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Ankit Verma | [email protected] | May 11, 2013
Integrating Independent Operating Entities into
Knowledge based Symbiotic System
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Introduction Knowledge based organizations are interconnected,
fast moving organizations which develop mutually beneficial
symbiotic relations with their adjoining peers. While government
organizations traditionally are slow moving modular functioning
entities with redundant operating procedures. Introducing features
of a knowledge based organization to a government organization is a
formidable challenge. Government bodies are heavily dependent on
paper and file system of record keeping and offer heavy resistance
to any changes outside their comfort zones. Often initiatives are
taken in form of training and introduction of technology but these
get limited to training manuals and lectures. These trainings are
gradually forgotten leaving the organization the way they were
before. This paper discusses a methodology to enhance adaptability
of knowledge management based processes to government
organizations.
Traditional Method Employed Generally the course of action taken
by state governments to drive in information sharing is limited to
signing of memorandum of understanding with a multinational
organization to provide basic IT training to officers and setup an
infrastructure to initiate the process. These methods give an
impression that they will bring about a drastic change in the
functioning of government within a very short period of
implementation but fail to impress even in its first year.
Reasons for Failure of traditional methods Such methods have a
fundamental flaw by design. That flaw is that a readymade solution
can be imported and superimposed on a government organization and
it will improve its functionality. We have to understand that any
organization resists change. This resistance is more in government
organization due to many reasons one of which is periodic
management changes. To bring about a drastic change a constant push
from the higher management is pivotal which certainly lags in a
democratic form of government. We have to change the way we think
and design the solutions that gradually replace the original
process by augmenting it.
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Synchronizing Thought Process First step is to study the
demographics of the user base. The kind of lifestyle they have,
cars they drive, their preferred mode of communication, kind of
cellular phones they use, etc. These things tell a lot about the
thinking of the user group. Once in sync with the user group way of
life, we can design the solutions considering their needs,
adaptability and capability. Ultimately the system has to increase
their efficiency and has to be accepted by the user group otherwise
the solution will not reach its full potential of utilization.
Design the process thats within the user groups comfort zones and
gradually drive the modernization, helps bring about a faster
change. For example if computer screens are not in their familiar
zone then why not use IVR applications on cellular networks or sms
applications to communicate between entities and share knowledge. A
bit of radical thinking is required in this regard augmented by
constant push and efforts to bring about a gradual shift. For the
solution to be accepted and used it has to be generated from within
the class of people that are supposed to use it.
Designing the solution by keeping focus on Integration The
fastest and easiest way to ensure seamless integration is by
designing the solution with a strong focus on integration and user
acceptance. Below are the four major steps to follow while
designing the solution.
STEP ONE: STUDY THE INTENDED USER
A brief study of the working habits of intended users gives
strong insights about the working styles. These insights are very
useful in designing the transition process smoothly.
STEP TWO: DESIGN A FEW PROCESSES AND INITIATE PILOT PROGRAMS
After identification of needs and taking due consideration of
the working styles of the users, a small number of pilot programs
should be initiated. Pilot programs are necessary to gauge the user
interest. Generally when a number of pilot programs are initiated
the chances are high that a few will get encouraging response. Plus
these pilot programs serve another purpose. They encourage designer
to interact with the users and take their active feedback. This
gives in a feeling of involvement from the users. Once the user
feels involved with the process; he/she takes active interest in
making the initiative a success. Furthermore a sense of ownership
is developed
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amongst the users which give pivotal edge in gaining acceptance
within the user community.
STEP THREE: ACTIVELY MONITOR FEEDBACK MECHANISM TO UNDERSTAND
USER RESPONSE
Once the pilot programs are deployed, users should be actively
communicated with for detailed feedback. This instills a sense of
concern and a sense of ownership amongst the users. They feel more
involved in developing the idea instilling a sense of excitement as
it shapes up. In addition to above, the process gets a massive
boost by learning from the experiences of the user group. This
stage sets the pace for symbiotic relationship development between
the users, process and the knowledge flow.
STEP FOUR: BUILD UPON SOLUTION THAT RECEIVES MAXIMUM
ACCEPTANCE
With the feedback mechanism in place, the pilot programs are
closely monitored and the ones showing strong growth potential are
further improved. Pilot programs focus on one of two processes to
start with. As they gain popularity more and more functions and
processes are added to them to expand their scope of use.
STEP FIVE: CONSTANT IMPROVEMENT
Once the system has reached a level of user acceptance and
popularity it needs to be constantly improved to incorporate newer
features and processes. Constantly working towards one knowledge
based system to address multiple needs is the ultimate goal and
develops a true symbiotic relationship between departments.
Constant improvement is also the most effective method to avoid
obsolesce.
Above are the steps to design a solution to facilitate seamless
integration of knowledge based solution to a government
organization.
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Integrating existing solutions to mainstream Government
department often purchase solutions which fail to integrate with
the mainstream of government functionality. Such solutions needs
careful analysis and a certain bit of modifications to make it
comply with the acceptance patterns of the organization. The
efforts taken to make a solution popular with the user group is
high initially but once a solution reaches a critical mass of bell
curve of user acceptance an explosive growth is reached towards
popularization of the services and solutions.
Bell Curve for User Acceptance
Integration in a disaster management environment In disaster
management there is always an urgency to gain access to most recent
information and knowledge. Due to diversified nature of disaster
response with no clear chain of command to control the activities,
a knowledge based system is of
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paramount importance to co-ordinate different activities
undertaken by the different organizations in relief efforts and
risk mitigation. Integrating various department on one platform is
a big challenge but has its own advantages. Some basic measures
should be taken initially and developed further as time progresses
for better adaptability. First there should be a well-defined
disaster response protocol. This protocol should be made publically
available for various department and officials to have easy access
to. These serve as guidelines to actions taken at the time of need
and the performance of the officials to be graded as accordance to
their adhering to the protocol. These simple steps stress on the
importance of the knowledge management system and their utility and
have a direct impact on the functionality of the organization.
Ideally the KM based should intuitively come in minds of the
officials under such situations but until then a slight sense of
urgency is to be created amongst early adaptors to use the system
and have access to information in real time. Secondly there should
also be a protocol to activate a state of emergency in knowledge
sharing systems where greater access to information is made
available for relief activities at specific time of need. These
policies or protocols are to be analyzed in depth considering many
possible situations with an ultimate aim towards better knowledge
sharing and risk mitigation.
Conclusion Integration is major factor in designing a system. It
is even more important in areas of disaster management due to the
diversity involved at various levels of relief activity and risk
mitigation. So due consideration should be given to integration and
user acceptance of the solution. Integration environment differs
from one location to another due to various factors affecting the
functioning of local bodies in the region. Specialized approach to
integration should be followed in these situations.
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IntroductionTraditional Method EmployedReasons for Failure of
traditional methodsSynchronizing Thought ProcessDesigning the
solution by keeping focus on IntegrationStep one: Study the
intended userStep two: Design a few processes and initiate pilot
programsStep three: Actively monitor feedback mechanism to
understand user responseStep four: Build upon solution that
receives maximum acceptanceStep five: constant improvement
Integrating existing solutions to mainstreamIntegration in a
disaster management environmentConclusion
