ECE Knowledge management strategy and action plan -For

ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR EUROPE

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Eighty-ninth meeting

Geneva, 1 February 2017

Item 9

Informal Document No. 2017/6

ECE Knowledge management strategy and action plan

-For information-

UNECE Knowledge Management Strategy

Introduction

The creation, collection, and dissemination of knowledge is fundamental to the work of

UNECE and considered among its foremost assets. To succeed in the implementation of its

mandate to “ promote sustainable development and regional cooperation and integration

through (a) policy dialogue; (b) normative work; and (c) technical cooperation”

, knowledge

management is critical, both within the Organization and externally, among staff and in an

active exchange with member States and other partners.

Since the establishment of the Commission, many useful practices have been developed to

generate, document and share knowledge created in UNECE and preserve it as the institutional

memory of the Organization. Thus far, however, these practices have not been compiled into a

coherent framework and the utilization of knowledge to inform decision-making and

programme planning is uneven. In 2016, the Office of Internal Oversight therefore made the

recommendation that “the UNECE secretariat should develop and operationalize a knowledge

management strategy that addresses how institutional knowledge and expertise will be

captured, stored, shared and integrated into its work programme and activities.”

UNECE’s efforts to strengthen its knowledge management practices is also aligned to the spirit

of the 2005 UNECE reform that emphasized the importance of continued effective and efficient

use of UNECE limited budgetary and human resources and, inter alia, efforts to harmonize

procedure and practices and improve communication, coordination and cooperation across the

divisions and subprogrammes.

In formulating its knowledge management strategy, UNECE has drawn on good practices from

the UN system and beyond. The preparation of the strategy was undertaken in parallel to a

review of Knowledge Management in the United Nations System, initiated by the Joint

Inspection Unit in 2016

. To the JIU review, UNECE provided input on its own practices, and,

from it, it took valuable guidance, especially regarding the approaches taken in the UN system

that the JIU report compiled. To learn from relevant expertise available in the UN system,

UNECE also joined the Geneva-based Focal Point group on Knowledge Management that

meets periodically in the UN Agencies Swiss Knowledge Management Forum. Further, this

strategy built on targeted desk research on international good practices on Knowledge

Management and on a wealth of inputs from UNECE staff, who expressed a strong

commitment to knowledge management and readily shared their experiences and aspirations.

Definition

The United Nations system does not currently have a common definition of knowledge

management. For the purpose of this strategy, the definition proposed by the Joint Inspection

Unit is used to provide a common point of reference:

Knowledge management can be defined as the systematic processes, or range

of practices, used by organizations to identify, capture, store, create, update,

A/69/6 (Prog. 17), para 17.3.

OIOS/IED, Evaluation of the Office of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (ECE) (Assignment No. IED-

16-003), p. 23

JIU/REP/2016/xxx.

UNECE Knowledge Management survey, administered in November 2016.

represent, and distribute knowledge for use, awareness and learning across the

organization.

Knowledge management is understood as a cyclical process that takes place in an enabling

environment comprised of organizational leadership, ICT tools, organizational culture and

strategic direction (see Figure 1).

Objective

The objective of the UNECE Knowledge Management Strategy is to make effective use of the

knowledge available across the Organization. This includes

(i) collection and retention of knowledge as institutional memory, including to counter

its potential loss due to staff mobility and attrition;

(ii) timely and open access to knowledge to enable high performance, efficient work

processes, and cross-sectoral/cross-divisional synergies;

(iii) systematic exchange of knowledge to inform decision-making processes in support

of the objectives outlined in the Strategic Framework.

Principles

UNECE’s Knowledge Management Strategy builds on a number of principles drawn from

good practice:

1. Core organizational value and joint responsibility of all staff

In UNECE, knowledge management is recognized as a core value that is an integral part of the

organizational culture. Knowledge management is a joint responsibility of all staff and

management – everybody contributes to the collection and sharing of knowledge in their area

of responsibility according to defined roles (see Annex I).

JIU/REP/2007/6, para 21.

JIU/NOTE/2004/1:KnowledgeManagementattheInternationalLabourOrganization,sectionII,p.

2.

2. Focused on people with technology as enabler

Knowledge management will be organized around people rather than documents. It will foster

regular interaction to identify, document and share knowledge and facilitate joint learning

across organizational lines. Knowledge management will be supported by ITC tools that will

ensure more systematic knowledge gathering and sharing, enable collaborative working, and

provide easy access to knowledge repositories.

3. Covering different types of knowledge – explicit and tacit

Knowledge management will cover the whole breadth of knowledge that is available in

UNECE in its different forms. It will capture and codify explicit organizational knowledge (e.g.

technical know-how and procedural guidance) that can be shared in knowledge repositories,

while also providing interactive formats to bring to bear tacit knowledge (e.g. accumulated

experience and personal competence of individuals) that does not readily lend itself to being

captured in written records.

