Air Force Knowledge Now

In 1999, Triune Group in collaboration with the U.S. Air Force (USAF) introduced Air Force Knowledge Now (AFKN) [Adkins, Randy] , a methodology promoting knowledge sharing and collaboration across the Air Force. By focusing on social, behavioral and cultural aspects of knowledge sharing, AFKN was able to generate more wide spread success than most Knowledge Management systems, which focused primarily on capturing information through technology. This holistic approach continues to help the Air Force create synergies that allow warfighters to reduce organizational barriers and increase effectiveness through synchronizing operational decisions and actions.

Focus Areas

The Knowledge Now program has two focus areas:

# Ongoing management and maintenance of AFKN.
# Providing services throughout the Air Force to develop a knowledge-sharing framework.

Collaboration Suite

Adopting a Communities of Practice (CoPs) architecture, AFKN promotes commitment to working together by building a collective knowledge base around a common vital interest. By going beyond explicit knowledge, which is usually limited to some type of stored information, it reflects the social, behavioral and cultural aspects of knowledge sharing. By focusing on tacit knowledge ("know-how"), true organizational learning occurs, thus creating a more agile and adaptive Air Force.

AFKN Development Services

Capabilities that support AFKN are:

* Comprehensive workshops
* Online virtual collaboration and sharing
* Robust Document Management
* Expertise Locators
* Integrated E-learning
* Search/Discovery
* Shared Network Folders
* Threaded Discussion Forums
* Validated practices library
* Virtual Mentorship
* Wiki
*Wisdom Exchange

Key Performance Indicators

Since its inception, AFKN has grown to over 200,000 users with the establishment of 14,000 CoPs. By leveraging proven Knowledge Management practices and consulting expertise, AFKN was able to garner such top leadership support, that in 2004, the Air Force CIO John M. Gilligan, designated the AFKN approach as the Air Force wide “Center of Excellence for Knowledge Management”. This means that AFKN is the U.S. Air Force’s only certified and accredited enterprise-wide Knowledge Management program.

ee also

* Knowledge Management
* Communities of Practice (CoPs)
* Explicit Knowledge
* Tacit Knowledge
* Organizational Learning

References

*
* Brook, Doug. [http://www.triunegroup.com/inc/docs/Triune_eGov.pdf|"Triune Software’s Air Force Knowledge Now" Solution wins 2006 Knowledge Management Award".] 2006. Nov. 19, 2007
* Turnipseed, Cathy. [http://www.defenselink.mil/transformation/articles/2005-12/ta121405c.html|"Transformation-U.S. Department of Defense."] Air Force Center Improves Access to Knowledge. 2005. Nov. 19, 2007.
* Morrow, Jim. [http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?storyID=32203119|"Air Force Link".] Tons of Knowledge Resides in Air Force Web Site. 2003. Nov. 19, 2007
* Lesser, Eric L. (2000). Knowledge and Communities. Massachusetts: Butterworth-Heinemann. ISBN 0-7506-7293-5.
* English & Baker. (2006) Winning the Knowledge Transfer Race. New York: McGraw-Hill. ISBN 0-07-145794-1.
* Davenport, Rex. “Does Knowledge Management Still Matter?” Training and Development Feb. 2005: 18-25.
* Myers, Paul S. (1996). Knowledge Management and Organizational Design. Massachusetts: Butterworth-Heinemann. ISBN 0-7506-9749-0
* Air Force Knowledge Now (AFKN) Team (2007). Knowledge Centric Operations. Dayton: Triune Group. 1-23
* Davenport & Prusak. (2000). Working Knowledge. Massachusetts: Harvard Business School Press; 2Rev Ed edition ISBN 10-1578513014

Further reading

* Collison, C. & Parcell, G (2004), "Learning to Fly - Practical Knowledge Management From Leading and Learning Organizations", Capstone Publishing, ISBN 1-84112-509-1
* Wenger, Etienne. (2002). "Cultivating Communities of Practice". Massachusetts: Harvard Business School Press; ISBN-10: 1578513308
* Wenger, Etienne. (2002). "Communities of Practice: Learning, Meaning, and Identity". Massachusetts: Harvard Business School Press; ISBN-10: 0521663636