Knowledge management processes strengthen research
Knowledge management is the process by which groups or organisations generate value from "intellectual" assets. These assets may be explicit and tangible (e.g., databases), or tacit (e.g., the know-how and experience locked inside people's heads). Tacit knowledge is considerably more challenging to recognise, generate, share and manage, but the Motueka Integrated Catchment Management (ICM) researchers are using a variety of collaboration methods and web-based tools to do this.
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| Community field trip in the Motueka catchment. Image - Chris Phillips |
The ICM programme not only accumulates bio-physical data and knowledge about catchment processes; it aims to understand and evaluate the "people processes" whereby people naturally seek information to fill knowledge gaps on issues and problems that affect them. People like to discuss causes and possible solutions with others, which often triggers new thoughts and lateral ways of assessing situations. With mutual support, innovative ideas get put into practice. The processes of sharing information and producing successful outcomes attract more people, and groups and communities start to self-organise around the production, diffusion and collective use of knowledge. The ICM research activities and results add significantly to the knowledge pool, and the dynamic social processes facilitate the natural uptake of relevant findings.
ICM researchers are using web-based IT tools to effectively manage much of the communication between team members spread across many geographic regions and multiple organisations. Files, data, and information live in a common workspace. Records of significant meetings and workshops are publicly available on the ICM website. This allows everyone to keep up with programme milestones, making it easier to find out what is already known (to reduce "reinventing-the-wheel"), creates greater awareness of other people's experience and expertise, and highlights the value of seeking out what others know. In the past year, the programme has extended this on-line collaboration, under the banner Integrum, through two discussion groups. The Confluens Group, with 48 members, discusses research questions and shares progress across disciplines, while the smaller Headwaters Group is used for ICM work programming. This dynamic, shared approach to knowledge management fosters collaboration and cross-fertilisation of ideas between research partners, and between researchers and community stakeholders.
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| Weir on a Motueka tributary. Image - Chris Phillips |
For example, in the well-publicised Sherry River case study last year, daily river crossings by cows contributed high bacterial loads, which made the river unfit for swimming. The landowners organised themselves into a group, sought information from scientists about the nature of the problem, then used this to develop a solution that successfully achieved the desired outcome-reduced pathogens, a river safe for swimming, and improved public perceptions of dairy farming in the environment. The effectiveness of the process in that situation is now encouraging the landowners and researchers to tackle other challenging issues in the catchment.
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Talk to us |
Chris Phillips
Email 
Ph (03) 325 6700 |
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On the web |
| http://icm.landcareresearch.co.nz | |
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Funding |
| FRST | |
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Formal partners |
| Tasman District Council, Cawthron Institute, Common Ground, NIWA, Scion, GNS, MIRMAK (iwi), NZ Landcare Trust, Fish & Game Council of NZ, Massey University |