TACIT

KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT BRIEFS

These briefs are written to ABOUT TACIT KNOWLEDGE support USAID and partners with Collaborating, Learning, and Adapting Addressing tacit knowledge is critical for effective . (CLA) throughout the Although tacit knowledge can be challenging to identify and manage, Program Cycle. They utilize creating processes and practices that facilitate its capture and transfer can from the KDMD project to share allow organizations to create efficiencies and improve their learning good practices, how-tos, practice. This document provides guidance on methods for identifying, and lessons learned about concepts and activities capturing, and transferring tacit knowledge based on from the related to knowledge USAID-funded Knowledge-Driven Microenterprise Development management and learning. (KDMD) project.

What is tacit knowledge? Tacit knowledge is intuitive and personalized knowledge about how to do something, accumulated through experience. It includes the beliefs, attitudes, skills, capabilities, and expertise that an individual uses to The USAID Knowledge-Driven perform an activity . Tacit knowledge can be difficult to transfer, as it is Microenterprise Development (KDMD) project designs and deeply rooted within a specific individual and the way that the individual implements state-of-the-art knowledge performs specific tasks. management (KM), learning, and collaboration tools and approaches Explicit knowledge, on the other hand, is formalized knowledge and and promotes collaboration among practitioners to speed innovation and information that can be documented (in documents, databases, books, adoption. KDMD seeks to maximize etc.) and replicated. The majority of knowledge is thought to be tacit the impact of USAID’s knowledge while only a small portion is explicit. However, knowledge is rarely either and learning investments, and implements strategies and processes fully tacit or explicit, usually falling somewhere in between. to coordinate learning and across the full range of investments and activities for our USAID programs.

SEPTEMBER 2013

This document was produced for review by the support of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) under the Knowledge-Driven Microenterprise Development (KDMD) project, implemented by the QED Group, LLC. The views and opinions expressed by the participants in the discussion and in this report were their own and may not necessarily reflect the views of USAID.

• HOW-TOS What are the steps that you go through to complete your task/activity? Why does Identifying Tacit Knowledge each step matter? First, determine what types of knowledge or skill • What are the most common mistakes you sets are most critical for your project or activity. or others have made? What would someone new to the activity need to • Who do you have to talk to in order to be able to do? Consider the following questions to complete the task/activity? help identify critical tacit knowledge1: • How do you know when you’re over your • What knowledge and skills are essential head? for your project or activity to operate • How do you know when to ask for help? successfully? What’s the appropriate way to ask for • Are any of the knowledge and skills at risk help? of being lost if key personnel stop • What are the rules and which ones can performing the activity? you ignore? • If so, how would you prioritize these • How do you know if the task/activity is knowledge and skills? completed and if it has been completed • Who knows how to do this activity? Who satisfactorily? are the experts? Who would you ideally The following tools, activities, and practices can like to clone in this area of expertise? also facilitate knowledge capture: • Who needs to know how to do this After Action Reviews (AARs) are assessments activity? conducted after a project or activity that allow Capturing Tacit Knowledge team members to discuss what they learned, review successes and challenges, and identify Once you have determined the type of tacit action items to improve the next iteration of the knowledge you would like to document and who activity. During an AAR, a facilitator typically can provide it, consider interviewing those who shapes and guides the discussion while a possess the tacit knowledge. Some questions to designated note taker ensures detailed ask include: documentation of the discussion. After Action Reviews help promote continuous learning and improvement among staff. For more information on After Action Reviews, please read the AAR Brief in USAID’s

1 Trautman, Steve. “: Preserving Your Learning Lab library. Secret Sauce.” www.stevetrautman.com. October 2011.

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Exit interviews or staff The KDMD Wiki “downloads” help capture an individual’s tacit knowledge before they leave an Hosted by Wikispaces, KDMD used its organization or project. Consider utilizing the wiki to capture and share the project’s questions listed above during an exit interview. approach to knowledge management and accumulated experience. The The format of exit interviews can range from KDMD wiki: informal discussions to video interviews. Documentation may take the form of meeting • Served as the project's informal notes to more formal handover documents. Allow knowledge base deviations from set interview questions during an • Documented and identified best exit interview since these conversations are often practices for the project the ones that result in unexpected but valuable information and feedback. • Fostered collaborative and effective work across individuals, Wikis are websites that allow members to teams, and activities collaboratively add, modify, or delete content. Many wikis can be set as private to protect • Enabled KDMD to continuously internal learning and information, and they can improve products, services, and be housed on community websites or intranets. processes Many companies provide both free and paid KDMD’s wiki was structured according subscriptions to online wikis including to the four key areas in the knowledge Wikispaces, Docuwiki, Twiki, and Wikkawiki. cycle – knowledge generation, knowledge capture, knowledge sharing, Transferring Tacit Knowledge and knowledge application. All pages were tagged with key terms to help These tools and activities can help facilitate navigation between pages. Key knowledge transfer: documents and resources were uploaded to the wiki and several Mentoring can be an effective method of templates are available for the creation transferring tacit knowledge from one team of new pages to standardize information member to another. Mentoring can be as formal across the site. or informal as desired, but expectations should be KDMD team members were discussed between both parties prior to the start of encouraged by project managers to the activity. Shadowing is one approach to contribute to the wiki. Top mentoring that allows one staff member to contributors were rewarded with observe how another staff member implements an formal recognition and small incentives during monthly, project-wide meetings. activity from beginning to end. USAID has shown its commitment to mentoring by making it one of the USAID Forward progress indicators— measured by the number of people each mid-to­ senior level manager actively mentors.

