Guide
Knowledge Management
in the Government of Ajman 2022
Contents
| Chapter One: Definitional Framework |
01 |
| Definitions |
02 |
| Scope of Application |
03 |
| Introduction |
03 |
| Objectives |
03 |
| Roles and Responsibilities |
04 |
| A Basic Introduction to Knowledge Management |
05 |
| Types of Knowledge |
07 |
| Knowledge Management System Framework |
08 |
| Chapter Two: Knowledge Management Applications |
09 |
| Stages of Knowledge Management Implementation |
10 |
| Stage One: Knowledge Production and Acquisition |
11 |
| Stage Two: Knowledge Transfer and Transformation |
12 |
| Stage Three: Knowledge Application |
14 |
| Stage Four: Preserving, Archiving, and Storing Knowledge |
16 |
Chapter One:
Definitional Framework
Definitions
| The State |
The United Arab Emirates. |
| The Emirate |
The Emirate of Ajman. |
| The Government |
The Government of Ajman. |
| Department of Human Resources |
The Department of Human Resources in the Government of Ajman. |
| Government Entity |
Any department, institution, authority, council, agency, administration, or any other facility under the Government of the Emirate, whose budget is within its annual budget. The term includes any other entity whose employees are subject to the provisions of Emiri Decree No. (4) of 2017 regarding the issuance of the Human Resources Law in the Government of Ajman, as determined by the local legislation issued for its establishment or reorganization. |
| The Guide |
The Knowledge Management Guide in the Government of Ajman. |
| Organizational Unit |
The division of the government entity's organizational structures into departments, sections, or otherwise. |
| Human Resources Unit |
The administrative unit concerned with human resources management in the government entity. |
| The Unit Concerned with Knowledge Management |
The organizational unit responsible for implementing the competencies, activities, tasks, and responsibilities of knowledge management in the government entity. |
| The Employee |
Every natural person who occupies a civil position in the concerned government entity, regardless of the nature of their work or job title. The term does not include laborers whose employment affairs are regulated by special regulations or systems. |
Scope of Application
This guide applies to all employees of government entities in the Emirate who are subject to the provisions of the Human Resources Law.
Introduction
Maintaining leadership and excellence in government work is an ongoing challenge that requires a great deal of specialized knowledge and experience. Government entities are rich with diverse technical expertise and professional talents. Therefore, this guide presents the most important determinants for managing and transferring knowledge in the Government of Ajman, and how to benefit from experienced consultants, experts, specialists, and others with different knowledge and talents. The program provides an effective mechanism for exchanging, preserving, and updating knowledge and ensuring easy access to it, which contributes to preserving "knowledge capital" and the stock of experience and knowledge in the government.
Therefore, the Department of Human Resources seeks to implement this guide with the aim of empowering human cadres, disseminating knowledge, benefiting from their accumulated experience in various fields of government work, and applying the best practices for transferring and exchanging expertise and knowledge at the level of institutions and government entities in the Emirate of Ajman.
Objectives
- To provide a unified methodology that clarifies the foundations and rules of knowledge management systems and to offer working mechanisms that include practical procedures and steps for preparing knowledge management initiatives and projects in the government.
- To encourage government entities to inventory and manage data, knowledge, and experience in a way that serves knowledge dissemination and effective decision-making.
- To promote a culture of transferring and preserving expertise and knowledge among employees and involving them in knowledge management processes.
- To encourage institutional creativity and innovation, and to leverage the capabilities and talents of employees to achieve a competitive advantage and advanced leadership positions.
Roles and Responsibilities
Department of Human Resources
- To introduce the guide to stakeholders in government entities and raise awareness of its methodologies and working mechanisms.
- To provide necessary advisory support to government entities regarding the implementation of the knowledge management system.
- To periodically follow up on the implementation of the guide in government entities.
- To update the guide's mechanisms according to the best practices that suit the needs of government entities.
The Organizational Unit Concerned with Knowledge Management
- To raise employee awareness of the knowledge management system and its mechanisms.
- To implement the mechanisms of the knowledge management guide.
- To work on adopting modern technologies to enhance the dissemination and sharing of knowledge among employees.
- To assess the current state of knowledge management in coordination with the relevant organizational units and to adopt suggestions, initiatives, and projects that support the system.
- To implement knowledge management initiatives and projects in coordination with the relevant organizational units.
