Climbing the knowledge management mountain lessons learned from operation blinding storm

CHIPS, Fall, 2004 by Kathy Donovan, Danelle Barrett

Introduction

New collaborative tools and cross-domain technologies being introduced to the fleet are presenting knowledge managers with exciting opportunities and significant challenges. These tools are the means to achieve new levels of operational efficacy, efficiency and interoperability, but users must incorporate process changes to gain maximum advantage. Knowledge managers must find ways to ensure users understand and embrace these capabilities by making the introduction of new technology relevant, quick and easy.

The following definitions are provided to ensure an understanding of the terms used in this article. Knowledge management (KM), as defined by Karl-Erik Sveiby, "is the art of creating value from intangible assets." Sveiby states that knowledge management aims to direct the ways in which we create, discover, exploit, disseminate and retain the expertise, understanding and practical know-how that individuals and organizations possess. (This information is available on Sveiby's Web site at http://www.sveiby.com/.)

In Navy terms, we interpret a knowledge manager as someone who obtains and analyzes information, sorts out what is needed, how it will be evaluated in operational context and used by operators. Operators use "know-what" and "know-how" to gain tacit knowledge and wisdom as depicted in Figure 1. This knowledge becomes a decision point for the commander.

Background

In the context of a Carrier Strike Group (CSG) we define information management (IM) as the understanding of the operational environment coupled with technology and command and control, communications, computers and intelligence (C4I). IM is a convergence of the tools, processes and procedures to expedite data, information flow and analysis.

Commander, Cruiser-Destroyer 8 (COMCRUDESGRU 8) participated in Combined Joint Task Force Exercise (CJTFEX) 04-2, Operation Blinding Storm, as the Combined Forces Maritime Component Commander (CFMCC) aboard USS Mount Whitney (LCC 20), May 21-June 21, 2004.

This exercise introduced new tools to improve IM and KM: cross-domain chat, Web replication between network enclaves and cross-domain mail guards. (See the IM Sample Toolkit on page 31 for more information.) More importantly, it provided opportunities for operators to change processes to leverage technologies to full potential--opportunities which were met with varying degrees of success.

During CJTFEX 04-2, the CFMCC reported directly to the Combined Joint Task Force Commander--Commander, Second Fleet. As an afloat CFMCC, our staff was responsible for operational control of five Subordinate Maritime Commanders (SMCs) including the USS John F. Kennedy (CV 76) CSG; USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) CSG; HMS Invincible Task Group; Commander, Mine Warfare Command; and the Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Aircraft Group under the direction of the Canadian Air Division Commander Maritime Air Commander Atlantic.

The maritime coalition consisted of 60 ships and 200 aircraft from the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany and Peru. The challenges from an interoperability and KM perspective were immediately apparent.

[check] How could the coalition forces exchange knowledge and information rapidly and securely in a bandwidth disadvantaged environment?

[check] What set of common collaborative tools existed to communicate?

[check] How could users be quickly registered and indoctrinated to the new tools, including the cross-domain chat, secure mail guards and document sharing via Collaboration at Sea II?

[check] How could existing tactics, techniques and procedures be improved using the new tools?

The KM Mountain

The tools and people are in place, the summit is within view, how then does the knowledge manager facilitate the users leap to the top?

First and foremost, an organizational understanding and acceptance must take place. Specifically, that KM is not an N6 or techie function--it is a process that belongs to everyone with the knowledge manager serving as the lead change agent. True KM and its ultimate by-product, wisdom, do not occur in a vacuum. There must be an alignment across the organization and its key functional areas. On a Strike Group staff this would include N2 (Intelligence), N3 (Operations) and N6 (Communications). Without proper alignment, the sum of the parts will never exceed the whole--and the potential exists for inefficiencies, stovepipes within departments or poor operational choices.

The knowledge manager instructs users about KM practices and its subset IM. By encouraging and fostering an understanding of these concepts, people can begin to re-evaluate existing tactics, techniques and procedures (TTP) with the goal of shared tacit and implicit information. Tools that are cumbersome or confusing are quickly abandoned. The knowledge manager can facilitate by: Making tools easy to register for, understand, use and leverage. For users, a process should be reengineered and technology applied (best scenario) or an existing process can be used with a new technology (the least desirable scenario).