Digital Reach

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The creation of knowledge assets is dependent on the estab-
lishment of well-functioning expert networks which will take
responsibility for developing, updating and maintaining asset
contents based on the experiential knowledge of the organization.
Within UNFPA, the primary source of guidance for knowledge
sharing is a knowledge asset on ‘Making a Knowledge Asset’. This
resource is updated regularly to convey new techniques and proce-
dures and to address asset development issues.
It is important to note that the asset development process can
expose a number of challenges, including gaps in staff knowledge
and expertise, entrenched and obstructive hierarchical behaviour
and authoritarianism, and inflexibility or the inability of staff to
adapt to change.
The role of knowledge sharing in strategic planning
In early 2005, the Knowledge Sharing Branch was merged into
UNFPA’s Strategic Planning Office (SPO). This was intended in
part to facilitate mainstreaming of knowledge sharing into staff
daily work and to promote participation of topical knowledge
networks into corporate strategic planning exercises. SPO has
responsibility for ensuring the translation of UNFPA’s strategic
direction into results-oriented planning and management at the
organizational level, and planning for the effective and efficient
allocation of financial resources in achieving organizational
results in the context of the International Conference on
Population and Development (ICPD) Programme of Action. SPO
plays a central role in identifying emerging global trends and
issues and analyzing their implications for the strategic posi-
tioning of the Fund. In this context, knowledge management is
viewed as fundamental to strategic planning as well as for
improving results at each level of UNFPA but with particular
emphasis at the country level.
In mid-2005, UNFPA began the process of formally evaluating
the use and utility of the knowledge assets that have been devel-
oped. This evaluation will inform the future of knowledge sharing
within the organization over the next few years. Initial feedback
indicates that our country office staff use knowledge assets for a
variety of functions including briefing of counterparts and
colleagues in other development organizations. UNFPA has also
agreed to facilitate the use of the knowledge asset development
system to support joint initiatives, such as the development of
assets in vital United Nations focus areas such as HIV/AIDS,
under the auspices of the United Nations Development Group.
Further information about knowledge sharing in UNFPA can be
obtained from the UNFPA website at:
collaborating organizations, UNFPA has also developed an open
source portable version of this tool, the portable Knowledge Asset
Development System (pKADS) in collaboration with Business
Information Systems, University College Cork, Ireland, with
funding from the Government of Ireland. The pKADS software was
introduced in a press conference at the World Summit on the
Information Society Phase I meeting in Geneva in December 2004.
What are knowledge assets?
UNFPA knowledge assets contain distilled experiential knowledge
on subjects or issues of primary corporate importance as reflected
in the Fund’s multi-year strategic plan approved by the Executive
Board. The knowledge assets are developed by selected UNFPA
staff (known as knowledge networks) who have expertise and expe-
rience in the asset topic area. Structurally, assets are based on
organizational work processes and present information in a ques-
tion and answer format. Answers are short and clear (no more than
200 words), and link to examples and further readings. The asset
is developed, updated and supported by a network of staff experts
who can provide further information to colleagues upon request.
The purpose of knowledge assets are to serve as a definitive
readily accessible online resource that staff can access to find out
about specific programmes and methodologies in various areas of
endeavour. The specific structure and content of each asset is user-
defined and depends on the topic the asset is designed to address.
The asset is designed to be both dynamic and interactive, and
facilitates both access to staff experience in a particular UNFPA
priority area and contact between the asset user and members of
the knowledge network that has developed the asset.
The primary developers and users of this knowledge are
programme staff in the country offices who are working with national
counterparts. Headquarters and regional technical staff support them
as networks members. The central ambition of knowledge sharing is
that UNFPA staff should have access to the best experiences available
for use when they need it and know who to ask in the organization
for help based on those contributing to the knowledge asset.
Thus far, UNFPA has developed knowledge assets in eight prior-
ity topic areas. These are:
• Obstetric Fistula
• Emergency Obstetric Care
• Female Genital Mutilation/Female Genital Cutting
• Quality of Sexual and Reproductive Health Care
• Sector-wide Approaches
• Reproductive Health Commodity Security
• Human Rights-based Approach to Programming
• Mainstreaming Culturally-sensitive Approaches to Programming.
Assets are currently also being developed on HIV/AIDS, Population
and Housing Census and UNFPA’s Response in Crisis Situations.
These assets are used by staff to inform discussions with colleagues
and with governments and partner agencies, and for programme
planning and research purposes.
Knowledge assets are developed in five-day workshops attended
by staff who have expertise in the asset topic area. The purpose of
the workshop is to enable staff to reach a common ground with
regard to various aspects of the topic area, and to design and
develop asset content.
The development and use of knowledge assets is at the core of
the UNFPA approach to knowledge sharing and distinguishes it
from knowledge sharing approaches in other organizations. The
focus on developing knowledge assets is also very important
because it provides a clear context for knowledge sharing.
Figure 1: The Knowledge Asset