- To evaluate and measure the results of programs, projects, and objectives that fall within knowledge management.
The Organizational Unit in the Government Entity
- To support and adopt a culture of learning, participation, and cooperation among employees and between different organizational units to enhance knowledge management behaviors and applications.
- To commit to applying and implementing the guide and its mechanisms and models in coordination with the organizational unit concerned with knowledge management.
The Employee
- To participate in the inventory of knowledge by providing the required correct data and information.
- To transfer expertise and knowledge to their fellow employees.
A Basic Introduction to Knowledge Management
The Concept of Knowledge
The most comprehensive concept of knowledge is "the complete understanding and processing of data and information in light of experience, skills, and a value system, leading to the extraction of solutions and ideas in a way that serves decision-making, problem-solving, and achieving the best results."
To better understand the concept of knowledge, we must distinguish between three terms (data, information, and knowledge) and the meaning of each, as shown in Figure (1):
Knowledge
Why? The Answers
Information
How? Data Processing
Data
What? Who? When? Where? Raw facts, figures, and images
Figure (1): The Knowledge Pyramid (Reaching Knowledge)
DATA
This term (Data) refers to knowing the nature, facts, form, and measurements of things. It represents the primary form (raw material) of knowledge and can be embodied in the form of names, numbers, symbols, and images, which form the basic foundation for everything built upon it. It usually answers the questions (Who, What, Where, and When?).
Information
This term (Information) relates to the processing of collected data and connecting it in meaningful or significant relationships according to work methodologies and mechanisms. It is considered one of the essential components for acquiring skill and the ability to apply it; as information provides answers to questions (How, Who, What, and Where?), which is the highest level possessed by specialists and experts.
Knowledge
Reaching the stage of knowledge relates to how to benefit from the produced information to achieve an understanding and comprehension of the components, details, how they interact, and what the expected results are. A deep understanding (of the content) of the essence and meaning of things. This level of knowledge supports the ability to make effective and quick decisions and usually answers the question (Why?).
Types of Knowledge
A - Explicit Knowledge
This is knowledge that can be recorded, saved, documented, and stored electronically or in writing. It can also be transferred, copied, published, and referenced. It often takes a tangible, physical form, such as records, documents, databases, software, and infrastructure. Information and communication technology is often used to exploit, save, publish, and benefit from the content of knowledge in a way that suits the needs of the government entity. The most important characteristics of explicit knowledge are as follows:
- It consists mostly of physical components that can be saved, documented, transferred, bought, or sold.
- It can be easily imitated or reproduced by others, and therefore does not play a fundamental role in achieving a competitive advantage.
- Explicit knowledge is considered an essential element of institutional success, as without this type of knowledge, it is difficult to expect or see the emergence of tacit knowledge at the government entity level.
B- Tacit Knowledge
This is the knowledge that resides in the human mind, and it manifests through individual skills, abilities, and acquired experiences. Tacit knowledge can appear at two levels:
Individual Level:
Here, tacit knowledge takes the form of abilities and skills that are difficult to describe or document, possessed by an individual and may be demonstrated automatically when needed.
Government Entity Level:
Here, tacit knowledge takes the form of a practice carried out through collective behaviors or through teams and workgroups, for example, the dynamic interaction within a team or between work teams, or an institutional culture and values that are difficult to describe accurately.
The most important feature of tacit knowledge is that it is difficult to express clearly; it is like proficiency in a certain skill such as critical thinking, and it is difficult to transfer this skill to other people, as a large part of it is due to personal traits and cognitive components. It is difficult to reproduce or imitate. It is worth noting here the importance of the human element that produces and acquires knowledge. The knowledge within each employee of the government entity reflects their ability to understand, perceive, and act to accomplish their tasks and responsibilities effectively to achieve goals and objectives; thus, the capability of the government entity as a whole represents the combined capabilities of its individuals.
Knowledge Management System Framework
The government entity shall apply the framework that clarifies the mechanism of the knowledge management system. This framework has been adopted according to the best international practices in knowledge management, which rely on the concept of continuous improvement on the framework (plan, do, check, act) to ensure periodic improvement of the knowledge management process in government entities as shown in Figure (2):
Understanding the current state of the knowledge system
Understanding stakeholders, their needs, and expectations
Defining the scope of the knowledge management system application
|
Planning
Leadership
Evaluation
|
Achieving knowledge management objectives
Building employee capabilities in knowledge management
|
| Inputs |
|
Outputs |
Figure (2): Knowledge Management System Framework
Chapter Two:
Knowledge Management Applications
Stages of Knowledge Management Implementation
01
Knowledge Production and Acquisition
02
Preserving, Archiving, and Storing Knowledge
03
Application of Current Knowledge
04
Knowledge Transfer and Transformation
Figure (3): Stages of Knowledge Application
Stage One: Knowledge Production and Acquisition
Inventory of Explicit Knowledge:
- Identify all organizational units in the government entity.
