Knowledge Management

EARLY

• Ad hoc or nonexistent communication about Knowledge Management (KM)
• Knowledge Assets (KAs) broadly dispersed
• Employees guard, disperse, leverage only their own knowledge but not one another’s
• Tacit knowledge shared through one-off or repurposed answers to questions
• Seek law firm advice on answers to questions; may be getting advice on same topic repeatedly; no effort to consolidate legal work product so it can be repurposed

INTERMEDIATE

• Some KM practices in place (e.g. centralized repository, intranet, or other knowledge-sharing mechanism for some categories of knowledge)
• Culture recognizes and rewards at least some organizational knowledge sharing
• Rudimentary documented communication available concerning who knows what or where KAs can be found
• Strategic KM plan developed, but not fully implemented/followed
• GC and management support implementation of KM
• Collaboration between document/process owners and curators to create and manage templates and toolkits
• Limited metrics in place to measure KM succes
• Limited dedicated budget for KM
• KM training included as part of onboarding and career development
• At least one staff member partially responsible for KM initiatives.

ADVANCED

• KM well-established, deeply integrated, and continuously improved
• Mechanisms and tools for curation; easy finding and sharing of KAs leveraged and valued throughout the organization
• KM a standard component in organizational processes, supported by automated workflows
• Periodic reviews in place for internal and external stakeholders
• Systematic knowledge sharing accepted as fundamental; directories maintained and accessible by staff and clients; specific client-focused KAs developed
• Three-to five-year strategic KM plan
• KM training embedded in employee onboarding
• Regular and ongoing KM training on system updates and best practices
• KM plan anticipates upcoming and evolving KM needs
• Dedicated central repository to share knowledge
• Formalized metrics in place to measure KM success
• Significant KM dedicated budget relative to the organization
• At least one full-time dedicated KM professional.

ACC Value Challenge Guide to Knowledge Management (Curated)
Seminal resource for Knowledge Management professionals and their organizations.

Developing a Knowledge Management Taxonomy
Taxonomy introduction and instructions on building a taxonomy as part of your department’s Knowledge Management program.

Knowledge Management - Legal Knowledge Manager Job Description
Sample job description outlining the Legal Knowledge Manager role, responsibilities and qualifications.

Knowledge Management Interest Generator
A graphic to promote the value of and generate interest in a department’s Knowledge Management program.

Knowledge Management Strategy Roadmap
A tool to help departments define the purpose and goals of a Knowledge Management program in their specific organization and identify strategies to achieve the goals.

Knowledge Management: People, Processes & Opportunities
A checklist of department information-sharing processes and opportunities.

Navigating Global Legal Operations
Gain insights into best practices for global Legal Operations, including effective talent acquisition, performance management, and knowledge management.

Creating a Skills Inventory for Knowledge Management
Detailed checklist for developing a directory of professional skills and expertise of interest to your department.

Knowledge Management - Building a Digital Library
Basic steps for building your digital precedent library.

Knowledge Management Business Analyst Job Descriptions
Sample job descriptions for various levels of Knowledge Management business analysts.

Knowledge Management Offboarding Checklist
This checklist is for use by managers to assure an orderly capture and transition of company information from departing lawyers, so the company does not risk losing valuable organizational knowledge with every departure.

Knowledge Management Toolkit Introduction
Overview of Knowledge Management and the toolkit documents.