How IRC manages knowledge sharing

Dear all,

This is Dick de Jong from IRC. Let me share the approach in IRC on ‘Managing people’s knowledge’. We look into three different realms: the personal, organizational and network realm. The boundary between the latter two is not sharp.

Reality shows that IRC staff works with a lot with people outside IRC; every IRC staff member has her / his own network. Next to that IRC is member of a number of institutional networks like the Recourse Centre Development (RCD) – networks and all sorts of partnerships. The latest is a proposed community of practice on School Sanitation and Hygiene Education (SSHE). In addition, the boundaries between the various networks are not sharp and networks overlap. It is a big cross over of information and people and thus knowledge.

Networks perceive ‘Knowledge sharing’ / ‘Knowledge development’ as the major KM aspect or equal to KM. Managing knowledge in the organisational realm is relatively easier then in the network realm, because there is more opportunity, e.g. in face-to-face meetings, to make arrangements, setup systems and instruct people.

Rnagwen of KM interventions

IRC is using a range of KM interventions or processes, mainly on knowledge sharing, such as the communication meeting, section meetings, Junior professional Officers (JPOs) exchanges and learning, and sharing standard format travel reports on IntraNet. Newer KM interventions are ‘invented’ and implemented, for example travel free weeks for staff to brainstorm and share knowledge, learning alliances and thematic groups. The list (see also below) shows that KM pops up in many professional activities.

Combine with explicit and tacit knowledge

The combination of personal, organisational and network realm with explicit and tacit knowledge results in the table below.

Realm Explicit Tacit
Personal A B
Organ. C D
Network E F

Based on this the range of KM interventions within IRC can be categorises as follows.

In the personal realm:

A Content management for the Web
A Sharing contacts; make them accessible for all staff
B Personal; Commitment Sheets (PCS; within the hierarchy, staff is empowered in personal learning
B 'Knowledge sharing' in job profile
B Apprentice (JPOs)

In the IRC organizational realm:

C Setup Website / Intranet, portal family and IRCDOC
C Document / workflow and file management
C/D Decentralise content management website towards content managers
D ICT group

C Bi-weekly communication meetings
C Bi-weekly section meetings
C Every two weeks there are one hour presentations on two different IRC topics to all staff, where knowledge is shared, brainstormed and discussed, followed by drinks next door.
C Two weeks per year in which all staff needs to be in the house to share knowledge between sections and brainstorm about improvements.

In the IRC network realm

E MoU's and partnerships (CREPA & WASTE)
E/F Offering the website setup / portal family
F Offering training in content management for partners
C/D/E/F WELL KM distant learning module, training, case studies, shared between WELL partners
C/D/E/F Decentralised management of and content sharing between the three editions of Source newsletters (CREPA, H2Onet and CINARA)

In various wider realms:

B/D/F Multi section missions
C/D/E/F Decentralised content management for IRCDOC

Dick de Jong
Infromation and Communication Officer
IRC International Water and Sanitation Centre
P.O. Box 2869
2601 CW Delft
The Netherlands
T +31 15 2192961
F +31 15 2190955
E jong@irc.nl
W www.irc.nl