When Knowledge Retention becomes a national issue

Here is a paragraph from the 2016/17 report from the Public Commisioner of Western Australia.

As a result of the reforms announced by Government, some leaders with extensive public sector experience may exit the sector. Without effective succession planning and knowledge management strategies in place, critical leadership knowledge will be lost. Further, organisational delayering that often occurs during times of reform may see operational staff take on management responsibilities without being suitably upskilled.

The Commissioner is an independent statutory officer, established under the Public Sector Management Act 1994, responsible for setting and monitoring public sector standards and codes of ethics, and for the promotion of effectiveness and efficiency within the public sector.

It’s good to see such a high level official recognising the risk of not having a knowledge management strategy.