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Government Knowledge Management Center
Ministry of Public Administration and Security

The Problem

Today, knowledge is recognized as a source from which the private sector and the public sector can create value and secure a competitive advantage. Successful cases of knowledge management, first adopted in the private sector in the 1990s, began to spill over into the public sector around the new millennium, resulting in the adoption of the Knowledge Management System (KMS) in eight public institutions.
In an effort to bring innovation in the public sector, the previous government set out to enhance the administration’s operational competence through knowledge management after it came to office in 2003. Consequently, 45 units of the central government (including all 22 ministries) and 47 regional autonomous governments were using KMS in 2006, while 5,114 online learning communities were in operation. A stronger culture of learning and sharing in the public sector led to institutional improvements, operational innovations, and an overall enhancement of problem-solving competence in the public sector. Knowledge management was also the platform for increased connection, communication and collaboration within public institutions.
Despite an increase in knowledge management within government organizations, the silo mentality and the practice of conducting KMS operations behind closed doors hindered further connection, communication and collaboration between and among institutions. The need to visit other institutions or consign research services to gather policy materials and operation processing know-how entailed a significant waste of money and time. Moreover, the lack of knowledge of the policies implemented by other institutions right up to the time of budgetary reconciliation by the government meant that different entities implemented the same or similar policies at the same time. Communication or collaboration with other institutions was a challenge: it meant mobilizing personal networks or visiting the website of the relevant ministry to search for the division and/or person in charge. In the case of public services involving more than two entities, the practice of transferring responsibilities to other institutions caused delays in public service delivery.
Thus, the Government Knowledge Management Center (GKMC) launched in December 2007 was the result of the government’s dedicated efforts to find solutions to the challenges mentioned above by bringing innovation to the silo operations of the public sector. Building upon Korea’s advanced ICT competence and high-speed telecommunications network, the GKMC system is now an ideal model for achieving the 3Cs (Connection, Communication, Collaboration) throughout the government.

Solution and Key Benefits

 What is the initiative about? (the solution)
GKMC is a knowledge hub system linking the systems of 116 public and private institutions (government affairs management system, KMS of the central and regional governments, legal information and statistics, policy research reports, SERI economic reports, etc). Through GKMC, public officials can now search for any topics of interest on the integrated knowledge database, post questions on the Q&A section for replies, or join a learning community. As an unprecedented pan-governmental knowledge hub system, the GKMC resulted in the following key benefits:
First, GKMC changed the way the public sector got things done. By linking over 343,000 public administrative data, GKMC offered a wealth of shared references and know-how. The necessary information or content was just one click away for GKMC users. If they encountered a problem in conducting their work or handling a public service, users could post a question and get a reply from other users who had that information. Those interested in a particular topic could launch a community to talk, learn, and get solutions with other members. In the three years since GKMC was launched, it has become common for public officials to sign onto the GKMC site as soon as they get to the office.
Second, GKMC established a culture of connection, communication and collaboration, which had been practically non-existent in the public sector. Horizontal and vertical cyber communication became more prevalent across and among the central and local governments. The system now has 57 communities with about 11,000 users who learn and seek solutions collaboratively. Regardless of their location and affiliation, users share their knowledge on any topics of common interest, discuss and benchmark the work processes of other institutions, present best practices, and work in close cooperation.
Third, GKMC made practical contribution to raising the standards of public service delivery. The community of officials in charge of public service delivery at different institutions is a prime example. The shared best practices help members learn from each other in offering more prompt, efficient services, thereby raising the standards and quality of public service delivery. Sharing knowledge through GKMC has led to enhanced public service delivery: some indications of positive change include better serving the needs of families of multi-cultural backgrounds, the handicapped and other disadvantaged groups and making public services available on smart phones and other type of new technologies.

