KM 101 & Online Communities of Practices Courses

*Reprint from KM Working Group listserv:

What does the term “knowledge management (KM)” mean to you? Most people think of it as a vague descriptor for sharing or storing information, but few know the breadth of KM and how it can be used effectively to strengthen organizations and international public health projects. K4Health is pleased to announce the launch of the KM 101 eLearning course and the re-launch of the Online Communities of Practice (CoP) eLearning course.

The KM 101 course is designed to demystify the concept of KM. This course provides learners with a basic understanding of KM and why it is important to the field of international public health. This course takes about 45 minutes to complete. By the end of this course, learners will be able to:

• Compare and contrast the two major classifications of knowledge, tacit and explicit
• Describe commonalities amongst KM definitions in light of the fact that there is no universally accepted definition
• Identify the multidisciplinary nature of KM
• Defend the importance of KM in today’s ever-changing world, especially within the field of international health

The re-launch of the Online CoP course couldn’t be more timely since CoPs are one of the most common and popular tools for KM. CoPs connect professionals with common interests worldwide to allow exchange of experiences, successes, and failures. Learn how to establish and nurture a CoP by taking this short course.

To learn more about the eLearning offerings, visit:

http://www.k4health.org/e-learning/courses.

MERIT included in breakthrough report

The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation sponsored a report by FSG Social Impact Advisors entitled Breakthroughs in Shared Measurement & Social Impact.  This report, published July 2009, explores 20 independent efforts among nonprofit organizations to develop shared approaches to performance, outcome, or impact measurement across multiple organizations.  The report recognizes that “these nascent efforts foreshadow profound changes in the vision and effectiveness of the entire nonprofit sector.”

MERIT, NPOKI’s Monitoring, Evaluating, Reporting and Integration Tool, is featured in the report. To download the report, click here (5MB PDF).

“FSG Social Impact Advisors, with generous support from The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, interviewed dozens of practitioners and thought leaders in the social sector to identify innovative shared approaches to performance, outcome, and impact measurement. The resulting reports share key findings from this research, as well as detailed case studies and additional resources to promote further learning and discussion on this topic.”