KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT SCENARIOS
FOR AFTERNOON BREAKOUT GROUPS

You will choose one of the scenarios below and join a group for that scenario. Specific assignments for each breakout group will be distributed when we split into groups.

SCENARIO FOR GROUP 1

Your CEO/Director/Dean has informed you that management has decided to develop a KM program, and you have been selected to lead this initiative. The organization is prepared to spend necessary funds to have a state-of-the-art program.

ASSIGNMENT FOR GROUP 1

1. Your boss wants you to offer an executive summary concerning what the program should include. Examples: email archives? document management? presentations that your attorneys (accountants, etc) have offered at seminars? Create a list of what you think needs to be included, then prioritize the list to offer the top 5.

2. Which direction do you propose your organization takes: focus on Expertise (potential knowledge) OR focus on Work product (completed knowledge)? List reasons for your choice.

**GROUP 1'S PROBLEM-SOLVING RESPONSE:**

In a law firm, we cannot properly answer this question until we get input from other administrative departments such as Systems, Human Resources, Accounting, Records, Conflicts, Operations/Facilities, and from practice groups or departments. In a law school or court library, we need input from similar administrative departments (except Conflicts), as well as from faculty and judges.

1) Knowledge about the organization: procedures, phone info, contact info for key contacts outside of firm, addresses of branch offices or libraries, financial data (may include budget status, client billing information, depth of access may be limited by logon)

2) Access to work research product, including briefs, memoranda, attorney presentations, articles written for outside audience (eg client newsletters). Ideally, there would be a review process to ensure that we are including only "the good stuff"

3) Forms, contract clauses that are approved by organization's department groups

4) Access to research sources outside of firm: links to key data and resources; links to electronic subscriptions & databases

5) Library resources: catalog; ready access to reference assistance, library pathfinders & research guides

EXPERTISE vs. WORK PRODUCT

We were unable to choose one over the other -- both have a place in the KM program. But completed knowledge would be the first focus. As confidence in the value of the KM program builds, tools to track expertise & potential knowledge would be developed.

We felt that the key to providing useful access to both (a very broad amount of information & varying types of information), a carefully structured hierarchy would be essential. This tool would be geared to searchers who have a good idea of what they want & where they should find it -- a drill down approach. At the same time, we need to build a direct access tool:  key word searchable, which would be the tool of choice for those who have a less specific goal and want to cast a wide search net.

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SCENARIO FOR GROUP 2

Your organization has already begun development of a KM program, but it is in its infancy. Management has assigned all control of it to the Systems department. You want to become a key player in the program, but your initial suggestion to your CEO/Director/Dean has been ignored.

ASSIGNMENT FOR GROUP 2

1. Identify five reasons you should be involved (how do your skills match to the project goals identified). Rewrite them for your target audience.

2. Choose three ways to collaborate with the Systems manager on this project to result in a win-win for each of you.

**GROUP 2'S PROBLEM-SOLVING RESPONSE:**

WHY US ?

4. We have relationships with all parts of the institution. Our community (users, clients, faculty, management, attorneys, student) has trust in us.

HOW TO COLLABORATE?

4. We can appeal to the bottom line by offering to shoulder part of the IT staff workload.

SCENARIO FOR GROUP 3

Your organization has no KM program, and there doesn't seem to be a plan to pursue one. You believe that a KM program is essential to the future of the organization, but your CEO/Director/Dean is only marginally receptive to new incentives. You want to sell the idea to the organization - and you want to be a key player in planning and executing a program.

ASSIGNMENT FOR GROUP 3

1. It is up to you to sell your boss on the value of KM. Identify five key components that will have the biggest payoff. Explain why you selected these five.

2. You'll need to market the KM concept to a wider group than just your boss. Identify the key positions that you might tap, and describe how you would sell the concept to each.

*** GROUP 3'S PROBLEM-SOLVING RESPONSES***

KEY COMPONENTS TO K.M.

We started by listing all the components and then tried to narrow the list down to starred five.

4. Making connections/pathways (both between different groups of people and between people and resources)

We used the above 11 features and listed the constituents and then which of the above benefits we would emphasize with each one.

B. We have the experience and skills (project management, organization, indexing, customer service, brief banks, form banks, records management).

F. We have a passion for and interest in knowledge and information management.