Managing Knowledge to Improve Reproductive Health Programs

This 36-page paper provides case studies from a number of developing country family planning/reproductive health organisations that are integrating knowledge management (KM) tools and strategies into their operations as a way to improve their performance. According to this report, the uses of KM tools offer reproductive health programme managers ways to enhance staff creativity and help in the "efficiency and effectiveness" of operations. The paper indicates that these changes can also ultimately help lead to better health for clients.

The premise behind the use of KM tools is that there is knowledge supporting the data and information that comes in the form of judgment and experience. In operating a clinic, running a campaign, or meeting the needs of a client, the idea behind using KM tools is to help assure that knowledge and information are part of the decision making process by the right people at the right time. "People, processes, and technology are the three essential components of KM."

The paper describes several situations where implementing KM is useful. One example describes an urban clinic where staff need to know the latest developments on family planning and HIV prevention and treatment but it can't afford medical journals and can't easily access the internet. Another example provided is of an organisation that loses information because its staff member moved on to other jobs and took with them much of the institutional memory.

The paper refers in detail to a variety of steps related to putting KM into action, such as: building personal relationships and social networks that cross organisational boundaries; helping people locate key sources of knowledge; preserving institutional memory; building personal relationships and social networks that cross organisational boundaries; collecting lessons learned and best practices within the organisation; searching for proven tools and practices outside the organisation; and exchanging tacit knowledge regarding best practices and lessons learned.

When first implementing KM tools, organisation staff often see a "sweeping change in organizational culture." The types of changes include, for instance, project teams crossing divisional lines, staff teams generating lessons learned, strengthened communication channels with distant service sites, and new partnerships with other reproductive health organisations. According to the report, the goal is for staff members to "respect and seek to engage in learning, innovation, collaboration, and evidence-based decision making."

The paper offers a series of case studies that help demonstrate how KM tools can be effective. The Marie Stopes International Partnership has identified programmes that were successful in their design to obtain information about the very poor and has been able to use this information for its other programs. According to the report, "To date, these programs have succeeded in reaching a higher percentage of people who suffer from extreme poverty."