The global skills and competency framework for the digital world

Knowledge management KNOW

Systematically capturing, developing and leveraging vital knowledge to create value and enhance organisational performance.

Revision notes

Updates for SFIA 9

  • Theme(s) influencing the updates for this skill: Making SFIA easier to consume (enhance readability/guidance/descriptions), Making SFIA easier to consume (updates to skill name/skill description).
  • Readability improvements have been made to level 5.
  • You can move to SFIA 9 when you are ready - SFIA 8 skill descriptions will still be available to use.
  • Previous SFIA assessments or skills mapping are not impacted by this change.

Guidance notes

Knowledge management aims to improve performance, support decision-making and mitigate risks. 

Activities may include, but are not limited to:

  • systematically capturing, sharing, developing and exploiting the collective knowledge of the organisation
  • tailoring knowledge management practices to fit organisational needs and culture
  • developing a supportive and collaborative knowledge-sharing culture, integrating both human and technological aspects
  • providing access to informal, tacit knowledge as well as formal, documented, explicit knowledge
  • facilitating internal and external collaboration and communications
  • establishing and supporting communities of practice
  • capturing, organising and developing information, knowledge and stories from employees, customers and external partners
  • external benchmarking.

Understanding the responsibility levels of this skill

Where lower levels are not defined...
  • Specific tasks and responsibilities are not defined because the skill requires a higher level of autonomy, influence, and complexity in decision-making than is typically expected at these levels. You can use the essence statements to understand the generic responsibilities associated with these levels.
Where higher levels are not defined...
  • Responsibilities and accountabilities are not defined because these higher levels involve strategic leadership and broader organisational influence that goes beyond the scope of this specific skill. See the essence statements.

Developing skills and demonstrating responsibilities related to this skill

The defined levels show the incremental progression in skills and responsibilities.

Where lower levels are not defined...

You can develop your knowledge and support others who do have responsibility in this area by:

  • Learning key concepts and principles related to this skill and its impact on your role
  • Performing related skills (see the related SFIA skills)
  • Supporting others who are performing higher level tasks and activities
Where higher levels are not defined...
  • You can progress by developing related skills which are better suited to higher levels of organisational leadership.

Show/hide extra descriptions and levels.

Levels of responsibility for this skill

2 3 4 5 6 7

Knowledge management: Level 2

Level 2 - Assist: Essence of the level: Provides assistance to others, works under routine supervision, and uses their discretion to address routine problems. Actively learns through training and on-the-job experiences.

Maintains a knowledge management database.

Leverages knowledge of a specialism to capture and classify content, taking expert advice when required.

Knowledge management: Level 3

Level 3 - Apply: Essence of the level: Performs varied tasks, sometimes complex and non-routine, using standard methods and procedures. Works under general direction, exercises discretion, and manages own work within deadlines. Proactively enhances skills and impact in the workplace.

Maintains knowledge management systems and content to meet business needs.

Supports others to enable them to complete knowledge management activities and form knowledge management habits. Supports changes to work practices to enable capture and use of knowledge.

Reports on the progress of knowledge management activities.

Configures and develops knowledge management systems and standards.

Knowledge management: Level 4

Level 4 - Enable: Essence of the level: Performs diverse complex activities, supports and guides others, delegates tasks when appropriate, works autonomously under general direction, and contributes expertise to deliver team objectives.

Organises knowledge assets and oversees the lifecycle of identifying, capturing, classifying, storing and maintaining assets.

Facilitates sharing, collaboration and communication of knowledge. Implements specific knowledge management initiatives.

Monitors the use and impact of knowledge.

Interrogates existing knowledge content to identify issues, risks and opportunities.

Knowledge management: Level 5

Level 5 - Ensure, advise: Essence of the level: Provides authoritative guidance in their field and works under broad direction. Accountable for delivering significant work outcomes, from analysis through execution to evaluation.

Develops and implements knowledge management processes, practices and behaviours.

Provides advice, guidance and support to help people to adopt and embed knowledge management. Contributes to the definition of policies, standards and guidelines for knowledge management.

Evaluates and selects knowledge management methods and tools. Promotes collaborative technologies, processes and behaviours to facilitate sharing of ideas and work-knowledge.

Shares ideas and examples of existing practices. Implements knowledge management at programme, project and team level.

Knowledge management: Level 6

Level 6 - Initiate, influence: Essence of the level: Has significant organisational influence, makes high-level decisions, shapes policies, demonstrates leadership, promotes organisational collaboration, and accepts accountability in key areas.

Develops organisational policies, standards and guidelines for knowledge management.

Champions and leads in the development of an organisational knowledge management approach. Shares different approaches for knowledge sharing across communities of practice, business units and networks.

Promotes knowledge-sharing through operational business processes and systems. Monitors and evaluates knowledge-sharing initiatives.

Manages reviews of the benefits and value of knowledge management. Identifies and recommends improvements.

Knowledge management: Level 7

Level 7 - Set strategy, inspire, mobilise: Essence of the level: Operates at the highest organisational level, determines overall organisational vision and strategy, and assumes accountability for overall success.

Develops an organisation-wide knowledge management strategy and leads the creation of a knowledge management culture.

Embeds knowledge management across business units and develops strategic knowledge management capabilities.

Reinforces the importance of knowledge sharing by aligning individual and organisational objectives and rewards.

Identifies opportunities for strategic relationships or partnerships with customers, suppliers and partners.