UNESCO: A Knowledge Broker? Castries UNESCO: A Knowledge Broker? Training Workshop for Documentalists of National Commissions of the Caribbean Castries, St. Lucia, 1-3 December 2004 Axel Plathe UNESCO, Information Society Divisionn

UNESCO: A Knowledge Broker? Castries Content What is knowledge? UNESCO’s mandate UNESCO acting as a Knowledge Broker UNESCO enabling Knowledge Brokers ICTs and knowledge management Managament proposals

UNESCO: A Knowledge Broker? Castries What is Knowledge? “The learning and knowledge that we have, is, at the most, but little compared with that of which we are ignorant” (Plato) “A body of facts and principles accumulated by mankind in the course of time” “Making sense of information”/ “digested information” Your suggestion?

UNESCO: A Knowledge Broker? Castries What is a Knowledge Broker? “An intermediary that links the people who use knowledge and those who create it”

UNESCO: A Knowledge Broker? Castries What kinds of knowledge exist? Scientific Knowledge Local and indigenous knowledge “Sets of understandings, interpretations and meanings are part and parcel of a cultural complex that encompasses language, naming and classification systems, resource use practices, ritual, spirituality and worldview”

UNESCO: A Knowledge Broker? Castries What are the characteristics of Quality Knowledge? Quality Knowledge is crediblerelevanttimely

UNESCO: A Knowledge Broker? Castries What kind of knowledge-related actions exist? Knowledge Creation Knowledge Preservation Knowledge Mining Knowledge Utilization Knowledge Sharing

UNESCO: A Knowledge Broker? Castries Is Knowledge Brokerage foreseen in UNESCO’s mandate? Constitution, Article 1: Purposes and functions “Collaborate in the work of advancing the mutual knowledge and understanding of people” “Maintain, increase and diffuse knowledge”

UNESCO: A Knowledge Broker? Castries Is Knowledge Brokerage foreseen in UNESCO’s mandate? 31 C/4: UNESCO as a “Clearing House” as one of its 5 essential functions “Gathering, transferring, disseminating and sharing available information, knowledge and best practices in its fields of competence” “Identifying innovative solutions” “Testing solutions through pilot projects”

UNESCO: A Knowledge Broker? Castries Advance mutual knowledge and understanding of the people Contribute to development based on knowledge in its areas of competence Examples of development needs: 840 million undernourished people 1.5 billion people without access to safe drinking water 860 million illiterate adults 130 million people out of school Identify innovative solutions Promote Knowledge Societies Why should UNESCO be a Knowledge Broker?

UNESCO: A Knowledge Broker? Castries What are potential clients of UNESCO as a Knowledge Broker? Researchers … Political decision makers Professional Communities Interested public at large Civil society

UNESCO: A Knowledge Broker? Castries A) UNESCO acts itself as a Knowledge Broker What are UNESCO’s concrete actions so far? B) UNESCO enables others to be Knowledge Brokers

UNESCO: A Knowledge Broker? Castries A) UNESCO itself as a Knowledge Broker (1) UNESCO’s In-house information services UNESCO Library UNESCO Archives 66 Information Services located at Headquarters and in the Field Offices 32 bibliographic, referral and full text databases produced by UNESCO in its domains of competence

UNESCO: A Knowledge Broker? Castries A) UNESCO itself as a Knowledge Broker (1) UNESCO as a scientific publisher Monographs, e.g. WSIS Publication Series Periodicals, e.g. Museum International World Reports, e.g. World Science Report Proceedings, e.g. Infoethics Proceedings Directories, e.g. Asia Pacific Arts Directory

UNESCO: A Knowledge Broker? Castries UNESCO Web services “Knowledge Portal” Observatory on the Information Society Ocean Portal Heritage Portal Web access to full texts of official UNESCO documents (20,000) photobank (10,000 images) worldwide translations database (1,3 million bibliographic records) thesauri links directories, e.g. worldwide portals for archives, libraries, poetry e.g. A) UNESCO itself as a Knowledge Broker (2)

UNESCO: A Knowledge Broker? Castries UNESCO as an organizer of scientific conferences International Symposium on the Temple of Bayon UNESCO as organizer of expert advise dissemination Reports Missions e.g. A) UNESCO itself as a Knowledge Broker (3)

UNESCO: A Knowledge Broker? Castries Example: UNESCO Archives Portal Organized information on issues related to archives and record management Service to a specific group of UNESCO’s stakeholders Directory of links to outside resources Organized in categories Maintained and updated A) UNESCO itself as a Knowledge Broker (4)

UNESCO: A Knowledge Broker? Castries In Education UNITWIN / UNESCO Chairs Network Establishing and reinforcing strong and durable linkages amongst higher education and scientific institutions worldwide, and facilitating the transfer of knowledge while combating the brain drain. In Natural Sciences International Centre for Synchrotron Light for Experimental Science and Applications in the Middle East (SESAME) Establishing the Middle East's first major international research centre as a cooperative venture by the scientists and governments of the region. B) UNESCO enabling others to be Knowledge Brokers (1) e.g.

