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Pels KM Framework

Conversations / Activities

Documentation (of the process)

Dissemination / Communication

Information

Learning, Research & Sharing

Internet, ICT & web 2.0

Networks of people / social network

The framework is meant to point at major blocks of processes for ‘KM interventions’. While imagining knowledge management I assume a 'Network of people' to have conversations and do activities represented by the top block. Activities like 'Learning, Research & (Knowledge) Sharing' must take place, from very cumbersome to highly complicated and perhaps even un-learning takes place.

These processes can be managed; that is what KM is about, managing knowledge processes.

The ‘Conversations / Activities’ block also entails happenings like workshops and (lifelong) education, AAR (After Action Review = a conversation on - past - activities), but also planning (having a conversation on activities) etc. Phenomena like 'oral history', twittering, 'learning paths', but also self-study I put also in this box.

To enter a (learning / progress) loop - following the arrows - any process needs to reflect and document state of affairs, main problems, write academic paper, videotape, etc , a plethora of methods, tools and approaches.

We cannot continually have a conversation (we also have to sleep) and activities cannot be perpetual managed by the same person. Records on activities and conversations need to be passed on to next generations. Some way or another records have to keep track and for that we create information and there we arrive at the bottom block.

A person is studying on KM tools (top block; have a conversation with oneself) and keeps track of interesting URLs with a bookmark app. This way she / he is documenting the ‘finding’-process. He keeps track of the places visited, perhaps with comments and / or tags. That information collection could be - curated or not - disseminated amongst a group of users; communication. Shared bookmark apps exist. Instead of bookmark app you can also read 'blog'.

Now, take a meeting (top block and more than 1 person) with only pen and paper for documentation (right block). The minutes / action lists / etc will be information (bottom block); perhaps stored in a file cabinet. A wall newspaper might be used for communication (left block) or a bulletin board at a supermarket. It is not difficult to think how the blocks populate when running a website or Intranet; the editorial team is top block and the website the bottom.

With little effort one can find the four blocks in real life constantly. A village group organises itself (activity) and produce a handpump maintenance scheme (document) and keep track of developments (information). Perhaps the developments must be reported back (left block) to the whole community (top block).

Please be aware of the multiple top blocks indicating that there is a multitude of networks of people. So the above village group is network 1 and the whole community network 2. There are also networks of people that do not want to document at all or only think in 1 top box. In organisations the various conversations are squeezed into hierarchies where 'lower level conversations' report to higher ones.

Now Web X.Y affects the whole loop. For example the speed going through all the steps of the loop increases. It is easier to capture data / information (and call it documentation) with IT. IT is going to be more and more personal though mobile technology use; some conversations are more digital than F2F. So for the lower three blocks it is obvious IT / Web X.Y will disrupt; positive or negative.

But also the top block is influenced by IT. Village engineers in Mindanao run a text-based help desk and spare part network; they research, share and learn with their phone. If you fancy the 'People, Process, Technology' framework you will have to draw a good proportion of overlap for 'People' and 'Technology'. The organisational primary process - the reason having conversations or engage in activities - as well as the secondary process - planning, admin and control - can be plotted against the framework.

Last, description of the arrows depend on the context (I know, the easy argument) and the content. The top right arrow could be writing a report, but mind you, that means in the top block a KM intervention must be planned (for example a knowledge sharing fair, a lecture, a round table discourse, regional consultations, 'open spaces', transect walks, etc). So here is a strong argument for KM people!

The right bottom arrow would be - sticking to the report - storing it in a place where others can find it. Left bottom could be desk-research or current contents or a tweet, buzz-app message (Facebook etc), an email with a link to a URL or a comment on G+, again a plethora of methods and tools. And the left top arrow would be the broad / narrow casting by RSS feed, newsletter, lecture, tags, reader, video collection, etc.

The point is that if you arrange KM interventions one must be sure all blocks are addressed as suitable. Only oral history traditions do not use an explicit entity (created by documentation) and their activity is purely conversation :-)