Difference between revisions of "Knowledge Management and Transfer for Microenergy Systems – Crossing Borders Worldwide"
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== Challenges<br/> == | == Challenges<br/> == | ||
<div>For the GIZ, knowledge is the product and service provided and not material object as with a manufacturing firm. This includes the management and transfer of knowledge regarding what is and is not successful in the field. Accompanying this is the storage and sharing of knowledge collected. Up until recently, this was a major challenge as the expertise would often be out in the field or occupied and unavailable. However, with a new information management system that uses a wiki, access to documenting knowledge, reviewing, editing, and sharing is now available to anyone. Not only is there an opportunity for comprehensive collection and storage of information, the collaborative process allows for planning, and also management of info through areas that are restricted or open to public access. The challenge is incorporating the information management system into daily routines, and also facilitating the use of the tool for users who are not adept with technology.<br/></div><div><br/></div><div> | <div>For the GIZ, knowledge is the product and service provided and not material object as with a manufacturing firm. This includes the management and transfer of knowledge regarding what is and is not successful in the field. Accompanying this is the storage and sharing of knowledge collected. Up until recently, this was a major challenge as the expertise would often be out in the field or occupied and unavailable. However, with a new information management system that uses a wiki, access to documenting knowledge, reviewing, editing, and sharing is now available to anyone. Not only is there an opportunity for comprehensive collection and storage of information, the collaborative process allows for planning, and also management of info through areas that are restricted or open to public access. The challenge is incorporating the information management system into daily routines, and also facilitating the use of the tool for users who are not adept with technology.<br/></div><div><br/></div><div> | ||
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= Connecting Knowldege for a Sustainable Future = | = Connecting Knowldege for a Sustainable Future = | ||
− | <div>On [[Main Page|energypedia.info]] everyone can create and revise articles on technologies, approaches and projects related to renewable energy and energy efficiency. Energypedia promotes knowledge and experience exchange to achieve universal access to sustainable energy for all people.<br/></div> | + | <div>Benjamin Rebenich, energypedia UG (haftungsbeschränkt)</div><div></div><div>On [[Main Page|energypedia.info]] everyone can create and revise articles on technologies, approaches and projects related to renewable energy and energy efficiency. Energypedia promotes knowledge and experience exchange to achieve universal access to sustainable energy for all people.<br/></div> |
As a wiki (stands for a website designed to enable anyone who accesses it to easily contribute or modify content), it is open and free for everyone in the internet, but does not require any computer language.<br/> | As a wiki (stands for a website designed to enable anyone who accesses it to easily contribute or modify content), it is open and free for everyone in the internet, but does not require any computer language.<br/> | ||
− | <div>As a project that grew out of [[Energising Development (EnDev)|EnDev]] in 2007, energypedia is accessed by users all over the world. Recently in 2012, the project ownership and management has transitioned to a new NGO.<br/></div><div>Energypedia is an interactive wiki that allows direct user interaction. While the tool cannot solve problems, it is useful as a knowledge sharing tool that may encourage the exchange for developing, improving or creating innovative solutions. The strengths of the tool go beyond collecting and storing information, and also | + | <div>As a project that grew out of [[Energising Development (EnDev)|EnDev]] in 2007, energypedia is accessed by users all over the world. Recently in 2012, the project ownership and management has transitioned to a new NGO.<br/></div><div>Energypedia is an interactive wiki that allows direct user interaction. While the tool cannot solve problems, it is useful as a knowledge sharing tool that may encourage the exchange for developing, improving or creating innovative solutions. The strengths of the tool go beyond collecting and storing information, and also dynamically link relevant people, discussions, and themes. Virtual knowledge communities are created as a result, and provide experts and audiences to relevant topics and challenges. Since the authors are also the audiences to the topics, feedback and quality monitoring is supposedly self-fulfilling in the long-term as participants will be motivated by the benefits of sharing and feedback to voluntarily continue contributions.</div><div></div><div></div> |
== Visions & Missions<br/> == | == Visions & Missions<br/> == | ||
− | <div>Energypedia envisions | + | <div>Energypedia envisions a world of free knowledge exchange and mutual learning on renewable energies in which everyone has access to sustainable energy sources. Accessible, cleaner and more efficient technologies will foster human development and environmental protection worldwide. In accordance with this vision and following the [http://www.sustainableenergyforall.org UN Sustainable Energy For All Initiative], energypedia pursues the goal of providing universal access to modern energy services by strengthening a borderless global knowledge exchange.</div><div></div><div>Consequently, '''energypedia's mission''' is to become a living platform on renewable energies and energy efficiency in the development sector by offering relevant, high-quality information and user-friendly knowledge sharing tools to all people engaged in the provision of sustainable energy services.</div><div></div><div><br/></div> |
