Innovation Through Conversation: The use of Knowledge Cafe in the Public Sector

It is an on-going challenge for large organisations to ensure that their key stakeholders effectively share knowledge because without this knowledge sharing it is hard for the organization and the stakeholders to realise their potential. One of the ways in which knowledge can be shared is through constructive and correctly directed conversations. Such conversations don't just happen. They need to be instigated and one of the most effective ways of doing this is through the Knowledge Cafe. A Knowledge Cafe is a gathering of individuals with a common interest who are prepared to explore ideas surrounding a topic through conversation in order to obtain a better understanding of the issues involved. This paper reports on a Knowledge Cafe that was conducted with public sector participants and other stakeholders. There were 28 participants from senior management who engaged in the two hour free Knowledge Cafe event. The following issues were highlighted from the discussions: gaps in management; challenges regarding e-Government systems; gaps in citizen centric systems; challenges within the civil service; and challenges within government. Participants found that the knowledge sharing experience was a useful way to develop a better understanding of the issues that affect the public sector.