The More We Use the Knowledge, the More We Gain

Describe The Approaches Utilized To Measure / Assess This KM Initiative: 

The foundation of this process is a mutual dialogue which is facilitated by a neutral facilitator. A team runs a Proactive Review when they prepare a large scale bid, deliver a complex IT implementation, manage a high-cost event or other matters of high risk or high cost. The Proactive Review itself is confidential, only the tangible output is shared with others i.e. the Action- and communication plan and the one or two topics that the senior management needs to know. The Proactive Reviews make the organisation able to avoid repeating mistakes, repeat successes, innovate based on experienced needs, implement changes in working processes smoothly and increase efficiency. A Proactive Review lasts for two to three hours and has 3 – 16 Delegates. Oracle measures the numbers of Proactive Reviews as well as the number of changes they have caused.

Sector: 

IT

What Do You Think Are The Main Unanswered Questions Or Challenges Related To This Field Of Work?: 

The time span. The investment is in January, and you may harvest in January this year or next year. Sometimes it is hard to link a specific change, a specific gain or result to a specific Proactive Review.

What Was The Purpose Or Motivation For Assessing This KM Initiative?: 

The IT industry is changing rapidly. To adapt to these changes and to learn from experience Oracle created the process of Proactive Reviews.

What Were The Most Important Lessons Learned About The Assessment Process?: 

To make the Proactive Review process work, we needed trained facilitators. Over four years I trained approximately 300 facilitators from 30-35 countries. Not all of them kept being active, but today there are 130+ active facilitators in the community. The challenge is now to invest the time in the Proactive Reviews.

What Would You Do Differently Next Time?: 

This is an ongoing process, there is no next time - there is only the next step which is to communicate even more intensively about the process and the convincing results it creates.

Describe The KM Initiative: 

Individuals build up their knowledge not only by attending training also by experiencing and reflecting. In Oracle we have a structured process for knowledge sharing and- creation called Proactive Reviews consisting of seven simple questions asked in a specific sequence. 1. What is the purpose of this Proactive Review 2. What was the goal if our case 3. What happened and why 4. What should we do next time 5. How to communicate our results 6. What topic of today is key to senior management 7. What was your personal highlight from attending this Proactive Review

What Advice Would You Give To Others Based On Your Experience?: 

When inventing and implementing a process which is new to the company, make the management at all levels experience it on their own. Make sure you can meet the raising needs by training people in due time.

Country: 

United States

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This case was submitted as part of the KM Impact Challenge in 2011. The challenge was sponsored by USAID's Knowledge-Driven Microenterprise Development project, as a key part of the project’s Assessing & Learning component, which sought to improve the understanding of how investing in learning can increase and extend the overall impact of USAID's development efforts.