U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Mapping Tacit Knowledge as a Foundation for Knowledge Management 7 th Annual Meeting of NERS September 24, 2004 – Vienna, Austria James E. Morris – Office of Human Resources

2 Agenda Brief background Action plan Strategic workforce plan development Knowledge mapping Pilot program Results Using the knowledge map information

3 Brief background October 2000 – Chairman Meserve requested the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff to prepare a plan of action to address maintaining the core scientific, engineering, and technical competencies (tacit knowledge) needed to perform NRC’s technically-based functions.

4 Action plan The NRC developed an integrated approach called Strategic Workforce Planning (SWP) to address maintaining its core competencies.

5 Strategic Workforce Planning Development Phase 1 - Understand Nature of Organizational Mission & Business Requirements Phase 2 - Define Workforce Capacity Profile to Support Organizational Mission & Business Requirements Phase 3 - Identify Availability of Human Resources to Support Business Requirements Phase 4 - Compare ‘Supply’ to ‘Demand’ & Develop Strategies to Address Gaps & Surpluses Sourcing Strategies Future Needs “Resource Demand” Current Capacity Gap Analysis People Positions Workforce Capacity Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, Proficiencies & Other Attributes of Interest Workforce Trends Workforce Capacity Internal Data External Data Labor Market Trends “Resource Supply” Key Outcomes & Outputs Strategic Arenas Nuclear Waste Safety International Nuclear Safety Support Nuclear Reactor Safety Nuclear Materials Safety Corporate Management Competencies KSAs Proficiencies, Attributes

6 SWP development A fundamental step was developing a knowledge map Defining the knowledge that needs to be managed –identify tacit knowledge critical to the agency’s mission –locate where in the agency the knowledge resides (people)

7 Pilot program Identified three organizational units to participate in the Skills Assessment –Fuel Cycle Licensing Branch – Office of Nuclear Materials Safety & Safeguards (NMSS) –Plant Systems Branch – Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation (NRR) –Safety Margins & Systems Analysis Branch – Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research (RES)

8 Knowledge competencies Communications plan Interviewed selected branch chiefs and supervisors in the selected branches Program offices identified critical workforce knowledge, skills, and other attributes

9 Competencies (continued) An essential piece of knowledge management initiative Required the right level of detail –If the knowledge items identified were too broad then the information would not be useful –If the items were too detailed then the information would be too cumbersome –“Narrow down” not “pinpoint” knowledge

10 Self-assessment survey Second component was the self- assessment survey Divided into 4 sections I.Personal background information II.Language proficiencies III.Knowledge, skills, and abilities IV.Leadership competencies

11 Self-assessment approach Employees access the on-line database and rate their level of expertise for each of 1000 different knowledge competencies Supervisors receive an electronic message whenever employees update the database Supervisors review the employee ratings to ensure consistency

12 Levels of expertise Expert: I am looked to as an expert in this knowledge or skill Extensive: I have extensive knowledge of/training in this knowledge or skill and am comfortable serving as a technical advisor in this area Applied: I have participated in multiple assignments requiring the application of this knowledge or skill General: I have a general understanding via training or some work experience Limited: I have a limited understanding None: I have no knowledge or skill in this area

13 Results The Strategic Workforce Planning (SWP) we developed is an intranet-based system –Collects personal background information, approximately 1000 skills in 15 categories, leadership competencies, and language proficiencies –Voluntary participation –Has a high participation rate (84%)

14 Using the information Managers and supervisors are able to search the database to locate critical competencies Used for human capital management – forecasting “gaps” Identifies individuals possessing unique knowledge that may be lost –Candidates for knowledge transfer strategies –Timely identification (through forecasting) provides increased options

15 Planned uses in the near-future Identifying communities of practice –Two groups establishing online communities –Use the knowledge map to identify additional communities Publishing an electronic directory of experts –Intended as a tool for the staff –Consensual publication Supervisors “look ahead” for knowledge transfer options

16 Summary Linked to the strategic mission Dynamic –changes in the agency’s mission –changes in individual competencies Obtaining participation is an artifact of each agency’s culture Self-evaluation results need validation Very powerful tool – but still only a tool

17 Example 14 competencies under the Electrical Power/Power Distribution category –Control PanelsElectrical Support Systems –Equipment Protection StudiesEquipment Sizing Studies –Fuel Cycle Facility SystemsLoad Flow/Voltage Regulation and Protection –Motors and GeneratorsOnsite Power Supplies –Power Bus DuctPower Distribution Equipment –Raceway PenetrationsReading Electrical Drawings –Short Circuit StudiesTransformers

18 Experiences of other agencies informed process development Centered around highly technical knowledge, skills, and competencies Inventory of employee skills to attain strategic goals Determine net capacity gaps and surpluses Well-defined process enabled by technology