In light of the fiscal danger many local governments find themselves in, the rare opportunity to reengineer government to be more efficient and effective presents itself.  By evaluating all personnel skills, business needs and realigning job descriptions accordingly, managers can focus on identifying and retaining "knowledge keepers," competent staff who are capable of productive work through effective work flow, problem solving, and deploying organizational best practices.

Who Are the Knowledge Keepers?

Knowledge keepers are often not at the forefront of the organizational chart, but are often honest and hardworking administrative staff who frequently are paid less and work more hours than many of their colleagues, but they are central to the everyday work flow of the department, they adhere to established policies, and get the work done despite obstacles or gaps in knowledge of their superiors or coworkers.  

How Do We Find the Knowledge Keepers?

Knowledge keepers emerge during an audit of business processes. They know the different sources of data and can serve as a resource to others in terms of how to gather and process the data.  

The Need for Knowledge Transfer

In many organizations, often there is plenty of data, but offices may limit their knowledge keeper's access or broader awareness of how to analyze or place the data in context. Ensuring knowledge transfer, transferring knowledge between personnel as well as within a unit or across organizational areas, is key to contemporary government, in the event of staff turnover, but it also highlights the need to explore how automation through technology can assist and streamline knowledge-sharing processes.  

Read the full article by Barry Strock, Jack Harris, and Fred Bartz.

Connect with others on Process Improvement in the Knowledge Network.