Creating and Using Knowledge in a Digital Economy: NRCan in the 21st Century Information Management Day September 7, 2001 Albert Simard

Opening Thoughts… “ Since it is axiomatic that a firm’s greatest asset is its knowledge, then the firm that fails to generate new knowledge will probably cease to exist.” Thomas Davenport (1998) “ In an economy where the only certainty is uncertainty, the one sure source of lasting competitive advantage is knowledge.” Ikujiro Nonaka (1998)

Outline Knowledge economy Creating knowledge Managing knowledge Sharing knowledge Using knowledge

Knowledge economy

Creating knowledge

Managing knowledge

Sharing knowledge

Using knowledge

Challenges at the Dawn of the 21st Century Knowledge Economy Information Society Accelerating Change Career-Long Learning Merging Technologies Source: US National Science Foundation, 2001 Extended Organizations Global Connectivity Environmental Stewardship Finite Resources Sustainable Development

Knowledge-Based Economy Success based on what you know; not what you own Value of goods based on knowledge content Creating and using knowledge is the key Internet runs two ways; Canada must participate Organizations must change or become irrelevant

Success based on what you know; not what you own

Value of goods based on knowledge content

Creating and using knowledge is the key

Internet runs two ways; Canada must participate

Organizations must change or become irrelevant

Knowledge 101 Data - What are the Facts? (observations and measurements) Information - What do they mean? (interpretation within a context) Knowledge - How does it work? (relations between things, cause & effect) Wisdom - What should I do? (experience and judgment)

Data - What are the Facts?

(observations and measurements)

Information - What do they mean?

(interpretation within a context)

Knowledge - How does it work?

(relations between things, cause & effect)

Wisdom - What should I do?

(experience and judgment)

Knowledge Organization Using Knowledge Nature Internal Knowledge Creation External Knowledge Sharing Management Preservation Lost Knowledge

Creating Knowledge Drivers (problems, issues, government) Organization (mandate, resources, culture) People (analyze, reason, decide) Content (facts, meaning, understanding) Systems (information processes) Technology (computers, communication) Value Process Production Stage Data Information Knowledge Application

Creating Knowledge - Steps Search for existing knowledge Acquire content Manage databases Transform data into information Synthesize new knowledge Produce knowledge products Disseminate knowledge products Use knowledge to solve problems

Search for existing knowledge

Acquire content

Manage databases

Transform data into information

Synthesize new knowledge

Produce knowledge products

Disseminate knowledge products

Use knowledge to solve problems

Creating Knowledge on the Web Descriptive - program descriptions Static - reports, publications Updated - inventories, statistics Dynamic - information systems Interactive - decision-support systems

Descriptive - program descriptions

Static - reports, publications

Updated - inventories, statistics

Dynamic - information systems

Interactive - decision-support systems

Creating Knowledge is not Enough Bell Labs: lasers Xerox: graphical user interface, object-oriented programming, laser printer, Ethernet IBM, DEC: mainframe/mini computers CERN: World-Wide Web Encyclopaedia Britannica: synthesizing knowledge

Bell Labs: lasers

Xerox: graphical user interface, object-oriented programming, laser printer, Ethernet

IBM, DEC: mainframe/mini computers

CERN: World-Wide Web

Encyclopaedia Britannica: synthesizing knowledge

KM Perspectives Escher - Relativity

Knowledge Management Capacity building resources, infrastructure, content Organizational context governance, culture, learning Integration vertical, horizontal, external

Capacity building

resources, infrastructure, content

Organizational context

governance, culture, learning

Integration

vertical, horizontal, external

Discovery Search Engine

NRCan Access to Knowledge Policy Desired general state Specific cost circumstances Specific restriction circumstances Specific cost and restriction circumstances Goal of proposed policy Restricted Unrestricted Access None High Cost