Actors and Stakeholders

 Who proposed the solution, who implemented it and who were the stakeholders?
The initiative to build a public system for government knowledge was taken by the former administration whose directive was to ‘move away from restricted sharing among ministries towards full sharing across the public sector' as part of a bigger picture of creating an e-government. Following the former president's instruction to integrate the KMS of the ministries and to incorporate domestic and international information at a cabinet meeting held in February 2006, the basic plan for the Government Integrated Knowledge Public Administration System was established. The Ministry of Government Administration and Home Affairs (now Ministry of Public Administration and Security) and the National Information Society Agency, the main agency responsible for the e-Government project, jointly established an ISP in 2006 and completed the necessary system in 2007. The service was opened to public officials of the central and local governments in December of that year.
At a government operation workshop held in February 2008, President Lee Myung-bak stated, “The main premise of the digital era is the sharing of knowledge and information.” This shows the importance placed by the current administration on the sharing and communication of knowledge and information. At various ministerial meetings and workshops, he also emphasized the importance of moving beyond self-interest as well as the need for connection, communication and collaboration among ministries. Hence, in both the previous and the current administrations, the focus of the GKMC initiative was to promote connection, communication and collaboration across the public sector through continuous knowledge management. As a next step, the government plans to share the public administration knowledge of GKMC with the private sector so as to promote connection, communication and collaboration between the public and the private sectors.
The direct stakeholders are all public officials who are using GKMC. However, considering the effects of GKMC on raising the standards of public services, its indirect stakeholders are the general public who are the beneficiaries of enhanced public administration.

(a) Strategies

 Describe how and when the initiative was implemented by answering these questions
 a.      What were the strategies used to implement the initiative? In no more than 500 words, provide a summary of the main objectives and strategies of the initiative, how they were established and by whom.
GKMC sought to be a differentiated solution of a 'Pan-Governmental Knowledge Hub System' that promotes connection, communication and collaboration among public organizations. The following strategies were established to achieve these objectives.
First, building a systematic linkage model for a knowledge hub:
In addition to connecting the knowledge management system of the central and local governments, GKMC was intended to link key functions and relevant systems of the government (i.e. government affairs management system, government's business reference model). It was also connected with private websites, knowledge DB services, and overseas information DB services. For this purpose, target knowledge and information were analyzed in depth, a linkage model was established, and a knowledge classification management system developed based on the government's Business Reference Model (BRM).
Second, designing a strictly user-friendly knowledge portal service:
The architecture was designed to ensure a smooth operation of the knowledge portal service, including convenience of knowledge searches, increased and efficient communication among users, and creation of communities where users can collaborate to find solutions. The process was carefully designed to create a virtuous circle in the management of knowledge, whereby the knowledge and know-how created by public officials could be registered, shared, downloaded, applied, and re-created. In short, a standard model was built, one that could become a global example of a knowledge portal.
Third, designation of a principal unit in charge of pan-government knowledge management:
The Ministry of Public Administration and Security designated the Knowledge Institutions Department as the principal unit in charge of pan-government knowledge management. The team was responsible for promoting knowledge management across the public sector, investigating the status of KMS operations within institutions, identifying the best cases, and proposing ways to vitalize the use of GKMC. To further strengthen and efficiently manage the system, network, and security environment, a specialized service provider was contracted to take preemptive measures against possible risks.
Fourth, creation of a knowledge-friendly culture:
The government promoted a knowledge-friendly culture in the public sector by awarding the best knowledge management institutions and best GKMC knowledge, operating a knowledge management forum, and identifying the best-run knowledge communities. The people in charge of knowledge management at public institutions were also invited to attend training sessions on efficient knowledge management.

