1. 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.

2. 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?

3. 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.

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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.

7. 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 Auditing the Lessons Architecture. Manila.

8. 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 Auditing the Lessons Architecture. Manila.

9. 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 Auditing the Lessons Architecture. Manila.

10. Further Reading
ADB Auditing the Lessons Architecture. Manila.
―― Auditing Knowledge. Manila.
―― Learning Lessons with Knowledge Audits. Manila.

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