About this learning event 

CEF Forum 2022 features highlight events of the CEF – a conference Strong Institutions Deliver on Their Mandate and training of trainers Knowledge Management in Public Institutions for the CEF Coordinators.

At the training of trainers (ToT) we will discuss the importance of systematic knowledge management that directly affects the capacity of institutions to deliver on their mandates. HR specialists, and representatives of CEF constituency institutions responsible for strategic capacity development (CEF Coordinators) will explore the topic in the context of the structural reform design and implementation with a special focus on Economic Reform Programmes of the EU candidate countries and potential candidates.

What will you learn

As leaders in learning, CEF’s vision is to inspire public officials, both individuals and teams, to shape institutional governance that drives successful economies and fair societies. To achieve this important focus, we will share the CEF’s know-how of how to become and be a learning organization. According to Senge (1990) in these organizations “people continually expand their capacity to create the results they truly desire, where new and expansive patterns of thinking are nurtured, where collective aspiration is set free, and where people are continually learning to see the whole together.”  We believe that in this way we can help institutions to respond and adapt quickly to the economic, political and social challenges. 

We have recognized that knowledge and experience sharing–both powerful accelerators of performance in public institutions–are underutilized. The existing knowledge in public institutions is not documented and valued enough. Public officials themselves produce only a few knowledge resources; reliance on external resources is high. The benefits of learning and knowledge sharing need to be adequately communicated in the institutions. They would benefit from more investments in this area. At the same time, the high fluctuation of skilled staff and the lack of institutional knowledge retention mechanisms constrain on-the-job and peer learning processes. 

We will discuss CEF’s methodology around six building blocks of what it takes for an institution to become and be a learning organization: (1) governance and culture: (2) funds for learning and knowledge sharing: (3) partnerships; (4) knowledge capturing, packaging and sharing; (5) communication about learning; and (6) monitoring and evaluation. 

After the training, participants will recognize the value-added of a systematic approach to learning and knowledge sharing within institutions, gain tactics on how to approach knowledge management and identify critical knowledge, and apply fundamental knowledge management principles in their teams and institutions. First insights into the topic will be available through an online course from May 23 to June 3 and continue as face-to-face event in Ljubljana from June 8 to 10. 

The ToT will focus around the following questions:

• What are the key knowledge management principles? 
• Learning organizations vs knowledge hubs – where are the teams and institutions, and what is their potential? 
• How to create an enabling environment in support of individuals, teams, and institutions?
• How can institutional leadership support organizational learning and knowledge sharing?
• What are the existing good practices of knowledge management in member institutions?
• What can a community of CEF Coordinators do to leverage teams and institutional potential to become a learning organization?
• How can KM support Economic Reform Programmes and the people from the line ministries that are involved in it?
• How can CEF support individuals, teams, and institutions?

Who should attend

Participants will be senior HR managers and others responsible for strategic individual and institutional capacity development at ministries of finance, central banks, and tax administrations of the CEF constituency (CEF Coordinators). 

The event will be highly participatory. Participants will be encouraged to share their experiences and country practices.

Useful reading materials

• Senge, P. M. (1990). The Fifth Discipline: The Art & Practice of the Learning Organization. New York: Currency
• How Can a Line Ministry Become a Learning Organization. (Forthcoming, 2022). CEF: online
• CEF Strategic Direction 2022-2026. (2021). CEF: online

Experts

At this ToT, the participants will share knowledge and at the same time be experts. Among those will be:

• Vincent Ribiere, Managing Director and Co-Founder of the Institute for Knowledge and Innovation Southeast Asia (IKI-SEA), Thailand. Vincent is an Associate Professor, Director of the KIM Ph.D. Program, Co-Program Director and Founder of the Master in Business Innovation.
• Ajda Turk, Program Specialist, CEF. Ajda is an expert on knowledge management and organizational learning, and leads at the CEF the learning and knowledge ecosystems portfolio.
• Ivana Angelova, Program Facilitator, CEF.
• CEF Coordinators from ministries of finance, central banks and tax administrations.

Partners

This learning initiative was supported by: