Knowledge Management Infostation
Collaboration Forums
* to provide an on-line facility, i.e. an electronic platform, for groups of officers with a common interest or similar responsibilities to stimulate ideas, raise queries on topical issues or problems, and share knowledge and experience;
* to effectively and efficiently capture, share and use information, experience and knowledge needed for the group members to discharge their policing duties;
* to make the most appropriate solution available to the group members;
* to prevent repeatable and avoidable mistakes;
* to make group members more knowledgeable, and
* to improve internal communications.
Current Development Status
A few collaboration forums have been set up at the beginning of implementation. An electronic platform, i.e. a database, has been established for each of these collaboration forums. Each group member is granted an access right to the forum and is allowed to upload any message on the electronic platform.
In order to review the usage of the established collaboration forums, the Efficiency Studies Bureau (ESB) of SQW has conducted a focus group meeting, comprising users of respective collaboration forums, in which users gained an insight into implementation of the collaboration forums. From the review, it was found that some forums were inactive or failed to serve their purpose. Subsequent to this, only two collaboration forums are maintained in the KM portal up to this moment, including Police Negotiation Cadre (PNC) and Learning & Development.
To make the pilot more successful, an enhancement project will be carried out. In view of the lessons learnt from other organisations implementing similar concept and the insights from the focus group, it was recommended that established collaboration forums be properly moderated by formally appointed moderators, and IT enhancements be made to the forums.
Responsibilities of Moderators
Principal and deputy moderator will be carefully selected and formally appointed by major formation commanders. The job charters of the appointed principal moderator include, but are not limited to:
* being an initiator, showing passion for a topic or specialty area;
* encouraging participation and sharing among forum users; and
* monitoring all the information generated in the forum.
The deputy moderator will be responsible to the Principal Moderator and will assist in moderating collaboration forums. The work of these two moderators is voluntary, in addition to their normal policing duties.
IT enhancements
To make the present collaboration forums more reader-friendly, ITB is going to modify the current layouts of the collaboration forum database. The modifications consist of:
* introducing the concept of the "Collaboration Forums" at the database;
* illustrating the ways to use collaboration forums;
* displaying an "Important Notice" to all users, and
* listing out the particulars of the appointed moderator, i.e. name, rank & UI, current posting, office and mobile telephone No., PEN address and portfolio.
In addition to the database modifications, an operation mechanism will also be enhanced, including:
* automatically notifying forum users and moderators by PEN whenever there is any new message uploaded on a forum, and
* allowing appointed forum moderator to moderate the new message uploaded on the forum platform and give views and comments as appropriate.
With the modifications and the operation mechanism, establishment of a collaboration forum will contribute more to the ultimate success of knowledge management.
KM Related News
The second Personal Knowledge Management Seminar will be held in Information Technology Learning Unit, 19/F, Arsenal House from 10:30 am to noon on January 21.
The theme of the seminar is Social Applications (I), e.g. Blog, Podcast and Wiki.
Registration can be made by email to kmo-es-sq@police.gov.hk.
For queries about the KM development in the Force, contact the Knowledge Management Officer at 2860-6573 or email to kmo-es-sq.
The Force has set up an expert network in the form of a Collaboration Forum as a pilot of Phase V KM development. The objectives of the forum are:
Collaboration Forum of Police Negotiation Cadre