Public Accounts Committee takes on the knowledge agenda

Thanks to the Metro for alerting me to their 43rd  Report – Learning and Innovation in Government. 

An entertaining read, even compulsive, not just for the acerbic questioning, but to see one of the most influential government committees wonder why government doesn’t learn from its experience.  In fact if you’re short on arguments to get learning and knowledge transfer taken seriously in your organisation, the report gives some brilliant anecdotes.  It stresses that poor sharing of knowledge across organisational boundaries acts as a barrier to change in government as do risk averse attitudes that stifle innovation and prevent lessons from being learned.

It also presents a dozen key principles fundamental to learning and innovation.  All of which will be familiar to KIM professionals. To quote a few:

• “Effective learning and innovation are unlikely to happen by accident; they are much more likely to occur when an organisation takes a systematic approach to considering what works and why...”

• “Learning needs to become part of an organisation's normal day to day practice…”

• “Transparency and openness about performance enables others to learn from an organisation’s successes and allows the organisation to learn how to avoid repeating its failures…”

• “Organisations should form networks beyond their borders proactively seeking to share information and learn from others.”           

Definitely a source of ammunition for the knowledge management cause that can be adapted for all sectors.  Read more here.  And do read the transcripted section at the end if you want to learn how to ask penetrating and informed questions!

Sandra Ward,

Associate Consultant