Communications that engage stakeholders encourage them to connect and build relationships. High levels of collaboration increase the chances that, as desired outputs are accomplished, intended beneficiaries will capitalize on promised benefits. If knowledge management is about providing the right knowledge to the right people at the right time, it must be wedded to good communications.

1. The views expressed in this presentation are the views of the author/s and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Asian
Development Bank, or its Board of Governors, or the governments they represent. ADB does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included
in this presentation and accepts no responsibility for any consequence of their use. The countries listed in this presentation do not imply any
view on ADB's part as to sovereignty or independent status or necessarily conform to ADB's terminology.
Communication Tools for
Knowledge Management and
Learning
Olivier Serrat
2013

2. Some Uses of Knowledge
Knowledge is a resource that has explicit and tacit dimensions.
Managing it to help make sense out of chaotic, complex, or
complicated situations can, for example:
• Identify relevant knowledge and resources.
• Help avoid making the same mistakes twice.
• Convey important information widely and quickly.
• Accelerate the generation and delivery of products and
services.
• Surface scarce expertise and insight.
• Replicate an organization's good practices.
• Engender conditions for creativity and innovation.
• Enable faster and better decision making.

3. Communication
Communication underpins knowledge management. The
communication of information is:
• The process through which relationships are instituted,
sustained, altered, or ended by increases or reductions in
meaning.
• The purposeful activity of conveying data, information, and
knowledge across space and time.
• The act of leveraging various technical or natural means, e.g.,
oral, written, and non-verbal forms, whichever is available or
preferred.

4. A Typical Information Life Cycle
Information
Identify,
Plan
Create,
Generate
Capture,
Collect
Record,
Store
Manage,
Process
Share,
Transmit
Consume,
Use
Discard,
Recycle

5. Principles of Strategic
Communications
Continuity
(integrated processes for
research, analysis,
planning, implementation,
evaluation)
Credibility
(positive perceptions of
accuracy, quality, and
truthfulness)
Dialogue
(multi-faceted exchanges of
ideas)
Integration
(vertically and horizontally
organized and coordinated
processes)
Precision
(right messages, forms,
persons, channels,
contexts, supports, time,
and places)
Results-Orientation
(concrete outcomes for
well-defined impacts)
Ubiquity
(actions, images, and words
send a consistent message;
every staff is a messenger)
Understanding
(deep comprehension of
clients, audiences, and
partners)

6. Sample Communication Models

7. Channels and Tools
Face-to-Face (Training/workshop, meetings, speaking
engagements, informal encounters)
Print (Memoranda, reports, publications, collaterals)
Web (Internet/intranet, blogs, e-newsletters/alerts,
podcasts, social media)
Multimedia (Video-documentaries, flash animation learning
tools)
Audiovisual (Exhibits, digital signage, Powerpoint
presentations)
Broadcast (Radio, television)

8. Channels and Tools: Face-to-Face
• Here: internal
audiences
• Messages, targeted
• Communication
process is two-way

9. Channels and Tools: Print
• Here: internal and
external audiences
• Messages, mostly
targeted at a wide
range of audiences
• Communication
process is both one-
way and two-way

10. Channels and Tools: Web
• Here: internal and
external audiences
• Broad-stroke
messages
• Communication,
mostly one-way;
feedback is
appreciated but not
always required

11. Channels and Tools: Multimedia
• Here: external
audiences
• Messages, targeted
• Communication
process is mostly
one-way; feedback
is appreciated but
not always required

12. Channels and Tools: Audiovisual
• Here: internal
audiences
• Messages, primarily
targeted
• Communication
process is mostly
two-way

13. Channels and Tools: Broadcast
• Here: external
audiences
• Messages, mostly
general
• Communication
process is one-way
Interview with Channel NewsAsia on the
power of storytelling in the workplace

14. Other Considerations
• Timeline/ deadline
• Approach, i.e.,
media blitz or
staged
• Opportunities to
piggy-back on other
events or campaigns
• Updates on
messages
• Need to seek inputs
or feedback from
internal and/or
external audiences
Once
Periodic/
Intermittent
ContinuousWebsiteupdates
E-newsletters/alerts
Publications
TVinterviews
CoPmeetings
Speakingengagements
Planners
Training/seminars
Informalencounters

15. Further Reading
• ADB. 2008. Linking Research to Practice. Manila.
www.adb.org/publications/linking-research-practice
• ——. 2008. Posting Research Online. Manila.
www.adb.org/publications/posting-research-online
• ——. 2009. Value Cycles for Development Outcomes. Manila.
www.adb.org/publications/value-cycles-development-
outcomes
• ——. 2010. New-Age Branding and the Public Sector. Manila.
www.adb.org/publications/new-age-branding-and-public-
sector
• ——. 2010. Marketing in the Public Sector. Manila.
www.adb.org/publications/marketing-public-sector

16. Further Reading
• ADB. 2010. The Future of Social Marketing. Manila.
www.adb.org/publications/future-social-marketing
• ——. 2010. Social Media and the Public Sector. Manila.
www.adb.org/publications/social-media-and-public-sector
• ——. 2010. Enriching Policy with Research. Manila.
www.adb.org/publications/enriching-policy-research
• ——. 2012. Communications for Development Outcomes.
Manila. digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/intl/266/

17. Quick Response Codes
@ADB
@ADB Sustainable
Development Timeline
@Academia.edu
@LinkedIn
@ResearchGate
@Scholar
@SlideShare
@Twitter