Complex organizations and projects face the challenge of efficiently leveraging their most critical and expensive resource: knowledge. When processes and tools facilitate the sharing of expertise and lessons across and within groups, organizations can maximize effectiveness as well as overcome continuity issues created by staff turnover. Focusing on facilitating peer-to-peer exchange, enabling the capture and reinvestment of learned knowledge, and making judicious use of information technology to support clear knowledge objectives can produce tangible benefits for public sector entities. IRG is a leader in developing knowledge management approaches that effectively support development programs and a key authority on KM theory and practice for the donor community. Through its broad portfolio of knowledge management programs, IRG helps its clients most effectively assemble written and tacit knowledge so as to meet specific sectoral objectives.

Capabilities:

• Facilitating Enhanced Program Communication and Services through Virtual Networks
• Developing Innovative Ways to Integrate Knowledge Sharing in Development Programs
• Linking Public Sector Human Resource Issues with Skills Training and KM Tools Development
• Innovative Technical Approaches to Manage Language, Connectivity and Bandwidth Constraints

Select projects include:

Managing Micro and Small Enterprise in a Virtual World
IRG is responsible for designing and managing Microlinks, part of AMAP’s pathbreaking knowledge management effort. AMAP is USAID’s first major effort to integrate KM into a major IQC, in this instance supporting microenterprise development. Microlinks is viewed as one of USAID’s premier knowledge management models. (http://microlinks.org) Worldwide: Accelerated Microenterprise Advancement Program (AMAP)

Tsunami Warning System: Facilitating Interagency Collaboration and Knowledge Sharing
IRG was asked to integrate the efforts of six US Government agencies as well as regional governments and civil society in developing a tsunami and natural disaster warning system and accompanying mitigation efforts. Our knowledge management solution facilitated outreach as well as secure workspaces, libraries, and calendars that coordinate work teams across geographical distances and organizational boundaries. Worldwide: Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning System (IOTWS)