Improvement Service

A retrospective review is an in-depth "dialogue" that happens after the completion of a project, event or activity. It is structured to help the people involved reflect on the project in detail. This is the main way of ensuring that lessons learned are recorded in an objective way. It also ensures that the information can be made available to others. The aim of this document is not to describe in detail the stages of the project but rather to capture some of the lessons learnt during the project; to establish if and how the key deliverables were achieved and to consider how what was learnt might be of use to other councils and/or the wider public sector.

This document outlines a number of tools and techniques that can be used to improve knowledge management and create more effective working practices.  The Improvment Service can advise on all of these, support you in delivering these initiatives, and in some cases, deliver them in partnership with you.

This document gives step by step guidance on three tools for helping knowledge and information flow.

This spreadsheet illustrates a completed CoP Assessment tool river diagram and step diagram for each of the topics (strategic focus, structure and membership, knowledge capture, interaction, and benefits) where you might be assessing your organisation, CoP or group's capability and areas for improvement. The objectives in using this tool are for your group to, over time, move your "south" bank north, and reduce green banks on the "north" side.  You might do this by using the step diagram to identify which groups you might partner with (i.e. those doing better than you in the areas you have identified for improvement).  In turn, you should expect to help those who are not doing as well as you.  This way, everybody benefits.

Chris Collison's presentation at the Network Practitioner's workshop on 11th March 2008. Includes some interesting slides useful for stimulating discussion on knowledge flow at your organisation description/distinction between 4 types of networks (Community of Purpose, Community of Practice, Community of Interest, Community of Circumstance) the roles people need to play in such networks benefits of having and using communities of practice or professional networks and case studies/practical examples of how these have been utilised at BT, Schlumberger, the Audit Commission, and BP. practical examples using benchmarking and river diagrams showing how to identify opportunities for identifying how to improve and joining with other networks to improve your organisation (UNAIDS and BP).

Hints on building and sustaining successful networks (or communities of practice - CoPs) through the 5 stages of 1) Planning, 2) Getting Started , 3) Building Momentum, 4) Renewing Commitment, 5) Sun setting or Reinventing 

An overview of the web-based tools (e.g. wiki, weblog, blog, forum, RSS, folksonomies) available for people to connect, share information and work together across physical and organisational boundaries. It is not intended to be an exhaustive list nor to imply specific recommendations as the applicability of the tools will vary from case to case. Local factors such as security and ownership and ongoing management have to be taken into account when choosing which applications to use and such decisions are outwith the scope of this document.