Example KM job description – KM advisors at HP

Taken from this publication by Knowledge Street, here is a role description for what is effectively KM Help-desk and support staff – the KM advisors at HP consulting services. This is one in a series of example KM role descriptions on this blog.

image from wikimedia commons

Stan Garfield describes the HP KM advisors role as follows:

Knowledge assistants are people who help employees use the knowledge management environment by offering a variety of services. 

They can advise on how to use collaborative team spaces or how to use other KM tools. They can assist in locating reusable collateral or searching for information needed when a user is facing a deadline or not connected to the network and needs to find something out. They can find needed content and send it by email or post a link to it in an ESN. 

They can help connect to other knowledge sources, either through communities or finding the right people inside or outside the organization. They can help with knowledge capture and reuse, assisting in submitting content to repositories, and evaluating the submitted content it is of acceptable quality And they participate in ongoing training and communications. They host webinars. 

They help people with training. They communicate information on a regular basis to employees. The knowledge assistant is someone to contact with a question about how to do something, where to find something, or for assistance with any process or tool.

Below is an example role description. There are 3 such role descriptions in the publication and I have chosen this one as it is more complete, and also addresses the measurement element ot the role.

HP Knowledge Advisor Job Description – Asia Pacific Region

Role Objective:

• Help drive the Knowledge Capture and Reuse processes within Asia Pacific (AP) by assisting Bid Managers, Project Managers (PMs), Solution Architects (SAs), and Consultants in accessing and using Engagement Knowledge Management processes systems and tools.
• Provide advice and KM consulting to project teams and individuals to increase reuse and repeatability across the region.
• Network with Subject-Matter Experts (SMEs) and other AP and Worldwide KM resources to identify and deliver required knowledge, expertise or collateral to K-Advisor callers requesting assistance.

Key Accountabilities:

• Act as a broker to connect people to the appropriate SMEs
• Where appropriate provide expert advice based on personal subject matter expertise
• Assist users in searching for selling and delivery reusable collateral.
• Assists users that are wishing to contribute new or improved collateral for possible reuse
• Help users get up to speed on the Project Profile Repository, SharePoint, Forums, Knowledge Briefs, and other KM tools
• Facilitate collaboration needs
• Direct users to the right knowledge sources based on their specific needs
• Actively advice and guide project teams especially at bid development or project startup to ensure their collaboration workspace are established effectively and efficiently as well as to encourage the teams to search for Project profiles of similar projects to leverage and share.
• Solicit user feedback
• Conduct training on KM process, systems and tools
• Participate in other user support initiatives
• Provide Monthly AP K-Advisor report with key metrics, issues/problems with KM process, systems and tool, and recommendations

Skills:

• Good people and communications skills
• Able to quickly learn about tools and processes
• Eager to be of help to users
• Subject matter expert in a solution set or discipline, e.g., PM, SA, Test Manager
• Demonstrated understanding of C&I business initially, later expanding to the other business units
• Excellent planning and organisation skills, tracking and monitoring a range of activities at any one time
• Good analytical & decision-making skills
• Flexible and adaptable
• Intellectually curious, actively keeps abreast of knowledge developments
• Uses own initiative, demonstrates a creative approach to problem solving
• Strong analytical skills
• Drive and resilience to achieve challenging objectives
• Calm and collected, even when under pressure maintaining a high level of performance

Experience:

• 3-5 years team leader/project manager/solution architect experience
• 2-3 years business pursuit/customer engagement experience

Reporting:

• Reports to HP Services KM Lead