ICAICT708A Direct the development of a knowledge management strategy for a business

Release: 1

ICAICT708A Direct the development of a knowledge management strategy for a business

Modification History

Release	Comments
Release 1	This Unit first released with ICA11 Information and Communications Technology Training Package version 1.0

Unit Descriptor

This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required to develop a knowledge management strategy for a business.

Application of the Unit

Senior management, including strategic business analysts and chief information officers use the skills and knowledge in this unit to set up a strategy to establish knowledge management as a key business enabler.

Licensing/Regulatory Information

No licensing, legislative, regulatory or certification requirements apply to this unit at the time of endorsement but users should confirm requirements with the relevant federal, state or territory authority.

Pre-Requisites

Not applicable.

Employability Skills Information

This unit contains employability skills.

Elements and Performance Criteria Pre-Content

Element	Performance Criteria
Elements describe the essential outcomes of a unit of competency.	Performance criteria describe the performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element. Where bold italicised text is used, further information is detailed in the required skills and knowledge section and the range statement. Assessment of performance is to be consistent with the evidence guide.

Elements and Performance Criteria

1. Analyse existing knowledge management systems	1.1 Evaluate existing arrangements for the capture and use of business knowledge from internal and external sources 1.2 Differentiate between knowledge management and information management systems within the organisation 1.3 Ensure the effectiveness of existing procedures and systems is evaluated in terms of meeting the needs of clients, organisational aims, objectives and standards 1.4 Identify the need for improvements in the organisation's strategic use of knowledge
2. Evaluate knowledge management options	2.1 Investigate barriers to capturing knowledge within the organisation 2.2 Review evaluations and recommendations regarding knowledge management software with respect to its usefulness and likeliness to benefit the organisation 2.3 Review investigations into incentives and reward systems to support knowledge management 2.4 Ensure that the required processes for maintaining an integrated knowledge management system are considered 2.5 Facilitate development of a business case to determine the viability of selected options and recommend a way forward for the organisation
3. Develop a knowledge-management strategy	3.1 Develop the knowledge management business strategy in consultation with senior staff for the capture and use of organisational knowledge 3.2 Ensure that business processes are designed to support knowledge management according to organisational needs and budget 3.3 Ensure that technology requirements for implementation of the strategy are costed and included in the organisational budget cycle 3.4 Ensure that the processes for the periodic review of knowledge management metrics within the business are in place to maintain ongoing effectiveness and continuous improvement 3.5 Ensure that the knowledge management strategy meets organisational requirements identified in its overall business plan and business strategy

Required Skills and Knowledge

This section describes the skills and knowledge required for this unit.

Required skills

analytical and research skills to determine and document current business processes and knowledge sources

coaching, mentoring and teamwork skills to ensure support of knowledge management as an ongoing initiative

communication, negotiation and personal networking skills to influence the adoption of knowledge management disciplines

initiative and enterprise skills to proactively seek out knowledge management opportunities

literacy and numeracy skills to review and present statistical data and business cases

problem-solving and decision-making skills to deal with issues in an acceptable timeframe

project, planning and organisational change-management skills to ensure the success of knowledge management programs

technical skills to apply information technology solutions in support of knowledge management initiatives.

Required knowledge

knowledge management concepts, processes and trends

relevant organisational policies and legislation that affect business operations, specifically privacy legislation

internal and external sources of information

legal, ethical and security issues relating to knowledge management

organisational change-management theory and methods

records management and database-management principles as they relate to knowledge management, particularly meta-data.

Evidence Guide

The evidence guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge, range statement and the Assessment Guidelines for the Training Package.

Overview of assessment
Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit	Evidence of the ability to: analyse and document the effectiveness of existing knowledge management systems research knowledge management options in marketplace recommend an approach that meets organisational needs.
Context of and specific resources for assessment	Assessment must ensure access to: workplace of sufficient complexity to enable the required level of analysis to be carried out in relation to current business processes, existing knowledge management systems and organisational culture relevant enterprise strategic documentation, including strategic planning documents, financial, IT infrastructure and relevant organisational objectives and policies. Where applicable, physical resources should include equipment modified for people with special needs.
Method of assessment	A range of assessment methods should be used to assess practical skills and knowledge. The following examples are appropriate for this unit: direct observation of the candidate carrying out the required work verbal or written questioning to assess required knowledge and skills review of reports and proposals prepared by the candidate review of a portfolio of the work undertaken. Note: The preferred assessment method is through a workplace project or through a simulated medium to large enterprise workplace.
Guidance information for assessment	Holistic assessment with other units relevant to the industry sector, workplace and job role is recommended, where appropriate. Assessment processes and techniques must be culturally appropriate, and suitable to the communication skill level, language, literacy and numeracy capacity of the candidate and the work being performed. Indigenous people and other people from a non-English speaking background may need additional support. In cases where practical assessment is used it should be combined with targeted questioning to assess required knowledge.

Range Statement

The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Bold italicised wording, if used in the performance criteria, is detailed below. Essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment (depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts) may also be included.

Existing arrangements may include:	organisational structures that may support knowledge management: communities of practice (CoPs) customer relationship management systems intranets libraries online analytical processing systems records management systems personal knowledge management through the use of: checklists local databases personal files spreadsheets.
Barriers to capturing knowledge may include:	little or no motivation to share knowledge management not seeing the benefits over the costs no awareness of the value of knowledge to others, or lack of trust no process or infrastructure to enable easy capture and retrieval of knowledge no time poor communication within the organisation or departmental silos.
Processes for maintenance of an integrated knowledge management system may include:	alignment of business and knowledge management goals business culture that supports teamwork, communication and continuous improvement IT systems allowing for easy capture, retrieval and collaboration senior management commitment to knowledge management staff performance rewards related to sharing knowledge.
Knowledge management metrics could include:	measures of knowledge capture, e.g. a staff member's number of contributions measures of quality, e.g. feedback rating on usefulness, age of information measures of system usage, e.g. number and type of users, what knowledge is being used.

Unit Sector(s)

General ICT