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Peer-to-peer learning (which can include http://usaidlearninglab.or learning networks, communities of practice, and g/learning-networks. working groups) is a way for individuals with a • Communities of practice are larger groups common interest to come together to share of individuals interested in a specific topic knowledge, learning, and experiences in a or technical area. Their structure and particular topic area. focus will depend on the groups’ interests. • Learning networks are small, structured, Communities of practice are often time-bound groups, focused on a specific comprised of “core members,” who learning outcome or deliverable. manage and facilitate the network’s Facilitation among the learning network activities as well as an “outer circle” of members as well as creation of a learning individuals, who contribute occasionally. agenda and deliverables is recommended • Working groups are similar to to ensure maximum knowledge exchange communities of practice but are usually and capture. For more information on smaller and formed to produce an agreed- learning networks, please visit the upon deliverable within a specified time. Learning Networks Resource Center on USAID’s Learning Lab at

The GROOVE Market Facilitation Mentoring Program

The GROOVE Market Facilitation Mentoring • Coordinate quarterly reviews with Program (MFMP) was developed and piloted mentors/mentees to share good by the GROOVE Learning Network, a practices and challenges USAID-funded learning network comprised of CARE, CHF International, Conservation • Monitor and evaluate the program’s International and Practical Action. Designed overall performance and share data with to increase staff capacity to act as market key stakeholders facilitators and manage sustainable, pro-poor value chain development initiatives, this • Match mentors and mentees carefully, program provided structured mentoring looking at the knowledge and guidance to emerging market facilitators information the parties are interested in within their organizations. Below are a few of sharing, their motivations, and the the lessons learned from formal resources required. mentor/mentee programs: To learn more about the GROOVE Market • Obtain executive buy-in with a project Facilitation Mentoring Program, please visit or organization http://microlinks.kdid.org/library/groove­ market-facilitation-mentoring-program­ overview

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Spatial arrangements can play an influential role open collaboration and in facilitating the transfer of tacit knowledge. learning. Consider Designating communal work spaces physically investing time and resources into team building activities if possible. encourage team members to interact and share experiences. This should, of course, be balanced  Incentives: Make knowledge sharing a part with available private spaces for individualized of everyone’s job by including it in job descriptions and rewarding positive work and more formal meetings. behavior. Incentives can range from the informal (an acknowledgement in a KDMD’s “Q” Zone meeting) to more formal (a certificate or plaque), but all reinforce the idea that Five team members of the KDMD sharing knowledge is beneficial for the Communications Portfolio sat close individual, the project, and the together in open cubicles in what was organization. named the “Q Zone” (after the “Q” in QED Group). This spatial arrangement  Q&A: One of the best ways to learn how encouraged spontaneous and immediate someone does something is to ask them. interaction and allowed the team to This can be done informally (in the hallway) collaborate easily and provide each other with quick feedback. This ongoing dialogue or formally (through a mentor/mentee helped promote sharing as well as creative program). Allowing the time and space to and innovative thinking. ask questions not only helps the person asking the questions but also those who provide the answers by prompting them to think through their response.  LESSONS LEARNED Openness to discussing failure: Just as it is important to document success, it is also The KDMD project found that a number of important to acknowledge and document challenges. To encourage the capture and principles facilitate the capture and transfer of transfer of tacit knowledge, an organization tacit knowledge. These include: and project staff should be open to sharing  Adaptability and : Tacit both sides of the coin. knowledge is based on experience which The adage ‘we don’t know what we don’t know’ is typically requires trial and error. Allow especially true when it comes to tacit knowledge. individuals the chance to explore different By creating supportive environments and approaches and tools to determine the best ways that they learn and share knowledge. employing some of the tools and processes described above, organizations will improve their  Team dynamics: A strong, close, and open learning practice and encourage the exchange of team is invaluable to tacit knowledge sharing. Trust in team members and respect this valuable, but often overlooked, knowledge. for their work creates an environment of

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Resources

Botha, Anthon P. et al, Knowledge: Living and Working With it, Juta and Company, Ltd, 2008

Cortada, James and John Woods. The Knowledge Management Yearbook 2000-2001. Routledge, 2000.

Hagel III, John, John Seely Brown and Lang Davidson. The Power of Pull: How Small Moves, Smartly Made, Can Set Big Things in Motion. Deloitte Development LLC, 2010.

Polanyi, Michael. The Tacit Dimension. Doubleday & Company Inc, 1966.

Trautman, Steve. “Knowledge Transfer: Preserving Your Secret Sauce.” www.stevetrautman.com. October 2011. Retrieved from http://stevetrautman.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Knowledge- Transfer-Preserving-Your-Secret-Sauce.pdf

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