== Challenges & Opportunities<br/> == | == Challenges & Opportunities<br/> == | ||
− | <div>The project faces challenges in creating the right context and audience currently, which is key for a successful wiki. The success of the wiki highly depends on a strong audience with shared interests. Consequently the organization is | + | <div>The project faces challenges in creating the right context and audience currently, which is key for a successful wiki. The success of the wiki highly depends on a strong audience with shared interests. Consequently, the organization is consistently working on measuring the success and impacts of its efforts by, for example, asking its users for feedback. In the current early stages of the project, the organizers are working hard on developing and ensuring standards, and are actively “wiki gardening.” On the side, the nonprofit organization is increasing its fundraising efforts in order to keep its independence. Additionally, energypedia is owner of a consultancy firm which will help to finance the free energypedia plattform in the future.</div><div><br/></div><div>The opportunities provided to this organization and project are many and varied at the moment. Accessibility is a key strength that allows for transparent, efficient, cross-border, and interdisciplinary information exchange. The ultimate success of the project will depend on the appropriate cultural, technological, and organizational conditions, in addition to attitudinal changes regarding information and technology. Currently, there are 12 to 15 other similar wikis worldwide, including an initiative at the University of Berkeley in California. What sets Energypedia apart from the others is that there are more social interactive features offered. In the long-term, managers of Energypedia foresee merging tendencies for the different wikis. There is, however, no foresight to linkages with other social media tools such Facebook.</div><div><br/></div><div></div> |
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= Challenges of Knowledge Exchange<br/> = | = Challenges of Knowledge Exchange<br/> = | ||
<div>Tools such as [[Main Page|energypedia.info]] will fill knowledge gaps. Even organizations such as TERI have similar sites that store information. Presenters predict future challenges in the merging of the different wikis, and the long-term maintenance of quality knowledge stored on the sites. Additionally, some current challenges may still resonate in the futures such as the attitude towards sharing knowledge. Particularly among private firms or project where there is a lot of investment into preparing and developing the knowledge and information, there is limited desire to make publicly what has been discovered. Some private companies may agree to sharing information with individual agreements as is already done so with GIZ. On the contrary, some private firms may share information, and also take advantage of the public site to advertise and promote.<br/></div><div></div><div>There are also pressures to publish in the academic community. Some presenters viewed this as an aspect requiring change. Other opinions shared illustrated the wiki as a new portal and publishing opportunity most attractive to students. In general, there was an agreement that wikis require more integration in not only the private sector but also the academic sector. Additionally, there is interest as well a bit work on making the wiki accessible in other languages other than English, including French and Spanish.<br/></div></div></div></div> | <div>Tools such as [[Main Page|energypedia.info]] will fill knowledge gaps. Even organizations such as TERI have similar sites that store information. Presenters predict future challenges in the merging of the different wikis, and the long-term maintenance of quality knowledge stored on the sites. Additionally, some current challenges may still resonate in the futures such as the attitude towards sharing knowledge. Particularly among private firms or project where there is a lot of investment into preparing and developing the knowledge and information, there is limited desire to make publicly what has been discovered. Some private companies may agree to sharing information with individual agreements as is already done so with GIZ. On the contrary, some private firms may share information, and also take advantage of the public site to advertise and promote.<br/></div><div></div><div>There are also pressures to publish in the academic community. Some presenters viewed this as an aspect requiring change. Other opinions shared illustrated the wiki as a new portal and publishing opportunity most attractive to students. In general, there was an agreement that wikis require more integration in not only the private sector but also the academic sector. Additionally, there is interest as well a bit work on making the wiki accessible in other languages other than English, including French and Spanish.<br/></div></div></div></div> |
Revision as of 11:39, 15 March 2013
Overview
During the management and transfer of knowledge between diverse groups, such as academics and practicitioners, the North and South, enterprises and investors, companies and clients, and even between diverse academic disciplines, one must find a means to understanding.
