Why is CARE Uganda hiring a KMTM? / Role of KMTM:

Job Summary:

CARE Uganda is hiring a KMTM to have someone accountable for all processes and KM tools and to ensure they align with CARE Uganda’s Business Plan direction.

 The KMTM oversees knowledge-related activities, including the management, capturing, sharing and accessibility of knowledge assets.

 The KMTM will help identify CARE Uganda dimensions of organizational knowledge creation and support management in making effective strategic decisions about knowledge acquisition, refinement, storage, transfer, sharing, and utilization.

The KMTM is expected to work across multiple functional lines to optimize and utilize CARE’s knowledge assets; they shall be comfortable working in a very ‘matrixed’ environment. Program seniors, including PD, PQLM, PMs, the Director of Business Services, and the Head of HR, all have a stake in this role, as the same is true for the KMTM. 

 CARE Uganda’s ultimate business-value acquisition from the KMTM is:

1.     enabling staff in the locally-led paradigm to deploy knowledge bases to provide internal strategic input across multiple processes.

2.     supporting the conscious process of structuring, relating and sharing knowledge within CARE

3.     drive the integration of tools and systems with attention to the four key components: Knowledge, People, Processes and Technology (KP²T)

4.     help to shape internal culture and attitudes towards effective knowledge domains/models - including triggering the latent innovation DNA and growing intellectual capital that will enable the development of new knowledge domains at CARE Uganda

Enabling the development of an inventory of knowledge domains and intellectual assets and defining a mechanism for partners to access the same seamlessly, including CARE Staff looking for information or institutional knowledge.

Why KM fails at organisations

?                  Lack of a KM strategy

?                  Lack of leadership

?                  Employees overlooking KM

?                  Failure to set objectives and KPIs

?                  Lack of a monitoring regime

 What will the ring-fenced knowledge management role at CARE Uganda do?

 ?                  KM strategy - set realistic expectations and effective execution.

The KMTM shall ensure the existence of a KM strategy that fits CARE Uganda’s strategic direction and choices at any time. The KMTM shall ensure that managers, employees, partners, and other stakeholders are always informed of their next step through a set of clear objectives. In summary, the KMTM ensures that the KM strategy always aligns with CARE Uganda’s Business Plan choices. 

?                  Uptake of knowledge by staff and partners and its application

The continuum of KM at CARE Uganda starts at the tacit—to the explicit—and then proceeds to the knowledge getting applied in the field. The KMTM shall put in place systems to execute and monitor that the right ‘knowledge’ is going to the right people and that there is evidence of the application of such knowledge in CARE Uganda’s field/business activities.

 ?                  Capturing new knowledge effectively

In line with CARE Uganda’s Integrated Business Services Model (IBSM), specifically the ‘Thought Leadership’ and ‘Innovation’ strands, the KM Manager shall ensure that CARE Uganda streamlines processes to capture new knowledge. [***The latter task is informed by the organisation tradition that the collective “know-hows” of a workplace are often hidden in its employee’s tacit knowledge and that this needs intentional unlocking and capturing***] So, the KMTM shall show evidence annually of the conversion of ‘tacit’ to ‘explicit’ knowledge continuum and products.  The latter shall be affirmed with proof of ‘knew’ and adaptations to ‘known’ knowledge domains (products) - i.e. CARE Uganda’s new program and Program-support technical models, logically and accurately documented as well as socialised.

 ?                  Control the flow of information and accessibility.

The KMTM shall familiarize himself or herself with the infrastructure of KM tools. They will ensure that staff and other stakeholders are continuously onboarded on the KM bases.  There shall be a display at offices (pictorial/schema) of the KM bases at CARE and what Knowledge is on offer.

 ?                  To ensure there is a well-led knowledge-sharing culture and environment.

It’s a given that as we start defining and executing a new KM strategy at CARE Uganda, there shall be transition challenges as these are new tools and systems.  [***While we don’t believe there is zero KM at CARE Uganda, it’s also a fact that KM is under layers of the strong and dominant MEAL system and culture*****] KM shall now be ringfenced, and the KMTM shall act as the catalyst to spur a culture of knowledge sharing and reminding and, at times, pushing teams to recognise the criticality of a healthy KM information flow. The KM manager shall think about innovations to incentivize seamless knowledge-sharing and uptake.

 ?                  Providing support

The KMTM shall enable CARE Uganda to foster a learning and collaborative environment and capture new knowledge most effectively. The KM manager shall provide KM training and coaching to staff at all levels. This kind of support shall target both existing employees and newly joined employees.

 ?                  Monitoring and measuring knowledge management activities.

The KMTM is accountable for the efficiency of the KM strategy and its actions. The KMTM shall leverage analytics to assess the strategy’s impact, engagement, functionality, and effectiveness. Specifically - the KMTM shall also keep a log/dashboard of how often units and individuals and at what levels interact with KM bases/portals/systems, etc.

 ***NB: KMTM is not the gatekeeper of knowledge bases; the KMTM is the MANAGER of knowledge bases ***

 What makes a good KMTM?

·       People-oriented

·       Sees the big picture objectives for CARE Uganda

·       Horizontal leadership qualities - to be able to communicate their visions and motivate teams

·       A strategic mindset - and comfortable with process mapping/data analytics etc

·       Innovative and self-driven

·       Observant and mindful of their team's actions - quickly able to identify slow adopters, outright change resistors etc

 Supervision:

The KMTM shall directly report to the CD - with a dotted line to the PQLM

Location and outreach:

The KMTM shall be based in Kampala, with about 50% field travel to the project zones (50% time in Kampala - and 50% time in the field)