- Identify and classify explicit knowledge into (studies, methodologies, mechanisms, research), considering internal knowledge produced by the organizational unit or external knowledge relied upon by the unit to perform tasks.
- Determine the method of knowledge production/acquisition.
- Determine the frequency and date of knowledge production.
- Classify explicit knowledge by domain.
- Identify beneficiaries.
- Allocate a suitable location for preserving and documenting knowledge.
- Continuously update knowledge.
- Determine the method for disseminating explicit knowledge.
(Explicit Knowledge Inventory Form)
Inventory of Tacit Knowledge:
- Identify all organizational units in the government entity, job titles, and employee data.
- Inventory the tacit knowledge possessed by each employee, including classifications of tacit knowledge such as knowledge resulting from previous experience like education, individual skills, etc.
- Determine how the employee acquired the tacit knowledge.
- Allocate a suitable location for preserving and documenting knowledge.
- Classify tacit knowledge by domain.
- Identify appropriate tools for transferring knowledge.
(Tacit Knowledge Inventory Form)
Types of Knowledge Sources
Internal Sources:
Internal sources of knowledge refer to the accumulated experience of the government entity's employees in various fields and topics. The ability to enrich and benefit from this important source lies in the effective and sustainable learning of employees at different organizational levels, work teams, and all members of the government entity, and using possible means and modern technologies to preserve and disseminate that knowledge. Examples include:
| Training activities, workshops, and brainstorming sessions |
Guidelines and work plans |
Procedures and processes |
| Databases and electronic libraries |
Reports, correspondence, and newsletters |
Internal employee portal |
External Sources:
This is the acquisition, perception, understanding, processing, and transformation of data and information into different types of knowledge from the external environment surrounding the government entity as an external source of information and knowledge. Examples include:
| Business sectors similar to the government entity's work (benchmarking) |
Research centers |
Attending conferences and seminars |
| Local and international scientific publications |
Scientific bodies and institutions |
Universities and libraries |
| Specialized centers |
Strategic partners and suppliers |
Customers and service recipients |
The government entity must determine the type of information and knowledge that may represent available opportunities or potential challenges for it, and be able to collect information and obtain the necessary knowledge from its external sources; allowing it to apply the latest practices and developments in its fields of work, which gives it the ability to face challenges and sustain its operations.
Knowledge Production and Acquisition Tools
| Experts and Specialists |
Knowledge Exchange Platforms |
Benchmarking |
| Conferences and Seminars |
Workshops and Innovation Labs |
Competitions |
| Individual Learning |
Group Thinking Tools |
Research and Studies |
| Lessons Learned |
Examples of Knowledge Production and Acquisition Tools
- Contracting with experts and specialists to benefit from their experiences, document them, and use them optimally to improve and develop operations.
- Knowledge exchange platforms or multi-disciplinary work teams to exchange viewpoints on a specific issue or case and document them.
- Using benchmarking methods in coordination with the government entity's strategic partners, which aims to review best practices, document them, and apply them for continuous improvement.
- Attending conferences and seminars, learning about the best global practices, and nominating suitable employees for them.
- Workshops, creativity labs, and discussion panels where ideas about specific issues are proposed, discussed, documented, and studied.
- Self-learning by providing employees with opportunities to learn through tools, software, technologies, and platforms that offer self-learning materials.
- Applying group thinking tools: The most important feature of this technique is its ability to reach an intellectual or knowledge product that is difficult to achieve individually or may take longer if done by one person; assuming they would be able to reach the same knowledge product. This can be implemented in various ways such as brainstorming, focus groups, and problem-solving teams.
- Applying research methodologies: The government entity can activate research in its mandated fields and specializations, as research and studies help in finding the necessary knowledge to achieve its goals and place it in leading and competitive positions.