UNESCO: A Knowledge Broker? Castries In Social Sciences Management of social transformations (MOST) Promoting international, comparative and policy-relevant research on contemporary social transformations and issues of global importance In Culture Network of Copyright Chairs Promoting international university cooperation in the areas of copyright and neighbouring rights In Communication & Information INFOYOUTH Centres Establishing information centres for young people e.g. B) UNESCO enabling others to be Knowledge Brokers (2)

UNESCO: A Knowledge Broker? Castries Effects of ICTs on UNESCO’s role: Are ICTs leading to a paradigm shift in UNESCO’s role as a Knowledge Broker? Higher efficiency Wider scope Greater outreach Higher relevance Lower costs Timeliness

UNESCO: A Knowledge Broker? Castries Management proposals (1) Make UNESCO an exemplary actor in Knowledge Societies Refocus UNESCO’s priorities on Knowledge Broker functions in its areas of competence Concentrate on the use of ICT for Knowledge Broker activities Provide adequate resources to Knowledge Broker activities (staff, hard- and software)

UNESCO: A Knowledge Broker? Castries Establish efficient and effective methodologies Identify relevant knowledge Index relevant knowledge Disseminate relevant knowledge Establish a coherent structure for Knowledge Broker activities across all sectors (“Knowledge Portal”) Management proposals (2)

UNESCO: A Knowledge Broker? Castries

UNESCO: A Knowledge Broker? Castries UNESCO National Commissions as Knowledge Brokers Training Workshop for Documentalists of National Commissions of the Caribbean Castries, St. Lucia, 1-3 December 2004 Axel Plathe UNESCO, Information Society Divisionn

UNESCO: A Knowledge Broker? Castries What is a Knowledge Broker? “An intermediary that links the people who use knowledge and those who create it”

UNESCO: A Knowledge Broker? Castries Key functions of Natcoms Constitution of UNESCO (Article VII)/ Charter of National Commissions

UNESCO: A Knowledge Broker? Castries Information functions Natcom > Country (internal “clients”) Inform national agencies & institutions of GC/Ex Board conclusions & recommendations Disseminate findings of studies and reports Translate, adapt and disseminate UNESCO publications/documents in national languages Arouse public interest in UNESCO Disseminate information on UNESCO (mass media and the general public) Provide a channel for disseminating information obtained from other countries

UNESCO: A Knowledge Broker? Castries Natcoms > Secretariat Inform the Secretariat on national requirements and priorities Make their views known when surveys or inquiries are carried out Provide knowledge on national expertise (e.g. consultants) Information functions

UNESCO: A Knowledge Broker? Castries Information channels National Commission Other Natcoms Other IGOs & NGOs UNESCO (HQ & Field) Government & institutions State agencies and services, professional and other associations, universities and other centres of research and education, and other institutions concerned with education, the sciences, culture and information Mass media Broad Public NationalInternational

UNESCO: A Knowledge Broker? Castries Information flows National Commissions Secretariat (HQ & field) Information creators Information users Information user Information creators

UNESCO: A Knowledge Broker? Castries Types of information Documents Databases Directories Newsletter Expertise in given areas –Institutional (e.g. universities) –Individual (e.g. consultants, experts) Best practices Your suggestions

UNESCO: A Knowledge Broker? Castries Tools Online – lists –Blogs –Websites –Content management systems (CMS) Your suggestions A weblog, or simply a blog, is a web application which contains periodic, reverse chronologically ordered posts on a common webpage. Such a Web site would typically be accessible to any Internet user.

UNESCO: A Knowledge Broker? Castries Tools Off-line –Paper publications (e.g.montly/yearly reports) –Documentation centres & libraries –Meetings – Your suggestions

UNESCO: A Knowledge Broker? Castries Information resources Needs Your suggestions UNESDOC/ UNESBIB –News services (on/off line) – –UNESCO official documents –UNESCO publications

UNESCO: A Knowledge Broker? Castries Needs Human capacities –«Information literacy» –Knowledge manager expertise –Documentalist/librarian expertise –Web expertise – Your suggestions?

UNESCO: A Knowledge Broker? Castries Needs Technical tools –CDS/ISIS –UNESCO Thesaurus –Internet connection – tools –CMS (Master website for Natcoms) – Your suggestions

UNESCO: A Knowledge Broker? Castries Information or Knowledge? Information Knowledge Information can be considered as a message. It typically has a sender and a receiver. Information is the sort of stuff that can, at least potentially, be saved onto a computer. Data is a type of information that is structured, but has not been interpreted. Knowledge might be described as information that has a use or purpose. Whereas information can be placed onto a computer, knowledge exists in the heads of people. Knowledge is information to which an intent has been attached.

UNESCO: A Knowledge Broker? Castries Knowledge Management Seeks to make the best use of the knowledge that is available to an organization Creates new knowledge in the process "Knowledge Management caters to the critical issues of organizational adaptation, survival, and competence in face of increasingly discontinuous environmental change.... Essentially, it embodies organizational processes that seek synergistic combination of data and information processing capacity of information technologies, and the creative and innovative capacity of human beings.“

UNESCO: A Knowledge Broker? Castries Organizational process Data and information processing capacity of IT Creative and innovative capacity of human beings Knowledge Management Synergistic combination Natcoms ?

UNESCO: A Knowledge Broker? Castries