The knowledge map is a canvas, it is a way to model how knowledge is spread inside an organization and how it is used.

The canvas is composed by 12 blocks. The right side describes the available knowledge, the left side describes the needed knowledge.

From top to bottom you can read aspects of knowledge transmission (communication and technology), then who needs/owns what and finally costs and benefits of knowledge for the organization and people, in few words you can read the “how, what and why”.

You can use the canvas following many paths, but our suggestion is to start from the right side when you are describing the actual knowledge and then to move on the left. And to start from the left going to the right when you are designing the map of desired state.

What is the available knowledge?

Available Knowledge

Here you should describe the topics and the formats of the available knowledge.

Not always available knowledge is immediately ready in explicit form even if it is inside the organization.

Data and information should be included here.

List specific examples.

Remember to include knowledge from human, structural and relational capital.

Who owns the knowledge?

Knowledge owner/container

Where is the knowledge stored?What is the container? Which tools to record it are used?

Example: Subject Matter Experts, Data Base, Software, Processes, Organizations, etc.

How can the knowledge be extracted?

Knowledge mining

How can be unlocked? And how is it possible to take it in the workflow?

For example: interviews, big data analytics, automatic acquisistion from data and documents, enterprise social networks, ERP and CRM systems, forums, etc.

What knowledge is needed?

Necessary Knowledge

What do we need to know?

Which expertise, experience, information, data we do the people need to accomplish their tasks?

Who need the knowledge?

Knowledge customer

Who must access the knowledge? And what they must do with it?

Which benefits do we expect from using that knowledge?

Expected benefits

Which is our final goal we want to reach thanks to that knowledge?

Beside the task we have to complete, what do we expect to get from it, how the organization or the person will improve thanks to it?

How the user can demand the knowledge?

Knowledge inquiring channels

How the user of the knowledge can spread out to the world he/she needs it? To whom he/she ask for it? Which are the means to ask it?

Example: colleagues, help desk, intranet, Internet, bibliographic tools, etc.

How the user can get the knowledge?

Knowledge delivery channels

Which tools are available to get the needed knowledge?

Which tools are desirable to get it?

How the available knowledge is promoted?

Knowledge promotion

Is there in place a way to make people aware that the knowledge they need is available?

How the users can search what they need?

How who share knowledge is rewarded?

Sharing rewards

What get in return who shares knowledge?

How he/she gets it?

How is knowledge evaluated?

Knowledge rating

The user has a way to rate what is more useful?

What kind of feedback can be left? How can be given?

Is there any process in place to evaluate the quality of the knowledge?

What is the cost of getting the knowledge?

Costs

Which effort must be done to make the knowledge available?

Which resources (people, money, organization) are necessary?

Using the Knowledge Map canvas

You can use this canvas under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. Please do not change or remove the attribution. Also you are invited to give us a feedback on the canvas itself and how you have used it. Thank you!