Knowledge Structure Mapping

Knowledge Structure Mapping is a method supported by a tool that is designed to help organisations to consider the knowledge resource as an integral part of management and development.

The objectives of Knowledge Structure Mapping (KSM)

The primary aim of Knowledge Structure Mapping is to provide decision support for management by making the knowledge resource visible and bringing it into the mainstream of organisational decision making. In order to achieve this, KSM provides:

• A clear and uncomplicated visualisation (map) of an area of knowledge that managers can discuss within a common framework
• Detailed Information about the knowledge resource held by the domain experts
• Knowledge Risk Analysis including many other analytical options
• Options for the Protection, Development and Deployment of the knowledge resource
• Software tools to help the knowledge resource to be updated and monitored
• A Web Ready resource that will allow access to the information from the study and results of analysis

What do the Deliverables Look Like?

The Visualisation

The map is a diagram of the knowledge resource that shows individual knowledge components (or pieces of knowledge) linked together in a way that reflects how a human expert may learn or acquire the knowledge. It shows the knowledge that the expert should already know before being able to fully understand something else. We call this connectivity ‘Learning Dependency’. It reflects the way experts build their knowledge on top of other knowledge.

This figure is a simple learning dependency diagram that considers the knowledge required to play a game of chess. It can be seen that if someone knows how to play chess then they MUST know how a chess board is layed out, what the objectives of chess are and all about chess pieces. Also, if someone did know all about chess pieces then that person must know the value of chess pieces and how chess pieces should move. Clearly both of these latter two knowledge items rely on a prior knowledge of the types of chess pieces.

The Information gathered from Experts

Information is gathered within the Knowledge Study Tool, It consists of up to 8 numeric parameters (typically 4) and up to 5 text based parameters (typically 4). The text based parameters are knowledge name, knowledge definition, knowledge summary, link and notes. The details of the numeric parameters and how they are elicited and used in analysis is discussed elsewhere.

The Analysis

A value for RISK can be computed for each knowledge element based on the data provided by experts and on an appropriate formula. A table showing the 10% of knowledge at highest risk can be a useful management tool.

A range of further analytical options are available including a risk profile for the whole Knowledge Structure Map.

This is simply a small sample of the sort of analytical information that is available following a Knowledge Study.

Observations

Observations are derived from the analysis and can include discussion about how knowledge should be developed or protected, which knowledge to take urgent action on, how the results from the knowledge study may affect other business decisions etc.

The Knowledge Study Tool also provides some guidance in the form of automatically derived Options for Action or a simple map or individual knowledge node report.

Options For Action

• Rule Category :- Staff Development
• Rule Option :- Consider work shadowing as a way of developing this area
• Rule Description :- Work shadowing is an apprentice style knowledge development method. It is particularly useful at passing on good practice and experience and can develop a richer understanding of a knowledge area in a learner

Should be considered for

• Knowledge Node :- Listen effectively
• Knowledge Node :- Construct an argument
• Knowledge Node :- Conduct a negotiation

The text above lists just one simple example of the Options for Action automatically generated by a rule based system within the Knowledge Study Tool.

The Software Tools

The main software tool is the Knowledge Study Tool (KST). The KST provides facilities to support elicitation during interviews, analysis, report development, knowledge study and demonstrations. The tool can also be used to extend or modify a map following review of a project.

The web resource that can be exported by KST allows all of the information gathered during a knowledge study, plus information derived by KST, to be made readily and conveniently available to staff from the knowledge area. Every knowledge item has its own web page and all pages are fully interconnected.

A linked map can also be provided along with information about any experts that have been identified as associated with the knowledge area. The web resource can provide a complete list of all knowledge items, their associated risk and all of the people that are associated with each item

How can KSM be used?

KSM with its detailed methodology can be applied to many knowledge areas and on any scale. For instance, it would be possible to conduct a single project to investigate the knowledge needed in order to run a country and another project on the knowledge needed to repair a puncture in a bicycle tire. Clearly, the individual knowledge elements on each map would be very different but the maps would probably be about the same size, take about the same amount of time to complete and would each reveal information about the knowledge area at an appropriate level of granularity.

Under normal circumstances, a large organisation would use KSM on a broad range of knowledge studies but may choose to start with more strategic knowledge areas before concentrating on smaller better defined areas.

Other ways of employing Knowledge Study

Knowledge Study using a KSM can represent a very effective way to explore difficult problems. The aim is for the experts in the area to explore the knowledge with the support of a KSM analyst. The problem area would be studied from a purely knowledge perspective by asking questions like ‘What knowledge is needed in order to do this task, with no problems?’. This approach can remove the barriers that may be preventing progress on the problem solution and can reveal valuable information about the problem, possibly leading to a solution but almost certainly taking a step nearer to it. At each stage in the process, the analyst will guide the study and ensure progress is made.

In a similar way, the KSM approach can be used to study a Blue Sky idea or proposal taking a purely knowledge perspective. In this case the senior managers etc would work with the KSM Analyst to pursue the question of what knowledge would be needed in order to implement the new idea effectively. The method can reveal hidden issues and uncover new elements and implications. Again, the experienced analyst would guide the study and ensure that the new knowledge area was properly explored.

A Typical KSM Project

• Takes about 3 to 4 weeks to complete from initial presentations to the expert team to delivery of results and presentation of findings. Additional support to provide guidance with implementing an action plan is available.
• Is normally carried out by fully trained analysts.
• Will normally be monitored by a management team of one or two managers. The knowledge leader (discussed below) would normally be present on the management and expert teams and provide a link between the two.
• The management team will be present during initial set up meetings and then for the final presentation and discussion of action plan. Managers may choose to monitor progress periodically but this is normally done by the knowledge leader.
• Involves between 4 and 16 knowledge domain experts (the expert team) from the knowledge area being studied. One of these people will be the important role of Knowledge Leader. This person will take a key role in validation and conflict resolution.
• Takes staff time typically in 2 hour sessions. Two initial sessions on the first day involve all of the expert team, subsequent sessions involve the analyst and one staff member. An individual expert will normally give between 6 and 8 hours to the project, the knowledge leader probably 6 hours more than this.
• Provides a range of deliverables (discussed above) but focuses on the report and the visualisation of the knowledge resource. The report contains all project information including Options for Action that may be considered as part of a business action plan for the knowledge area.

Application

• Used internally by Rolls-Royce plc (called Structural Knowledge Auditing by Rolls-Royce)
• Use in other large and small businesses such as BAE Systems, Promethean, Pendle Borough Council etc.
• Used in many knowledge areas such as Procurement, Continuous Improvement, Super Plastic Forming and Diffusion Bonding, Off-License Retail etc.