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Table of Contents
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>>I. Introduction
II. Knowledge and Development
III. Managing Knowledge at the Asian Development Bank
IV. Knowledge Management at the Asian Development Bank: The Framework
V. Benefits, Organizational And Resource Implications
VI. Conclusion
Appendixes
Knowledge Management

I. Introduction

1. Transfer of knowledge has always been an essential, catalyzing element of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) mandate. Recognizing the growing role knowledge plays in the advancement of its developing member countries (DMCs), ADB committed, through its Long-Term Strategic Framework for 2001–2015 (LTSF), to become a learning institution and a primary source of development knowledge in Asia and the Pacific.1 The LTSF recognized that ADB's enhanced role in knowledge generation and sharing would be a prerequisite to achieving ADB's poverty reduction goal.2 Guided by the LTSF and Medium-Term Strategy (2001–2005),3 in 2002 ADB refined its structure and operational business processes to pursue this new strategic priority.4 A knowledge management framework (KM framework) has been prepared to guide ADB's transition to a knowledge-based organization.

2. This paper reviews the changing context of ADB's role in catalyzing knowledge for innovation and development. It discusses ADB's knowledge processes, and identifies key challenges and opportunities for moving ADB's knowledge agenda forward in a phased manner. The paper presents a framework that lays down the goals, purposes, actions, outputs, and outcomes necessary for this transformation, starting with improving the cultural and procedural aspects of knowledge management within ADB. This will enable ADB to reach out to its external stakeholders more systematically. The paper also discusses the organizational and resource implications of implementing the KM framework.

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  1. ADB. 2001. Moving the Poverty Reduction Agenda Forward in Asia and the Pacific: The Long-Term Strategic Framework of the ADB (2001–2015). Manila. In 1999 ADB declared poverty reduction as its overarching goal and adopted a poverty reduction strategy. See ADB. 1999. The Poverty Reduction Strategy. Manila.
  2. ADB. 2001. Long Term Strategic Framework (LTSF) (2001-2015). Manila. Page 16, para 53 of the LTSF states, "ADB must become a knowledge-based learning institution, drawing upon resources, skills and expertise both inside and outside the organization. It must develop the capacity to learn quickly from its own experiences and those of other development partners, and to disseminate such experience in the form of best practice among DMCs, ADB staff, and the development partners."
  3. ADB. 2001. Medium -Term Strategy (2001–2005). Manila. On page 19, para 38, the strategy states, "To enhance its effectiveness, ADB must become a more efficient learning organization, drawing upon its own internal expertise, past experiences and practices, and on the experiences of others, particularly the experience of its diverse DMCs." Furthermore, "internalizing knowledge and becoming a learning organization is essential for development support."
  4. ADB. 2001. Reorganization of the Asian Development Bank. Manila; ADB. 2002. Business Processes for the Reorganized ADB. Manila.
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II. Knowledge and Development