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Getting to Grips with Knowledge Management (G2G)

Mini-Briefing : The Knowledge Audit

The first step in a knowledge management strategy is to conduct a knowledge audit. The knowledge audit is an evidence-based assessment to investigate the effectiveness of an organisation's knowledge management practices. The purpose of a knowledge audit is to discover an organisation's knowledge needs, knowledge assets or resources and knowledge gaps. In addition, knowledge audits aim to reveal how knowledge flows around an organisation and the extent to which people, processes and technology act as facilitators or barriers to the successful flow of knowledge (1). The data that is retrieved as a result of conducting the knowledge audit enables organisations to identify, gain, store and disseminate knowledge more effectively (1).

There are four key steps to conduct a knowledge audit (1):

1. Identify knowledge needs

In this context, a knowledge need is the knowledge that an organisation and its employees require in order to meet their goals and objectives. Common approaches to investigating knowledge needs usually include quantitative (for e.g. questionnaire-based surveys) or qualitative (for e.g. interviews or facilitated group discussions) data collection methods. Triangulation methods that involve using both quantitative and qualitative data can also be used.

2. Draw up a knowledge inventory

The knowledge inventory involves identifying and locating knowledge assets or resources by counting and categorising an organisation's explicit and tacit knowledge. By comparing the knowledge inventory with the knowledge needs that have been revealed, gaps in an organisation's knowledge as well as unnecessary duplication become apparent.

3. Analyse knowledge flows

Knowledge flows focus on how employees find the knowledge that they need and how they share the knowledge that they hold. To gather this data, quantitative and qualitative methods are usually used in combination in order to gain a full picture of people attitudes and behaviours in knowledge sharing and use.

4. Create a knowledge map

Knowledge maps visually represent an organisation's existing knowledge including how knowledge flows from where it is located to where it is required. Knowledge mapping will be covered in more detail on Day 10 of the G2G course.

Reference:

(1) NeLH Knowledge Management Specialist Library. 2004. 'Conducting a knowledge audit' [Online- now no longer available] [Accessed June 2005]

Reading

  1. For an overview of Knowledge audits, take a look at:

Robertson, S, De Brun, C (2005). Auditing Knowledge: Knowledge Audit. National Library for Health. Available at: [Accessed April 2008]

  1. Access the National Library for Health (previously NeLH) Knowledge Management Specialist Library’s 3 part series on Conducting a Knowledge Audit at
  2. Also see the 'Introducing the information audit' briefing at:
  3. from the Planning and Conducting an Information Needs Analysis (PACINA) FOLIO course which ran from January to February 2005.
  4. If you wish to read about the topic in more detail, see 'The knowledge audit', by Dr Jay Liebowitz et al at: knowledgeaudit.ppt
  5. In addition, see the 'References' list of the PACINA FOLIO course briefing which is mentioned above.