Building a Technical Knowledge Hub: Applying Library Science to Pathfinder’s Organizational ExperienceSarah Burns, APLIC Conference, April 2014

OVER 1,000 STAFF IN 20 DEVELOPING COUNTRIES WITH A $100 MILLION BUDGET

Pathfinder staff have growing access to their 50 years of experience and expertise.

CONTEXT PROBLEM OUTCOMESPROCESSESAPPROACHES

No information sharing, but knew it was important; new intranet touted as savior..

CONTEXT PROBLEM OUTCOMESPROCESSESAPPROACHES

Amazing staff with amazing experience, but the knowledge was only in their heads; no one could re-use or re-purpose it.

CONTEXT PROBLEM OUTCOMESPROCESSESAPPROACHES

HubCommon language - Taxonomy

Expertise Captured -

TALs

External Information

- Library

Internal History - Archive

Expertise searchable - Yellow Pages

Knowledge sharing -

VCATs

CONTEXT PROBLEM OUTCOMESPROCESSESAPPROACHES

Constant change management – constant contact and communication and showcasing the benefit.

CONTEXT PROBLEM OUTCOMESPROCESSESAPPROACHES

CONTEXT PROBLEM OUTCOMESPROCESSESAPPROACHES

Taxonomy - Needed an official and consistently applied Pathfinder vocabulary.

CONTEXT PROBLEM OUTCOMESPROCESSESAPPROACHES

Created SharePoint libraries, fields for cataloguing, and collected materials.

CONTEXT PROBLEM OUTCOMESPROCESSESAPPROACHES

Archive – collection of electronic and paper materials from all projects.

CONTEXT PROBLEM OUTCOMESPROCESSESAPPROACHES

Communities of practice to share knowledge.

CONTEXT PROBLEM OUTCOMESPROCESSESAPPROACHES

CONTEXT PROBLEM OUTCOMESPROCESSESAPPROACHES

Further improving current systems, constant training and marketing of services and products, and unrelenting enthusiasm.

1. PATIENCE2. PERSEVERANCE

3. CELEBRATE THE SMALL VICTORIES4. REPEAT

Questions?

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For more information contact Sarah Burnssburns@pathfinder.org