- Lessons Learned: This is considered one of the important tools for acquiring knowledge and experience from best practices. It involves documenting the most prominent success stories and challenges faced by entities during the implementation of a specific project/initiative or through operational processes.
Stage Two: Knowledge Transfer and Transformation
Knowledge transfer refers to how knowledge is exchanged among employees and ensuring its transformation from tacit knowledge to explicit knowledge. Elements for more efficient knowledge transfer and transformation include:
Disseminating Explicit Knowledge:
Making knowledge available through presentation, recording, and documentation. Examples include: designing or writing work procedure manuals and instructional guides, documenting lessons learned, and publishing and sharing reports, among others. The government entity must prepare an action plan for disseminating explicit knowledge and ensure its implementation.
(Explicit Knowledge Dissemination Form)
Enhancing Employee Interaction in Transferring Tacit Knowledge:
Activating effective communication, exchange, participation, and discussions. Examples include: brainstorming sessions, knowledge sessions, succession plans, mentoring and coaching plans, job shadowing, etc. Knowledge transfer depends on the existence of formal and informal mechanisms and methods, as shown in the following table:
| Formal Methods |
Informal Methods |
| Mentoring and Coaching |
Moving between job roles internally or externally |
| Various communication channels |
Work teams |
| Conferences, seminars, and workshops |
Direct communication between employees |
| Internal and visual publications |
Social activities, events, and periodic employee gatherings |
| Reports and studies |
Reading and self-learning |
| Succession Planning |
|
Table No. 1: Methods of Knowledge Transfer
(Tacit Knowledge Transfer Plan Form)
Stage Three: Knowledge Application
The application of knowledge is the primary goal of the knowledge management process and includes the following steps:
1. Organizing Knowledge
Through appropriate classification of knowledge:
- Collecting, preparing, and organizing knowledge
- Formalizing it.
- Restructuring or reclassifying knowledge according to methods deemed appropriate and understandable to its employees.
2. Updating and Preparing Knowledge
- Eliminating inconsistent knowledge, and continuously correcting and examining knowledge.
- Introducing new and relevant updates to existing knowledge (updating current knowledge).
- Discarding the outdated (i.e., getting rid of knowledge that is no longer useful).
- Reviewing, evaluating, and integrating knowledge with its operational processes by summarizing, indexing, preparing checklists, or implementing simulation programs, e-learning programs, job shadowing programs, and others.
3. Knowledge Availability
Enabling employees to access it easily and in the shortest possible time by employing advanced information technology systems, asset management systems, and electronic archiving.
Stage Four: Preserving, Archiving, and Storing Knowledge
The government entity must define mechanisms for preserving knowledge in an organized manner, whether through traditional methods (e.g., paper forms for data, libraries containing files, studies, and reports) or through modern methods (e.g., electronic data networks, digital knowledge portals, and smart applications). The government entity can decide the most suitable mechanism based on the nature of its work, its specializations, the needs of its employees, and the level of development of its digital infrastructure. In light of the tremendous technological development in our current era, modern technological techniques, cloud networks, and electronic libraries play an important and vital role in preserving, disseminating, circulating, and accessing knowledge with utmost ease. Acquired knowledge is preserved through several methods, the most important of which are the following:
| Method |
Description |
| Information Registration |
Employees record any new information that can be utilized, whether in files or on the computer network, so that it is available to all members of the government entity if they wish to access it. |
| Designating a Specialist Employee for Knowledge Documentation and Preservation |
A responsible employee is assigned to collect and accurately preserve information according to a classification method that facilitates its reuse by everyone. |
| Activating the Organizational Unit Concerned with Knowledge Management |
The employees concerned with the knowledge management file analyze this knowledge, verify its accuracy, and classify it, so that it is preserved in the best and most accurate form, and so that it can be disseminated and circulated effectively within the knowledge management system. |
| Knowledge Dissemination |
Introducing the available knowledge channels and platforms within the government entity, and managing initiatives and activities that ensure the dissemination and circulation of knowledge among employees. |
| Using Knowledge Asset Management Systems / Archiving Systems |
Consider selecting the best knowledge management systems, and ensure the following points:
- Effectiveness of knowledge management processes in terms of security.
- Management of knowledge assets by those responsible for them and granting access permissions for their use.
- Allowing for the storage of various types of data.
- Performing backup of data and information.
- Issuing statistical reports on knowledge.
|
Table No. 2: Methods of Preserving Acquired Knowledge