Multi-stakeholder interaction requires bridging communication borders with diverse methods and tools that either translate or determine common languages, and eventually turn theory into practice.
Challenges:
Like many other processes, knowledge management and transfer is plagued with a myriad of challenges including the lack of incentives, even knowledge and communication that are foundational to communication capacities. Other challenges ranges from competition for, and confidentiality of information shared. Lastly, there is always the challenge in discerning what information is most pertinent to whom.
Strategies:
In developing communication channels and tools, is the need for strategies. Understanding what and where the right forums are for knowledge management transfer can help agents differentiate between explicit and implicit knowledge. Strategies may also help motivate practitioners and academics to contribute to knowledge sharing.
Offgrid Access System in South Asia (OASYS)
Debajit Palit, The Energy & Resources Institute, New Delhi, India
Two multi-stakeholder projects are most relevant as they demonstrate micro energy systems that are closer linked to communities at a local level.
OASYS introduced business models for decentralized off-grid electricity generation in developing countries. OASYS started in 2009, with the motivation of researching technical aspects and general cost-effectiveness.
The research firstly discovered to main knowledge gaps:
- Lack of knowledge regarding Business Models and institutional arrangements for delivery
- Limited or lack of experience in project scale-up and project sustainability
As a result, two questions arose to explore criteria relevant to the aforementioned knowledge gaps:
- Are there cost-effective and reliable off-grid electricity supply solutions that can meet the present & future needs, are socially acceptable, institutionally viable and environmentally desirable?’
- Do these local solutions have the scaling-up and replication potentials and can these solutions be brought to the mainstream for wider electricity access in the developing world?”
Geographical Scope & Analysis Dimensions
Research Team & Partners
- University of Dundee/De Montfort University
- School of Environment & Development, Manchester University
- Edinburgh Napier University
- The Energy and Resources Institute
- TERI University
- UK Research Council
- DFID
Research Objectives
The Solar Transitions Project
Human Diversity as a Success Factor
Sub-Factors
- practical details and social organization of village scale power supply
- socio-economic impacts and people’s interests and demands
- implementation and management strategies, and lastly
- relevant support mechanisms and barriers at state and national levels.
Challenges of Knowledge Management
Energising Development (EnDev), Gunnar Wegner, GIZ
Successes and Barriers to Knowledge Management & Transfer
‘Wait, I have it somewhere in my mailbox’
‘The lightening-struck inverter’
‘EnDev’s next super failure’
Challenges
Connecting Knowldege for a Sustainable Future
As a wiki (stands for a website designed to enable anyone who accesses it to easily contribute or modify content), it is open and free for everyone in the internet, but does not require any computer language.
Visions & Missions
Challenges & Opportunities
Challenges of Knowledge Exchange
Further Information
References
The article documents the proceedings of the session “Knowledge Management and Transfer for Microenergy Systems - Crossing Borders Worldwide" of the international conference “Micro Perspectives for Decentralized Energy Supply”, February 27 - March 1, 2013.
In cooperation with energypedia
Session facilitator: Jonas van der Straeten, Postgraduate Program Microenergy Systems