy to refer to.
• I was informed that there is a maximum character count for your posts (4000). So please keep your posts concise & to the point
• When posting be sure to post under the correct topic.  EG if you have a tip about using the blog please post under the "Hints and Tips" page.
• Make sure you are capturing your posts as screen shots, ready for your final submission

Assignments

Look out for this week's question.  For those students who haven't responded to Week 1, Chapter 1 questions please do so NOW!  In the coming days I will be closing off all new comments, which means that you will not be able to respond to my posts.  It is important that you are keeping up to date with posting your comments.  Do not leave it to the last minute.

Have a great week & remember to share the knowledge!

Ciao,
Melisa

Do you want to take a tour of the archives?

This is an invitation for all Cert III students

I am very happy to announce a class excursion to the Gepps Cross Research Centre has been organised.  You will have an opportunity to take a look at "behind the scenes" of an archive and get to see some of South Australia's history! 

Details of the excursion are:

WHEN: Tuesday, October 15th
WHERE: Foyer - Gepps Cross Repository, 115 Cavan Road, Gepps Cross 5094
TIME: 2:30pm - 4:00pm
RSVP: email/phone Melisa OR post comment on blog, by 2nd October

Please be advised that students are required to make their own way to and from Gepps Cross as transportation is not supplied.  You may wish to "car pool" with fellow students or meet us there.

Hope that you can make it!