Define KM Program Governance, Part 3

In the two previous posts in this series, roles, job descriptions, organization structure, and meetings were discussed. This final post covers planning, scheduling, reporting, and decision making.

Processes for creating and updating the plan of record and schedules for implementation, new releases, and reporting

The project leaders are responsible for defining, maintaining, and implementing their portion of the plan of record for their assigned areas of responsibility, and reporting regularly on progress. Based on the results of user surveys; inputs from the KM community; and the details in the Top 3 Objectives, the answers to the 9 Questions, and the KM Strategy, each project leader should select three key projects to lead.

Here are three sets of examples of possible selections.

1. Example: Public Sector Organization

• People

• Process

• Technology

2. Example: Manufacturing Company

• People

• Process

• Technology

3. Example: Systems Integration Firm

• People

• Process

• Technology

In the recurring core team conference calls, include a regular time slot on the agenda for reviewing each project leader’s portion of the plan of record. The plans should be updated prior to the scheduled calls, including implementation schedule details, timing and features of new releases, and reasons for any schedule changes.

The overall plan of record should be maintained on an easily-accessible web site. It should include the implementation schedule, the new release schedule, the reporting schedule, the change management plan, the training and communications plan, the standard employee goals, the organizational measurements, and the standard taxonomy.

The core team should decide on the details for reporting. These should include which metrics to report, the targets for each metric, the format of reports, what level of detail and how granular reports should be, to whom reports will be distributed, where reports will be stored, how frequently reports will be produced, who will produce reports, how and when to revise metrics and targets, and how to produce custom reports.

Process for decision making

The core team should decide on the details for decision making. These should include a change request process, a process for setting priorities, a voting process, when consensus is needed and when it is not needed, and a conflict resolution process.

Here is an example of a decision-making process.

1. Change request process: KM leaders can submit requests using a form on the team space.
2. Process for setting priorities: The core team meets once a month and ranks all current and proposed projects.
3. Voting process: Voting is done using a poll on the team space.
4. When consensus is needed, and when it is not needed: Major changes to the user interface require consensus of the core team. Minor changes do not.
5. Conflict resolution process: The organization KM leader resolves all conflicts in any of the virtual teams.

Decisions should be made with as much diversity of opinion, debate, and discussion as is reasonable. Whenever a consensus among the core team can be achieved, that is desirable. But when there is no consensus, after an appropriate amount of discussion, the organization KM leader should make decisions so that progress is not stalled.

How the KM program is governed is critical to success. Without strong leaders, representation from all constituent groups, regular calls and meetings, and effective processes for planning, reporting, and decision making, the implementation plan can’t be properly executed, and thus the Top 3 Objectives won’t be achieved. Pay close attention to getting this right, and it will pay off later.