Date: February 2 -4, 2000
Location: Benton Foundation, Washington, D.C

In an era of rapid globalization, there is a common concern within the international development community about the effective management of organizational knowledge. Often referred to as "Knowledge Management", KM is a concept that has evolved from the private sector in the context of the emergent knowledge economy. Based on the assumption that knowledge is the foundation for equitable and sustainable development, KM has recently become a top priority for key decision-makers in the development milieu.

But what is Knowledge Management? And how can your organization benefit from it? While there exists increasing interest in the concept of KM, there is also great uncertainty about what it really means and how to go about it.

GOALS:

The workshop will serve to clarify the concept and situate KM in the particular cultures and practices of the international development community. Specific workshop objectives include:

• Knowledge networking: understand what other organisations are doing in the field of KM, including approaches to fostering cultural change to enhance innovation;
• Learning: strategies, planning and implementation as exemplified by case studies focusing on policy, administration, and technology use;
• Building relationships: identification of organizations practicing effective KM and methods for collaboration.

OUTCOMES:

• Concrete, documented approaches to organizational knowledge management;
• Identification of champions and best practices;
• Creation of a partnership of agencies committed to working together on KM (e.g. via a Web-based learning and exchange environment);
• Articulation of KM scenarios to guide organizations in strategic planning.

ORGANISATIONS AND PARTICIPANTS:

20 organisations, 40 participants

• Bilaterals: USAID, CIDA, DFID, DGIS, SIDA, DANIDA, GTZ, SDC, NORAD
• Multilaterals: UNDP, World Bank, UNICEF, UNFPA, IFAD, IADB, FAO, WHO, ILO, ITU, UNESCO, EC
• Foundations: Benton, Rockefeller, MacArthur, Ford, Soros, Carnegie, Aga Khan, etc.
• Research agencies: IDRC, etc.

WHO SHOULD BE THERE:

This workshop is designed for KM policy makers, as well as program and technical decision-makers, including:

• Knowledge Managers
• MIS Managers
• Internet/Intranet Managers
• Information Managers
• Communications Managers
• Program Staff supporting such activities in developing countries

TOPICS:

Under the general �knowledge management� theme of the workshop, strategic, policy and technological change issues will be addressed, including:

• Policy
• Internal communication and administration
• Human and financial resources
• Technology
• Security vs. transparency
• Training
• Implementation strategies
• Organizational culture and change implications

The focus will be on lessons learned.