An ad hoc group of several hundred federal employees and others has convened online to advocate improved “knowledge management” in the federal government.
Knowledge management refers generally to the production, preservation and exchange of knowledge in such a way as to maximize the sharing of information and to optimize its use.
“Although most federal agencies have some knowledge management activities, there is no centralized federal resource for knowledge management. There is no government-sponsored support function for knowledge management. There is no clearinghouse for data on extant activities, no library of best practices, and no consulation available,” according to the new Federal Knowledge Management Initiative.
“Over 700 Federal employees, contractors, academicians and interested members of the public have mounted a campaign to enhance collaboration, knowledge and learning in the Federal Government.”
“The objective is to establish formal knowledge management across government,” said Neil Olonoff, an Army employee contractor who started the new initiative on a volunteer basis.
The initiative is developing its developing its policy proposals along with educational and promotional materials on a public wiki site hosted by NASA.
The new alignment signals a clear shift in priorities: offices dedicated to clean energy and energy efficiency have been renamed, consolidated, or eliminated, while new divisions elevate hydrocarbons, fusion, and a combined Office of AI & Quantum.
We came out of the longest shutdown in history and we are all worse for it. Who won the shutdown fight? It doesn’t matter – Americans lost. And there is a chance we run it all back again in a few short months.
Promising examples of progress are emerging from the Boston metropolitan area that show the power of partnership between researchers, government officials, practitioners, and community-based organizations.
Americans trade stocks instantly, but spend 13 hours on tax forms. They send cash by text, but wait weeks for IRS responses. The nation’s revenue collector ranks dead last in citizen satisfaction. The problem isn’t just paperwork — it’s how the government builds.