KM is crosscutting...

The series of activities and events for the Local Government Code celebration gave me a sense of how knowledge management is at work.  This celebration called Biyaheng Pinoy Tapat na Palakad, Bayang Maunlad, translates to something like “Filipino journey, right path leads to a progressive nation”.

 It was a great learning process to participate in a large conference made of people, built with expertise and experience, coming together to showcase their economic development strategies; to voice out their concerns and challenges within their own municipalities or region; to talk about contentious issues across all levels of government; and to cite recommendations to those obstacles. 

KM is about sharing best practices…

The LGSP-LED conference highlighted best practices in financing of LGUs for LED.  The roundtable discussions highlighted key priority areas that need assessments/institutional or policy reforms from the national level, while addressing the challenges of the LGUs at the local level.  Knowledge-sharing of ideas helped us develop possible solutions to those challenges/hindrances that hamper efforts to local economic development. 

In putting together the comprehensive summary report for the LGSP-LED conference, the consolidated group discussion outputs found that from the national level, the absence of clear policies from the national government in empowering LGUs alliances to apply for financing their projects is a hindrance to LED.  But from the local standpoint, the lack of knowledge for financing opportunities and lack of technical capacity in implementation of initiatives are just a few of their problems.

But KM also cuts through policy and institutional reforms…

The DILG policy forum made up of government officials, academe and other stakeholders met to discuss LGU code amendments.  One of the sessions talked about crisis management, specifically the Hong Kong hostage fiasco that was splattered all over the media.  It addressed ways it could have been prevented, and the different strategies that must be employed in order shift the reactive response to a pro-active approach in dealing with terrorism and hostage-taking.  There was also a lot of talk about disaster risk reduction strategies to mitigate the negative impact of typhoons, landslides, flooding and other natural calamities that hits the country.

In the conferences, meetings, forums, and roundtable discussions, KM was embedded in the process.  There was collaboration.  Knowledge-sharing.  Knowledge-creation.   Innovation and Partnerships.

With big ideas, you have to start small…

Knowledge Management isn’t a new concept in the Philippines. But it seems that its practice is uneven across the board.  Some have introduced KM in the HR department, oriented to relationship-building and customer service; while others have installed KM in the IT division in their departments because KM is about developing online publications, websites, and video clips.  But most LGUs don’t really know what it is.

In 2006, KM was introduced to the Department of Interior and Local Governance (DILG) as part of integrating their knowledge portal and organizational systems, specifically using KM tools in their local economic development (LED) efforts.  The Local Government Resource Centres (LGRCs) are used as a springboard for KM. 

But just what is KM?  It’s not just about databases, website development, publication of collection of reports and best practices.  It’s about knowledge-creation; sharing of ideas amongst multi-stakeholders; using knowledge and evaluating information/practices to improve processes in the future. Really, it’s getting the right knowledge to the right people at the right time. 

I learned that many Local Government Units (LGUs) are already doing this, although they do not have a uniform systematic process in place to increase their productivity and increase their rate of innovation.

For example, access to water may be an issue in a small municipality.  If KM is not embedded in their processes, the mayor will have difficulty in solving the issue.  If KM was built into their processes, the mayor may find answers to the following questions:

Where can I find help?  What has been done before?  Are there donors?  What are the possible solutions if this has happened before? 

Still, KM is not without a share of critics.  In talking with the staff here and reading materials, I’ve outlined some possible reasons why KM hasn’t taken off:

1. Lack of Awareness or Understanding of what it is.  KM is a rather large concept that is hard to define.  Even once understood, embedding it into their LED processes takes time.
2. They do not understand its benefits.  They may understand the concept but many LGUs prioritize other concerns facing their municipalities/regions. 
3. Job security issues. There is a fear that converging KM with other units may lead to job losses. 
4. It’s not mandated.  If there are more practical issues to deal with, KM is likely seen as a cost rather than a cost-saving measure.

As a KM officer, I am hoping that I can be part of this new wave of synergy—of changing mindsets, of strengthening partnerships and collaboration; and of tapping and sharing new and old knowledge.