Knowledge Management Tools

Knowledge Management Cycle

How has that
knowledge been
utilized?
Create insights and
new knowledge
through merging
existing resources
Documentation that
facilitates access to tacit
knowledge
Highlight key
points
Dissemination-
print; electronic media;
face-to-face
• Websites and Web portals
• Resource libraries
• Searchable databases
• eLearning platforms
• Mobile applications
• Physical resource centers
• Help desks
https://www.globalhealthlearning.org/course/population-health-and-environment
• Guidelines
• Journal articles
• Manuals
• Job aids
• Project reports/briefs
• Toolkits
https://www.k4health.org/toolkits/phe
• Workshops
• Seminars
• Meetings
• Webinars
• Forums
• Conferences
• Communities of Practice
• Peer Assist
• Knowledge Cafes
• After Action Review
• Storytelling
Knowledge Management Tools
 Tool #1:
Communities of Practice
What is a Community of Practice?

A community of practice
(CoP) is a group of
individuals who interact
over time and are bound
together by a shared interest
or purpose.

Communities of practice
have the capacity to both
share and generate
knowledge.
CoP Common Features

CoPs can be face-to-face or virtual. Features include:

A space for conversation and discussion

Ability to share documents

Access to experts

Community management tools

CoP Design Principles

1. Focus on value to individual members and to

organization
2. Accept different levels of participation
3. Create a rhythm for the community
4. Develop public and private community spaces
5. Link with external resources
6. Combine routine events with new activities
 Tool #2:
Peer Assists

Presentation materials adapted from:

USAID ASSIST Project,
Source: World USAID,
Bank (2015) and the
Art of Knowledge CGIAR Knowledge
Exchange
sharing toolkit
What is a Peer Assist?

“A facilitated event in which

peers with relevant
experience share their
knowledge and experience
with a team that has
requested help.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObmQyW3EiiE
Source: World Bank (2015) Art of Knowledge Exchange
What are the benefits?
• Targets a specific task or technical challenge.
• Gains assistance and insights from people outside the
team.
• Identifies possible approaches and new lines of
inquiry.
• Promotes sharing of lessons learned and best practices
• Develops strong networks among people involved.
Participants
• The learning team shares their problem
and listens in order to understand and
learn from their peers.

• Peers share knowledge and experience to

help resolve the challenge.
The Peer Assist Process

1. Develop a clear definition of the problem

2. Select and invite participants
3. Time the meeting carefully
4. Appoint a Facilitator
5. Appoint a Note taker
6. Run the peer assist meeting
7. Develop a set of lessons learned
Key Points

• Make sure everyone is clear

about the purpose and their role
• Give participants time to prepare
(give materials in advance)
• Share the knowledge learned
• The Facilitator should not be
someone associated with the
learning team
• Allow enough time for
discussion
 Lessons
Learned:

Tool #3: 1)
2)

After Action Reviews

3)

Presentation materials adapted from:

USAID ASSIST Project,
Source: World USAID,
Bank (2015) and the
Art of Knowledge CGIAR Knowledge
Exchange
sharing toolkit
 What is an After Action Review?

An After Action Review (AAR) is a

brief meeting of team members to
reflect on an event or task they have
just accomplished and discuss what
can be done better or differently in
the future.
Why do an AAR?

AARs allow the team to learn from its experience

in order to take the lessons learned into the next
phase of the project or to accomplish the task
more effectively the next time it is done.
Goals of an AAR

• Capture best practices and

identify lessons learned from
experience

• Capture multiple
perspectives of what
happened and why

• Encourage feedback for

improved performance
Conducting an AAR

• AARs can be done upon completion of an

activity
• Anyone who was involved can participate
• AARs can be done virtually (phone, Skype)
or face-to-face
• Everyone has the opportunity to share
AAR Best Practices

1. Hold the AAR as soon as possible

2. Create an open environment
3. Appoint a Facilitator
4. Appoint a note taker to record key points
5. Engage all participants
6. Share the findings
Sample AAR questions

• What did we set out to do?

• What did we actually do?
• If there were differences, what caused
them?
• What worked well? Why?
• What will we do differently next time?
• What are some future opportunities to
apply what we learned?
Tool #4: Knowledge Café
What is a Knowledge Café?
Multiple small groups engage in a
facilitator-led conversation.
These groups often meet
simultaneously, and people can
move from table to table sharing
their tacit knowledge.

Café host does not guide the group

to a specific conclusion.

Goal is that new ideas, news of

thinking, and new solutions can
 Knowledge Café Process

1. Introduction: Café host welcomes participants and distributes participants to

start at a “home” table.
2. Round 1: Table host encourages guests to write or draw key ideas around
discussion topic, and records discussion.
3. Round 2…: Table host briefly shares main ideas from last conversation with
new guests
4. Final round: Returns to “home” table. Table host shares what visitors
contributed; table guests share what they learn from visits to other tables
5. Whole group conversation: Café host facilitates whole group conversation to
share discoveries and insights. Patterns can be identified, collective
knowledge grows
Group Discussion

• Have you used any of these KM tools (CoP, Peer

Assist, AAR, Knowledge Café) before? In what
context?
• Which KM tool(s) would you like to use? In what
context?
• Do you know of or have used any other knowledge
sharing tools?
Additional Resources
• After Action Review. USAID ASSIST Project; 2014. Available:
https://www.usaidassist.org/resources/after-action-review
• Knowledge Sharing Toolkit. After Action Review. CGIAR.
Available: http://www.kstoolkit.org/After+Action+Review
• Art of Knowledge Exchange. The World Bank. 2016. Available:
https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/24950
• Peer Assist. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United
Nations. Available:
http://www.fao.org/elearning/course/FK/en/pdf/trainerresources/P
G_PeerAssist.pdf
Storytelling: PHE Voices
Small Group Discussion

• What brings you to this training?

• What did you learn this morning that you didn't
already know?
• How have you used storytelling in your work?