Olivier Serrat Auditing Knowledge 2016 The views expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) or its Board of Governors or the governments they represent. By making any designation of or reference to a particular territory or geographic area, or by using the term "country" in this document, ADB does not intend to make any judgments as to the legal or other status of any territory or area.

Consider This What are an organization's knowledge needs? What tacit and explicit knowledge assets does it have and where are they? How does knowledge flow within the organization, formally and informally, and to and from clients, audiences, and partners? How is that knowledge identified, created, stored, shared, and used? What obstacles are there to knowledge flows, meaning, to what extent do people, processes, and technology support or hamper the movement of knowledge in the organization? What gaps and duplications exist in the organization's knowledge?

Define: Knowledge Audit 1. Facts, information, and skills acquired by a person through experience or education; the theoretical or practical understanding of a subject. 2. What is known in a particular field or in total; facts and information. 3. Awareness or familiarity gained by experience of a fact or situation. A knowledge audit is an investigation of what an organization knows, mapped against user and organizational needs: it pays attention to the what, where, who, when, how and why of core knowledge activities, e.g., identification, creation, storage, sharing, and use; it can span an organization or constituent parts of it.

Why Conduct a Knowledge Audit? Identify what knowledge is needed to reach an organization's goal and support individual and group activities Recognize the knowledge created and help assess its value and contribution to organizational performance Confirm that knowledge is being efficiently and effectively managed and indicate where changes can be made Identify intellectual assets and facilitate the creation of an intellectual asset register Distinguish pockets of knowledge that are not being used to advantage and offer potential Review the use of external knowledge and suggest ways to optimize that

Why Conduct a Knowledge Audit? Assess the use and impact of knowledge products and services, how valuable they are, and how they might be improved Circumscribe knowledge flows and associated bottlenecks Make out present and future knowledge gaps Develop knowledge and social network maps of an organization Supply data to support knowledge management initiatives Pinpoint quick wins

Knowledge Audit Constituents Identify knowledge needs Draw up a knowledge inventory Analyze knowledge flows Create knowledge maps Identify what tacit and explicit knowledge individuals, groups, and the organization possess and what knowledge they need to perform better. Inventorize knowledge assets: (i) explicit—categories and numbers of documents, databases, libraries, intranets, etc.; (ii) tacit—staff directories, skill databases, training programs, etc. Investigate how knowledge moves from where it is to where it is needed, revealing good and bad practices, paying attention to people, processes, and technology. Visualize the sources, flows, and sinks of knowledge in an organization.

Knowledge Audit Methodology There can be no blueprint to a knowledge audit: the time it takes to prepare and conduct one depends on such parameters as (i) the focus needed, e.g. knowledge stocks and/or knowledge flows); (ii) the size of the target population, its geographical location, and the level of participation desired; (iii) the resources available as well as their capability; and (iv) the level of detail required. Phase 1 Knowledge Audit Methodology Phase 2 Phase 3 Phase 4 Preparations Analysis Review Business Planning Source: ADB. 2008. Auditing the Lessons Architecture. Manila. www.adb.org/publications/auditing-lessons-architecture

Indicative Knowledge Audit Time Frame Phase Activity Month 1 Month 2 Month 3 Month 4 Month 5 1 Knowledge Audit Preparations Plan knowledge audit Assimilate core knowledge activities Delineate interface characteristics Identify and liaise with key audiences Select and design audit forms 2 Knowledge Audit Analysis Identify knowledge needs Draw up knowledge inventory Analyze knowledge flows Create knowledge maps 3 Knowledge Audit Review Assess knowledge audit findings Discuss knowledge audit Close knowledge audit 4 Business Planning Decide on knowledge management initiatives Formulate business plans Source: ADB. 2008. Auditing the Lessons Architecture. Manila. www.adb.org/publications/auditing-lessons-architecture

Auditing the Lessons Architecture Interface Strategy Development Management Techniques Collaboration Mechanisms Knowledge Sharing and Learning Knowledge Capture and Storage OED–OED  OED–ADB OED–DMCs OED–IEC ADB = Asian Development Bank, DMC = developing member country, IEC = international evaluation community, OED = Operations Evaluation Department. Source: ADB. 2008. Auditing the Lessons Architecture. Manila. www.adb.org/publications/auditing-lessons-architecture

Further Reading ADB. 2008. Auditing the Lessons Architecture. Manila. http://www.adb.org/publications/auditing-lessons-architecture ――. 2008. Auditing Knowledge. Manila. www.adb.org/publications/auditing-knowledge ――. 2009. Learning Lessons with Knowledge Audits. Manila. www.adb.org/publications/learning-lessons-knowledge-audits

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