(b) Implementation

 b.      What were the key development and implementation steps and the chronology? No more than 500 words
To ensure the success of a ‘pan-governmental knowledge hub system’ for connection, communication and collaboration among public organizations, the Korean government established a new paradigm of knowledge connection, communication and collaboration by exercising leadership and actively engaging the stakeholders.
Early beginning (2000-2001)
The concept of knowledge management was first introduced in the public sector in 2000, when the government settled on a plan and blueprint for building KMS. In 2001, a legal and institutional basis for knowledge management was established in the E-Government Act, and pilot KMSs were developed and implemented in the Ministry of Public Administration and Security, Statistics Korea, Gwacheon Municipal Government, and five other public entities.
Awareness-building and introduction of knowledge management (2002-2003)
In 2002, the Operation Guidelines for KMS were established and distributed to public organizations. In the following year, the Guidelines to vitalize Government Knowledge Management were established along specific plans by contracting research into ‘Measures to change culture and develop knowledge management in the public sector.’
Promoting knowledge sharing and application of knowledge management (2004-2006)
In 2004, there were various efforts to vitalize knowledge management at the pan-government level, such as workshops for public officials in charge of knowledge management. Following investigation of how knowledge was managed in the public sector, the best institutions were selected for recognition and presentations. Since 2005, the Knowledge Management Forum has been held annually by the ministry in charge along with other participating ministries. The ‘Knowledge Management Index’ survey program was also developed to diagnose the level of knowledge management in public institutions.
Linkage and expansion at pan-government level (2007-present)
In 2007, a Knowledge Management Workshop was organized as part of the 7th Global Forum on Reinventing Government in Vienna, Austria. At the end of 2007, GKMC was launched, linking 116 systems. The Gukjeongpidia, a Wikipedia-style online public administration encyclopedia was also launched, providing a platform for public officials to become more engaged in knowledge communication and cooperation. Since 2010, an upgrade of GKMC has been underway to service a standard KMS to 181 local governments currently without the system (providing them standard KMS service on the GKMC platform). This is expected to save 200 million won ($175,000) per KMS, totaling a saving of 36.2 billion won (about $31,750,000). Also, to allow GKMC to be the pivot for communications, the Integrated Public Affairs Bulletin is currently being developed and a function to share information and ideas on major policies and to search the records of public officials will be added.

(c) Overcoming Obstacles

 c.      What were the main obstacles encountered? How were they overcome? No more than 500 words
○ Public sector reluctance to share knowledge with other institutions
From the beginning, the idea of building collective intelligence without walls and promoting horizontal/vertical communication in cyber space has raised various concerns in the public sector, whose culture was characterized by silo mentality and taboos against sharing knowledge with others. Despite strong leadership manifested by the Presidents, some believed that the idea would simply be window-dressing and do little but double the workload. From the initial stage to the present, however, both Presidents have shown strong leadership and the initiative has led to astonishing results.
The Ministry of Public Administration and Security, which was responsible for the initiative, organized training sessions and workshops for those in charge of knowledge management at the central and local governments and hosted the Knowledge Management Forum every year to emphasize the importance of knowledge management. By offering incentives such as awards, the ministry was able to actively engage staff members and public officials in charge. The increased awareness resulting from KMS operation by public institutions is seen as a contributing factor behind the culture of connection, communication and collaboration across the public sector.
○ Difficulty of achieving linkage with 116 systems
The key contents of GKMC are the information and knowledge registered on 116 independent systems that are organically linked through GKMC. To ensure that the largest-ever system linkage would be realized successfully and offer faultless service, the Ministry of Public Administration and Security worked with the nation’s leading service provider and established a task force organization from the ISP stage. The Task Force Team comprises 12 professionals as well as representatives of the Ministry of Government Affairs and Home Affairs, the Public Affairs Real-Time Management Organization Task Force, and the National Information Society Agency. To establish a linkage model that would bring together the knowledge and information of target institutions, the working team conducted careful analysis to review the appropriateness of linkage, perform categorization of contents, and create a linkage interface and knowledge classification management system.

