Knowledge audit for a large scale government KM strategy

Abstract

The promise of increased organizational performance has brought about a high level of interest for knowledge management (KM) from the part of actors involved in research and practice over the last 15 years. Governments are also actively launching KM projects to meet increasing needs of high quality and responsiveness. This interest has contributed to the development of various aspects of knowledge management, but has also underscored a lack of systemic vision, as evidenced by the sheer number of approaches, as well as lingering skepticism in both practice and the scientific literature. In this article, we will argue for the necessity for a more global and high level analysis for orienting KM strategic planning. We illustrate the use of a new approach in the context of Quebec's efforts in planning a global and integrated KM strategy for managing its water related knowledge. This case study shows that the auditing approach provided a useful guide to identify critical issues in KM planning, particularly in a complex and large scale environment.