1. Enhancing FAO as a
Knowledge Organization –
Example of Knowledge
Share Fairs

2. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United
Nations (FAO)
• FAO is a specialized
agency of the United
Nations with its own
independent governance
• 190+ Member Countries
• HQs in Rome, Offices in
over 80 countries with
3600 staff.

3. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United
Nations (FAO)
• Collects, analyses, interprets and
disseminates information on
nutrition, food and agriculture
• Policy Advice
• Furnishes Technical
Assistance
• A Neutral Forum for International
Cooperation

4. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United
Nations (FAO)
• Normative vs Operational
• More of one means less of the
other
• What is the optimum balance?
• “FAO as a Knowledge Org”
strived to blend the two (2005)
• Now there are two Silos:
DDG(Knowledge), DDG(Ops)

5. Our new mandate....
Ensure that the world’s
knowledge of food and
agriculture is available to
those who need it when
they need it and in a
form which they can
access and use.

6. FAO’s Independent External Evaluation
The Problem:
• FAO must become a more
flexible Organization
• FAO needs to break out of its
risk-averse culture, creating
greater efficiency and
effectiveness.
• FAO has talented staff, stifled
by the fragmented structures of
FAO and rigidly centralized
management systems.

7. FAO’s Independent External Evaluation
Recommendations:
• Play a policy role in seeking to
balance interests between
knowledge generation and
availability, especially for the
least developed countries
• Facilitate knowledge sharing
• Develop a strategic vision
focused on development in
specific areas of knowledge
access

8. New steps to enhancing knowledge capture and sharing
within the organization and between FAO and its partners
• Thematic Knowledge Networks
• Best Practices
• AskFAO
• ShareFair
• Knowledge Strategy
• Collaborative Learning
• Knowledge Sharing ToolKit

9. First Knowledge “Share Fair” 20 – 22 January 2009
Organized by CGIAR, FAO, IFAD
and WFP
• demonstrate how knowledge
sharing improves effectiveness,
efficiency and impact.
• provide an opportunity to learn
from each other
• attended by over 1000+ staff
from the Rome-based agencies
•120 sessions with only 3 PPTs!

10. Process
• A call for proposals was sent out
to all staff of all Rome-based
agencies
• Received submissions (160)
were reviewed/evaluated and the
selected ones were grouped into
8 Knowledge Themes:
• K for me
• K stores
• K for outreach
• K for influence and advocacy
• K for projects
• K for rural communication
• K for networks and communities
• K for institutions and partnerships

11. Knowledge “Share Fair” 20 – 22 January 2009
Showcase competition of good
knowledge sharing practices
Face-2-face learning events
using techniques such as Peer
Assists, Most Significant
Change, AAR, etc.
Fun ways to share knowledge
such as Chat/Talk Shows,
World Café, Fish Bowl, etc.
Fun staged interactions that
engage participants (KM
"diagnosis", KM theater).

12. Knowledge “Share Fair” 20 – 22 January 2009
Hands on technology workshops
introducing tools such as Blogs,
Skype, Online Collaboration
Platforms, Wikis, etc.
Fun technology seminars such as
publishing a video on YouTube,
creating a podcast, Tagging,
Photo Sharing, etc.
Specific session on developing a
knowledge strategy.
Desire to have internal network of
Who’s Who to work with (K-Café)

13. Outcomes
• The first Knowledge Share Fair was
a “proof-of-concept” and led to
further thematic and regional
events.
• Outcomes:
• Internal Knowledge Sharing
Portal
• Virtual and Face-to-Face
Trainings on KS tools/methods
• Knowledge Sharing toolkit
• Thematic, Regional and
affiliated events

14. FAO Knowledge Café
Internal Knowledge Sharing Portal
• Who’s Who (Personal
Information, Skills, Memberships
in external collaborative tools)
• Ask and Answer
• Sharing in Action
• Knowledge Sharing Tools and
Methods
• Upcoming Events

15. Virtual and Face-to-Face Trainings
• Trainings on Knowledge Sharing
Tools and Methods
• participants work together in
online/face-to-face collaborative
workspaces and “learn while doing”.
• allows participants the opportunity to
learn together from geographically
dispersed locations.
• Some courses have a follow-up
face-2-face event
• Follow-up advise provided to Staff

16. Knowledge Sharing Toolkit - www.kstoolkit.org
FAO and the CGIAR are creating
and growing an online resource of
knowledge sharing tools and
methods.
Uses a wiki - continually updated.
Anyone can request to join and
contribute to the resources.
Tools and methods are framed in
the context of international
development.

17. Follow-up Events
Regional Share Fairs
• Share Fair AgKnowledge Africa
at ILRI, Addis Abeba, Ethiopia
18-21 October 2010
• Foire aux Savoirs, Afrique de
l'Ouest, EMIG, Niamey, Niger 15
- 17 juin 2010
• Share Fair Latin America and
Caribbean at CIAT, Cali
Colombia 25-27 May 2010

18. Follow-up Events
Affiliated and Thematic Events
• UNDG Inter-Agency Knowledge
Fair, Vienna, Austria 28 - 30
September 2010
• 1st IAAH Consultation, Rome,
Italy 22 - 24 June 2010
• FAO Climate Change Days
Rome 21-23 June 2010
• ABDC-10, Guadalajara, Mexico
1 - 4 March 2010

19. Generic Outcomes
1.Share and learn from each other’s good
practices
2.Experiment with tools and methodologies
for knowledge sharing.
3.Create linkages and networks for future
collaboration between the participating
organizations.
4.Develop ideas to support and enhance
knowledge sharing within and across the
participating organizations.

20. We are not yet finished, many challenges lay ahead...
Establish a collective vision of
knowledge management and what it
means for FAO.
Devise effective methods for
capturing, structuring, sharing tacit
knowledge.
Embed knowledge management in
FAO’s budgeting, programming and
human resources processes
Create a culture and infrastructure
which improves staff skills,
guarantees rewards and creates
motivation.

21. www.fao.org/knowledgeforum
www.imarkgroup.org
www.sharefair.net
www.kstoolkit.org