(d) Use of Resources

 d.      What resources were used for the initiative and what were its key benefits? In no more than 500 words, specify what were the financial, technical and human resources’ costs associated with this initiative. Describe how resources were mobilized
Adequate allocation of budget, hiring of top specialists, and optimum technological foundation were indispensable factors behind the success of GKMC.
○ Financial Resources
From August to December 2006, a budget of 350 million won ($307,000) went to ISP (the preliminary stage for analyzing and designing GKMC). In the subsequent six months, building the system cost 2.47 billion won ($2,167,000). Later, for two months (October-November 2008), 50 million won ($43,900) was invested to build Gukjeongpidia, the online public administration encyclopedia based on collective intelligence, and an additional 90 million won ($78,900) was used to upgrade it from April to July the next year. From October to December 2010, 100 million won ($87,700) was expended for GKMC upgrades. The annual budget for the operation and maintenance of GKMC is around 200 million won ($175,000).
○ Human Resources
As mentioned earlier, a Task Force Team was organized from the initial stage, comprising the Initiative Support Division, Initiative Implementation Division, and Management Implementation Division. The organization had about 30 specialized people who worked together organically. Included were specialists in ISP consulting and planning, and system development; representatives of relevant institutions; and professors specialized in the field of knowledge management and technology. Also, three planning specialists and four system experts were assigned to ensure the faultless operation of GKMC.
○ Technical Resources
Four key technologies went into the building of GKMC: SOAP2.0-based web service application technology to link the central and local governments; Wikipedia-style collaborative knowledge creation technology to build Gukjeongpidia; OpenAPI technology for integrated search services; and SaaS-based standard KMS construction.

Sustainability and Transferability

  Is the initiative sustainable and transferable?
Over the last three years, GKMC has produced many astonishing results, including the accumulation and sharing of various contents on a pan-governmental platform, diversification of communications, improvement in administration, creation of a pan-governmental network of specialists, and establishment of a culture of connection, communication and collaboration across the public sector. These accomplishments clearly indicate the invaluable contribution of GKMC.
The government will actively offer incentives for using GKMC, establish the necessary legal framework, and upgrade the system to keep it in line with changes in the environment, thereby maximizing the use of GKMC in public services. Furthermore, the system will be expanded beyond the public sector for linkage with the private sector so that a national knowledge hub system can be developed.
GKMC is the first-ever such initiative involving linkage of public systems of the largest scale in the world. It has proven an extremely effective and efficient means of overcoming a closed organizational culture in the public sector and one that should be considered for adoption by other governments.
Over the last few years, the Korean government has been involved in various projects to improve the IT environment in developing countries and has worked jointly with international organizations to offer consultation on informatisation to developing countries. It is now conducting a UN Public Administration country study (UN-PAN). In 2011, the International Public Administration Development Support Center will be established to support the activities of developing countries. The center will serve as an international cooperation network to promote GKMC initiatives overseas.

Lessons Learned

 What are the impact of your initiative and the lessons learned?
The GKMC initiative has changed the way public officials do business and helped create a new culture of public administration marked by connection, communication and collaboration across the public sector. As a result, it has contributed to faster and better public service delivery.
As a next step, knowledge sharing will be expanded to the private sector for strengthened connection, communication and collaboration with the private sector. This will not only enhance effectiveness and efficiency of public administration but also raise transparency, accountability, and democracy.
The lessons learned are as follows:
First, continued interest at the top level of government is needed. From the previous to the current administrations, the continued interest and clear intentions of the Presidents have been instrumental in changing not only the perception of public officials (i.e. ‘change would be temporary’) but also how they got things done.
Second, the organization responsible for the initiative must remain engaged and dedicated. The active participation of the public sector was the result of continuously promoting the need for GKMC, offering education on how to use GKMC, and identifying and recognizing those most successful in implementing the program.
Third, an organizational culture of openness is instrumental. Openness was the basis behind the success of GKMC as it led to increased connection, communication and collaboration and the creation of a virtuous circle.
Last but not least, it is also important to fully consider the organizational characteristics of public institutions and the practices and needs of public officials to ensure that a user-friendly system can be developed and optimized in line with environmental changes.

Contact Information

Institution Name:   Ministry of Public Administration and Security
Institution Type:   Government Department  
Contact Person:   Ho Yu
Title:   Deputy Director  
Telephone/ Fax:   82-2-2100-3418
Institution's / Project's Website:   82-2-2100-4259
E-mail:   nanhoda@korea.kr  
Address:   Central Government Complex, #1104, 55 Sejong-no, Jongno-gu, Seoul, Korea
Postal Code:   110-760
City:  
State/Province:  
Country:  

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