Abstract:
The 21st century knowledge-based reality poses daunting challenges for
the senior public service managers of the South African Public Service.
Enhancing insights on and understanding of critical concepts and practices
are becoming increasingly vital for senior public service managers
to engage in impact-driven and effective knowledge management.
Knowledge management is one of the core management competencies
required by the performance management and development framework
as stipulated in the 2003 Public Service Handbook (Senior Management
Service). This article is a value-adding attempt to describe and explain
critical concepts and practices that underpin, support, and enable
knowledge management which is a prerequisite for high quality
performance and effective public service delivery. Understanding the
types of knowledge and the distinguishing terms of the hierarchical
building blocks for relationship enables conceptual clarity and concise
application. The importance of knowledge sharing as a key process in
knowledge activities is emphasised. Enabling and promoting communities
in supporting knowledge interactions are vital. Knowledge management
as a human-centric activity requires insights into the elements of
intellectual capital. A human-centric process also requires the nurturing
of the human values as an important enabler. Leadership action is
necessary to create a supportive and an influencing environment for
knowledge management.
