Federal Knowledge Management Working Group

Did you know that there is a The Federal Knowledge Management Working Group in the USA?

Mission: Inform and support federal government departments, agencies, organizations, and their constituencies in the research, development, identification, and implementation of knowledge management (KM) activities, practices, lessons learned, and technologies. To accomplish this mission, the Federal KMWG will mobilize and leverage thought leaders and KM practitioners from government, quasi-government, academia, non-government, nonprofit, and the private sector around the globe.

I've come across a lot of people in the U.S. government and many others who are deeply involved in KM.  Australia, in particular, has been vocal proponents of the general idea of knowledge sharing across agencies and departments (as seen from 1/2-way around the world). 

Here is their current action plan (kept in their wiki):

1. Establish a Federal Knowledge Management Center to serve as a centralized resource for agencies in carrying out their own knowledge management efforts. The center will provide consulting and serve as a clearinghouse of Federal KM resources, such as software, expertise, and lessons learned.
2. Establish a Federal CKO Position. This person, the face of Federal KM, will coordinate with Federal departments to explain the benefits of sharing and collaborating across agencies.
3. KM Governance. Enact Government-wide Policies, Standards and Practices that specify the general direction and intent of Federal knowledge sharing efforts.
4. Awareness Campaign and Web Presence. To communicate the serious need for KM and distribute content “from those who know to those who need to know.”
5. Build a Knowledge Sharing Culture in the Federal Government. Change the Federal mindset from “need to know” to “need to share.”
6. Train Federal Workers in KM Skills. By learning KM competencies, they will also acquire a deeper understanding and appreciation of the value of knowledge sharing.
7. Meet the Challenges of the Retirement “Age Wave.” KM includes “knowledge retention,” an effort to reduce “brain drain” due to thousands of retiring baby boomers. The other side of the coin, today, is the Federal challenge in recruiting Generation Y employees, who have been raised on Web 2.0 and social computing tools.

[Hat tip Doug Cornelius]