Integrating Content

KM Framework Knowledge Management Capacity Building Organizational Context Resources Infra - structure Co n tent Gover-nance Culture Learning Funds People Time Technology Systems Management Acquisition Production Dissemination Vision Direction Commitment Change Sharing Controlling Education Skills Experience

Sharing Knowledge Agency 1 Information Agency 2 Information Internal flow regulators Internal flow regulators External flow regulators Attributes Technology Infrastructure

Knowledge Flow Regulators Context - issues, social, economic, nature Institutional - organization, national, international Content - domain, provider, user Technology - computers, communication, networks Infrastructure - interoperability, metadata, systems

Context - issues, social, economic, nature

Institutional - organization, national, international

Content - domain, provider, user

Technology - computers, communication, networks

Infrastructure - interoperability, metadata, systems

Science & Technology Cluster: A Business Model Supply (Providers) Demand (Users) Providers and users connect through an S&T Information Market

The S&T Provider Face Provider Face Academia NGOs Private Sector Public Sector Government S&T organizations Universities, colleges, institutes, schools Businesses that share S&T Non-Government organizations interested in S&T

The S&T User Face Public, educators, youth, seniors, media, communities Policy advisors, decision makers, regulators User Face Public Practitioners Policy Makers Business Businesses that need S&T for innovation and growth Scientists, managers, professionals, specialists

All together now… Subjects About S&T Creating Knowledge Expertise Academia Public Institutions NGOs Business Public Practit ioners Policy Makers Provider Face User Face Private Sector

S&T Cluster – Portal Context Business Services International Services Individual Services Sub-Portals Canada Site S&T Practitioners Policy Academic Public Institutions Canadians Other Related Clusters ENRFAH

Just consider… Demand Face Public S&T Practitioners Policy & Regulation Makers Business Dorothy Jones, retired, gardener Gloria Weisman, environmental policy analyst Jean-Yves Paquette, Young entrepreneur Zachary (Zak) Walsh, 13, Mrs. Jones’s grandson budding scientist Haig Acterian, Forester

Climate Data Jean-Yves Paquette, Young entrepreneur

Analysis of Energy Project

Canada - Land Cover Gloria Weisman, environmental policy analyst

Threatened Species

Soils of Canada

Distribution of Black Spruce B) climate at 1.5 X CO 2 A) present climate 0 - 10% 11 - 20% 21 - 30% 31 - 40% 41 - 50% 51 - 60% 61 - 70% 71 - 80% 81 - 90% 91 - 100% X location of black spruce sites

Digital Elevation Dorothy Jones, retired, gardener

Plant Hardiness Zones of Canada

Identifying an Insect Zachary (Zak) Walsh, 13, Mrs. Jones’s grandson budding scientist

Weather Network Haig Acterian, Forester

Fire-Danger Rating

ASEAN System

Real-Time Decision Support

Satellite Monitoring

Fire Modeling

To Summarize S&T have been “connected” for about four decades. S&T are beginning to make their knowledge more useful. Like an iceberg, Government On-Line represents only the visible tip of the total KM structure. The vision of creating and managing knowledge looks beyond Electronic Service Delivery by 2004. Two E-Clusters focus on creating as well as disseminating knowledge. Innovation projects are beginning to be funded: (tactile maps, Digital Commons for Heritage, Ecosystems On-Line).

S&T have been “connected” for about four decades.

S&T are beginning to make their knowledge more useful.

Like an iceberg, Government On-Line represents only the visible tip of the total KM structure.

The vision of creating and managing knowledge looks beyond Electronic Service Delivery by 2004.

Two E-Clusters focus on creating as well as disseminating knowledge.

Innovation projects are beginning to be funded: (tactile maps, Digital Commons for Heritage, Ecosystems On-Line).

Closing Thoughts… “ Knowledge of the universe would somehow be…defective were no practical results to follow.” Cicero (106-43 BC) Goods in any storehouse are useless until somebody takes them out and puts them to the use they were intended for. That applies to what man stores in his brain too. Tomas Watson (1874-1956) founder, IBM