www.humanitarianlibrary.org
What is it?
A Global Knowledge Library
A truly global humanitarian technical library of guidelines, training
materials and other knowledge
Integrating UN Software and Standards
Built on the UN/OCHA platform for Humanitarian Response, the
replacement of OneResponse, to facilitate sharing with UN information
resources
Developed with a Humanitarian Knowledge Network
Establishing a global community of practice to solidify the humanitarian
collective memory and develop common knowledge management
conventions
Why is it?
Following UN/OCHA and IASC Objectives
Aligned with UN/OCHA Strategic Objective 3.3: ‘Improved
Organizational Learning and Development to Achieve Better Results’
and IASC ‘Transformative Agenda’
Filling the Knowledge Management Gap
Humanitarian knowledge currently resides on websites of hundreds of
thousands of agencies worldwide – where do you go to find what?
Knowledge Management to Compliment Information Management
Information management is supported, but not knowledge
Knowledge
Information
= guidelines, manuals, training materials
= news, situation reports, maps, statistics
Integration opportunities with
UN/OCHA and IASC
Where are we?
• Project Proposal with UKAID
• Funding secured from USAID for a Shelter and Settlement Library
• Hold profiles of the thirty most vulnerable countries
• Develop and deliver a Humanitarian Knowledge Network
Breakout Questions
Who Manages Knowledge?
• What is the role for "knowledge managers" in your organisation / sector?
• If so, what qualities / skill sets should they possess?
• At what point in the project chain might they be best positioned?
• Is the objective to better field activities or affect institutional change, or both?
Breakout Questions
What are the Knowledge "Habits“
• How do you nurture knowledge sharing?
• Which actors in the knowledge chain are using which tools?
• Where is the balance between computer-based knowledge exchange and
people-to-people interaction?
Breakout Questions
Types of Knowledge
• What knowledge should we be capturing? Where are the knowledge gaps?
• How should that knowledge be presented?
• How do we capture socio cultural knowledge so that it is useful to the project
process, to avoid wasted resources and ineffective projects?