Sub-Regional Resource Facility for Arab States

Knowledge Management

Connecting COs to Relevant Development Knowledge

SURF-AS acts as a regional hub distilling knowledge and experience into usable products and tools and collecting and disseminating it. SURF-AS provides expert referrals and facilitates transfers of expertise between Country Offices. It also supports UNDP Country Offices in their own efforts to develop knowledge management strategies and plans of action.

The Knowledge Services Team within SURF-AS acts as the focal point for knowledge acquisition, codification and dissemination. The KST is the often the first port of call for referrals and desk-top support. To this end it draws on its own knowledge bases, network of contacts and professionals and the experience and expertise of SURF-AS policy advisors. The KST also plays a leading role in the development of regional thematic communities of practice by encouraging knowledge exchange and sharing appropriate tools and experiences. The KST also works to ensure the organization retains important institutional memory by codifying and retaining knowledge and experience. This helps ensure that the organization is working smarter, not harder.

At the end of 2004, SURF-AS in collaboration with RBAS and the global knowledge project held a workshop for knowledge management focal points in UNDP COs in the region. The objectives of the workshop were to demystify the concepts of knowledge management and the practices, to equip participants with necessary tools, and to develop jointly concrete and easy to use outputs. The workshop also proved to be an opportunity to create a network of UNDP staff working on Knowledge Management issues in the region. A virtual workspace was created for the collection of relevant resources and materials to support staff in the development of their own KM action plans