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BUILDING KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

IN

THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION PLANNING,

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION

February 2004

Yoshihito NAKAYAMA
Education Planning Adviser/JICA
Ministry of Education, Science & Technology, Malawi

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Background
The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology has critical roles of realising equitable
society through achievement of equal access, quality of education in the country. In order to
successful implementation of educational policy, the headquarter of the Ministry is responsible
for mainly 1) policy formulation, 2) policy enforcement, 3) inspectorate, 4) establishment of
service and performance standards, 5) training, 6) curriculum development, and 7) international
representative. It is obvious that headquarter of the Ministry is still playing central role in
education sector as a whole.
The Department of Education Planning, in its Ministry, should be the centre of the centre
in terms of information and knowledge management to achieve its mission above, for the
department is responsible for mainly, 1) planning budget for education sector, 2) management,
monitoring and evaluating ongoing activities, and 3) coordinating activities with other development
partners. Therefore, the planning should be the department that all necessary information
related to education sector can be provided.
However, the actual status of the department does not necessarily meet with this ideal
situation. Basically, each document, data book, statistics has been kept by each individual officer
with no systematic compiling system that hinders all staffs from accessing them if necessary.
This situation brings about inconveniences to conduct effective operation in managing information
and knowledge.

Educational information (statistics, project documents,

Status Quo books, electric data, etc.), which should be shared with as
the property of the Ministry, has been scattered.

ISSUE 1

When we need to look for data or documents for

formulating project document or attending the meeting to
follow up previous activities, we should look for it from door
to door, or cannot find it.

Issues ISSUE 2

When our colleague who has been responsible for a certain

area is sick or is going to move to other department, smooth
handing over about each task cannot be done due to the lack
of organised and accumulated information.

ISSUE 3

Planning Department should be the centre of information in

the Ministry, however, when our colleagues come to look for
data to Planning, we cannot always provide it, because we
don’t know where it is.

Way forward
STRUCTURING KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
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Issues
The Ministry, Department Of Education Planning has been facing the following issues;
Ineffective accessibility of educational information and knowledge
Unsystematic management and accumulation of knowledge
Lack of information sharing

Purposes/Expected Outputs
With understanding about the issues above, this is pursuing for the following reforms;
Building systematic knowledge management structure;
Strengthening individual and organisational capacity to manage knowledge;
Promoting information sharing atmosphere in the working place.

Approach/Activity
In order to achieve these purposes, this is proposing the following activities.
Developing DATABASE for documents, statistics, books etc. that the department should
keep and manage to maintain;
Using one of the office in Department of Education Planning for keeping documentations
that should be shared in the Ministry or Education Sector;
Developing systematic structure that enables us to maintain and update those information
and knowledge.

1) Developing DATABASE
Mr. Y. Nakayama has already started to develop a sample of DATABASE for 135
documents in order to manage information and knowledge using Microsoft Excel. There are
arranged in the following categories (See Table 1 below as an example);
- ID number;
- Title;
- Year of published;
- Author;
- Publisher;
- Format=>report/handbook, manual/book/presentation/brochure, etc.
- Status =>draft/final
- Geographical Area =>Malawi/African region/developing countries/South Africa, etc.
Publishe Geographical
Title Year Author Format Status
r Area
Malawi Public World Present
1 1998 n/a Final Malawi
Expenditure Issues Bank ation
Primary School
2 2002 MOEST JICA Booklet Final Malawi
Attendance Register
MTEF Ophase Two File Progra
of Programme mme/Pr
3 2001 MOEST MOEST Draft Malawi
Documents: Document oject
1: Draft Project Docume

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Memorandum nt

Table 1: A sample of DATABASE

These categories allow users to search documents they are looking for by inputting “Key
Words” quickly. Moreover, it is easy to update and to manipulate by all members of staffs for
the software “Excel” is user-friendly and popular.

2) Room for the information centre

It is ideal to have one room for the Information Resource Centre in the Department of
Education Planning, which has a friendly atmosphere so that all information seekers can access
and maximise it for the effective job operation. However, due to the shortage of office room
in headquarter of the Ministry, the Room 97 would be recommended as the tentative information
centre for it is the most accessible to members of staff (suggested in the department regular
meeting). When the specific room is available, it is advisable to move its function from room 97
to that authorised one.

3) Systematic structure for knowledge management

Updating data is critical matter in knowledge management. And that should be undertaken
regularly. In order to do so, introducing the systematic structure is very important. This proposal
suggests the following structure.

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Project Documents
Education Books
Presentation Résumé
Statistical Data
Whenever planning
officers obtain or Project Documents
think that should
be shared with
other colleagues, Updating
or Focal Point database (ID
gather them number, title,
regularly (once in a author etc.),
month DATABASE Updating Focal Point managing data
file and data
EMIS Team & Mr. Y. Nakayama
book

Provision of updated Database

INFORMATION CENTER (ROOM 97) Supervising

Report the progress Mr. Chimwaza
of management
Monitoring

DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION PLANNING

Dr. J.B. Kutemba Mwale
HEAD OF PROGRAMME COORDINATION SECTION
Mr. Senganimalunje

Table 1: Systematic Structure of Knowledge Management

INPUT
1) Development of Database
Necessary items;
- Computer;
- Microsoft Excel
Technical Support;
Mr. Y. Nakayama => EMIS Team

2) Building Information Centre

Necessary items;
- Bookshelf (an initial procurement will be supported by JICA through Mr. Y. Nakayama)
- Document Files (same as the above)
Book Keeping; Mr. Chimuwaza

TIME FRAMEWORK
- Start from Feb. 2004,

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Feb.-May 2004; Stage I: Trial Period (modifying format of database and structure)
Jun.-Dec. 2004; Stage II: Embedding Period (management system is institutionalised)
Jan. 2005 - ; Stage III: Self-developing Period (developing by its own)
- Database updating is recommended every first weeks of the month;
- Monitoring Report from Focal Point to DEP and the Head of Programme Section is
recommended once in a month.

MONITORING & EVALUATION OF THE PROGRESS

- Initial Monitoring will be conducted in May 2004 (after 3 months of launching):
=> Monitoring Report I
- Mid-Term Monitoring in Dec. 2004: (after Stage II)
=> Monitoring Report II
- Final Evaluation in Jun. 2005 (six month after launching Stage III)
=> Evaluation Report