Managing explicit knowledge using SharePoint in a collaborative environment: ICIMOD's experience

There are two basic approaches to knowledge management when it comes to initiating and sustaining process for generating, codifying, capturing, managing and systematically leveraging the knowledge. The tacit knowledge management approach looks at the kinds of knowledge that people have in their mind and involve intangible factors like personal beliefs, insights, experiences, values and moves to managing such individual knowledge. The explicit knowledge management approach focuses on managing the process to streamline already articulated or documented knowledge, e.g. papers, manuals, procedures within an organisation. When the knowledge is explicit, information technology (IT) can more readily be applied to enhance its value and make it more accessible. As a learning, enabling and knowledge institution ICIMOD has been working through its Integrated Knowledge Management (IKM) Programme in collaboration with its other thematic programmes, the various intricacies of knowledge management, including the above mentioned forms of knowledge. Through its numerous hosted discussion forums, brown bags, face-to-face seminars and using other conventional tools, ICIMOD tries to transform and capture the tacit knowledge. This paper shares ICIMOD's experience in managing the explicit knowledge, with the use of MS SharePoint 2007 as a tool, in a collaborative environment labelled as iDNA. This process is advanced by use of structured methodologies, metadata, workflow and workspace for the capturing of processes and shared knowledge and this work is ongoing. The richness of SharePoint 2007 is overwhelming and calls for careful planning. ICIMOD plans to benefit and add more