The World Bank Group works with government agencies, non-governmental organisations and private sector companies to formulate assisting strategies that support a broad range of programmes aimed at reducing poverty and improving living standards.

In the fiscal year 2002 the institution provided more than US$ 19.5 million in loans to client countries

Learning from The World Bank

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Why the organisations would share its know-how

What the organisation would share

With whom the organisation would share

How the organisation would share its knowledge

World Bank knowledge sharing strategy

The strategy clearly articulated: -

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Deciding why:-

Defining the KM strategy

Knowledge Management would enhance its organisational performance and therefore its global impact on poverty.

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One critical element:-

Defining the KM strategy

Public commitment made by the CEO, James Wolfensohn, to build a “Knowledge” Bank

This sheltered the organisation from lengthy discussions that typically surround the development of strategies in large organisations.

John Wolfensohn4

“Acting as a CKO, the Chief Executive Officer must install and implement rules that enable the application, distribution, and cultivation of knowledge.

And by setting the example, the chief executive officer makes it difficult for anyone in the company to shirk their part of the KM initiative.”

Defining the KM strategy

Kluge et al (2001) “Knowledge Unplugged: the McKinsey Company global survey on Knowledge Management”,Palgrave, pg 202.

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This initiative was motivated by a decision to

Deciding why to share

increase the speed and quality of service delivery

lower the cost of operation by avoiding rework

accelerate innovation

widen the Bank partnerships to fight poverty.

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The programme was designed to share

Deciding what to share

country and sector know-how

global best practices

research in the field of development.

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KM strategy into action

KM efforts

New products or services

Key business driver

Strongly focused on research and product development

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KM strategy into action

KM efforts

MarketingKey business driver

Management of pricing knowledge

Promotion knowledge

Product location knowledge

How to turn customer data into customer knowledge

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Deciding with whom to share

Externally

Staff at HQ and in the field

Internally

Clients, partners and stakeholders

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Deciding with whom to share

Issues

Internally

Aim To collect and make accessible the latest and best sector and country development knowledge that exists globally to allow operational staff to bring higher quality advice to their clients whilst saving time and cost

The logistics of collecting, synthesizing and authenticating the knowledge.

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Deciding with whom to share

Issues

Externally

Confidentiality of information given by clients and partners

Copyright

Protection of proprietary assets.

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Deciding how to share

Internally

Thematic groups

Help desk

Technical clinics

Intranet

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Deciding how to share

Intranet

Directory of expertise

Direct access to development statistics

Best practice library of past projects

An on-line dialogue space

On-line knowledge base

External access for clients, partners and stakeholders.

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Deciding how to share

Internally

Emphasising significance of knowledge sharing at recruitment

Providing mentors to new recruits.

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Deciding how to share

Externally

Face to face

Virtually, on the web

Field missions

Annual sector weeks

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Organising KM

Initially attached to IT group because focus was primarily on building a

knowledge management “system” – a repository of knowledge collections

Thematic groups gained importance

Attention shifted to connectioni.e. connecting people for accelerating

learning and bringing the benefits of knowledge sharing to operations

Central KM unit moved to vice-presidency Operation Core

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KM structure

a small central unit with overall coordination and facilitation responsibilities

operations managers in the networks and regions responsible for implementing the knowledge sharing programme

thematic groups, supplemented by help desks – the preferred instrument for sharing know-how

a governance body with responsibility at corporate level for the overall KM policy formulation.

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Providing a budget for knowledge sharing

10% (of 3%) technology

02% (of 3%) maintaining the central coordination unit

90% (of 3%) financing the thematic groups and helpdesk

KM takes up 3% of annual World Bank administrative budget

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Measuring KM Performance in the World Bank