4. Applying multiple approaches and tools

Knowledge management will be organized in a multi-pronged (rather than a one-size-fits-all)

approach to cover the diverse types of knowledge of UNECE and to respond to the specific

needs of different audiences. To underpin a variety of processes, ranging from routine

transactions to complex analytical work that requires expert know how, interpretation and

judgement, UNECE will develop/maintain a set of Knowledge Management tools, such as

guidance templates, knowledge repositories and collaboration platforms.

5. Needs-based, context-specific and evidence-based

Knowledge will be captured to respond to specific business needs with a concrete usage and

audience in mind. It will be documented in a context-specific and evidence-based way that

indicates how and by whom such knowledge was gathered.

6. Continuous, iterative process

Knowledge management will be undertaken as an ongoing and iterative process that allows

UNECE to continuously learn from its experience. Good knowledge management practices

will be embedded in all activities. Accordingly, knowledge management practices/products

should routinely be included as deliverables in effective project management. Validation and

review mechanisms will be established to ensure the relevance of knowledge and periodically

reconfirm its continued usefulness over time.

7. Linked to performance management framework

To encourage active contribution to knowledge management across UNECE and recognize

good practices, a knowledge management goal will be included in the performance appraisal

of all staff. All managers are encouraged to explore ways to recognize and reward effective

knowledge managers and support learning activities that promulgate good knowledge

management practices.

8. KM priorities defined in annual action plans

Knowledge management will respond to identified needs, concrete challenges and potential

risks identified for UNECE. Annual action plans will define priorities for knowledge

management activities to deepen the uptake of good practices, broaden the content available in

knowledge repositories, and increase the usage of interactive knowledge sharing platforms.

* * *

Annex 1: Roles and Responsibilities

Executive Secretary

‐ Provide leadership to shape a learning and knowledge-based organization

‐ Set strategic direction for knowledge management

‐ Foster organizational culture that recognizes knowledge management as a core

value

Managers

‐ Create an enabling environment for effective knowledge management

‐ Identify needs and define priorities for annual knowledge management action plan

‐ Designate knowledge managers in their area of responsibility (e.g. Chiefs of

Divisions/Sections/Units, Secretaries to subsidiary bodies, etc.) and ensure timely

capture of key knowledge

‐ Provide guidance and oversight to validate knowledge and ensure its periodic

review

Staff

‐ Integrate knowledge management in e-Performance document

‐ Actively engage in knowledge capture and sharing across the organization

Office of the Executive Secretary

‐ Serve as organization-wide focal point for Knowledge Management and

periodically convene Knowledge Management Focal Point Group

‐ Monitor implementation of annual Knowledge Management Action Plan

‐ Identify, set up and maintain ICT tools to enable Knowledge Management

UNECE KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT - 2017 ACTION PLAN

 ProposedAction UNECEfocalpoint Timeline



capture



1. Clarificationoftheorganizationallearningprocesses

(Howtocapturerelevantknowledge?Howbesttovalidateit?Howtoreview

knowledgeperiodicallytokeepituptodate?)



OES+FPs



3/2017



2. DevelopmentofKMtoolbox

(Templatesforknowledgesharinginrecurrentsituations,e.g.handovernotes,

debriefingmechanismfordeparting/retiringstaff,missionreport,meeting

minutes;etc)

OES+FPs 6/2017

3. Developmentofguidanceonroutinetransactions

(5topicstbdinconsultationwithFPs,e.g.EXCOM,meetingplanningand

servicing)



OES+FPs 3/2017

4. Performancemanagement:

InclusionofindividualKMgoalinallePasdocuments



Allstaff



4/2017



5. TrainingopportunitiesandinductiontoUNECEKnowledgeManagement

practicesandtools



OESwithHR/UNOG 8/2017



access



6. Compilationofavailableknowledgeinexistingknowledgerepositories

(Capturingstatusquoandimprovingaccessthroughconsolidation/systematic

collectionandorganization),includingcentralrepositoryformissionreports;

briefingnotes;meetingminutes;guidanceonadministrativeissues,etc.



OES+FPs/allDivisions Ongoing

(detailed

timelinetbc)



7. Selectionandintroductionofcontentmanagementtool

(standardenterprisesolution)



ISU(withUNOGand

OICT)

tbc(alignedto

Secretariat‐wide

timeline)



exchange

8. Needsassessmentandestablishment/maintenanceofCommunitiesofPractice

(e.g.forSecretariesofsubsidiarybodies)andWiKis



OES+FPs 4/2017

9. BrownBagSeries/occasionalmeetingstoshareknowledge

(periodicinformalbriefingsoncross‐cuttingissuesandgoodpractices)



OES(coordination)+

interestedstaff



Ongoing



10. CommunicationStrategyforKnowledgeManagement OES(lead)



3/2017