Keynote – Where do knowledge management and Integration and Implementation Sciences intersect? [Forum special series]

This article is part of a special series of summaries of keynotes and presentations from the KM Triversary Forum 2025.

I ask the question above as a discussion starter and in the spirit of open enquiry – and from the perspective of Integration and Implementation Sciences, with a very limited understanding of knowledge management. I was honoured to be invited to speak at KM Triversary Forum 2025 and this brief article builds on, rather than reproduces, that talk and subsequent discussions.

A quick guide to Integration and Implementation Sciences (i2S)

Integration and Implementation Sciences (i2S) aims to connect a range of currently siloed approaches to tackling complex problems, including systems thinking, inter- and transdisciplinarity, action research, post-normal science, complexity science. (For the full list see Bammer and colleagues, 2020¹.)

That list also includes approaches that tackle specific aspects of complex problems, but not complex problems as a whole as the approaches above do. Examples are decision sciences, science of team science, and implementation science. Notably this list includes “K* (KStar) including Knowledge brokering, Knowledge exchange, Knowledge management, Knowledge mobilisation, Knowledge transfer, Knowledge translation.”

The aim of i2S is not to supercede or unite the approaches, but rather to recognise that each has something specific and valuable to contribute to tackling complex problems, but none is sufficient on its own.

I am not an expert in any of the approaches, and am more familiar with and connected into, some than others.

Currently, the main manifestation of i2S is through the Integration and Implementation Insights toolkit (https://i2Insights.org) which aims to share methods, frameworks, processes, concepts, theories and competencies to better understand and act on complex societal and environmental problems (problems like refugee crises, global climate change, and inequality).

More specifically, at the recent 10^th birthday of i2Insights (Bammer, 2025³), the aims were refreshed to focus on:

1. systematically attending to the multiple facets of tackling complex problems
2. encompassing tools from diverse approaches that address complexity
3. providing accessible entry points to tools for tackling complexity
4. using the toolkit to support community building and institutionalisation of expertise.

A note on the history of i2S

Integration and Implementation Sciences (i2S) is now at version 3. In the context of this article, it is interesting to go back to version 1 (Bammer, 2005⁴), which had three “theoretical and methodological pillars:” 1) systems thinking and complexity science, 2) participatory methods, and 3) knowledge management, exchange, and implementation. The description of the third of these was: “a) involves appreciating that there are many forms of knowledge and ways of knowing (diverse epistemologies), b) provides enhanced methods for accessing knowledge, realizing that both volume and diversity are current barriers, and c) involves developing better understanding of how action occurs—in other words how policy is made, how business operates, how activism succeeds, and how action is and can be influenced by evidence.”

Versions 2 and 3 of i2S have involved different ways of grouping and emphasising all but one of the same core elements. What was dropped was “provides enhanced methods for accessing knowledge, realizing that both volume and diversity are current barriers.” While this continues to be important for tackling complex societal and environmental problems, this was seen to be in the field of information science and technology, which was seen as having different concerns from systems thinking, transdisciplinarity etc.

Notably, as mentioned above, i2Insights does draw on knowledge management as part of K*, but this has not (yet) been developed in any detail.

A way forward?

I’ve been interested in (and grateful for) the republishing of many i2Insights contributions in RealKM Magazine. A way forward to examining the intersections between knowledge management and i2S might be to interrogate two questions:

1. What’s different about the i2Insights contributions that don’t get republished in RealKM Magazine?
2. Of the non-i2Insights material published in RealKM Magazine, what would be a suitable contribution to i2Insights?

Regarding question 1: Bruce Boyes is likely to be well placed to provide input, and it would also be interesting to hear from others in the knowledge management community about both what is included in RealKM Magazine and what you may have seen in I2Insights that you think could have been included.

Regarding question 2: The most obvious contribution to i2Insights from the knowledge management community is by Sarah Cummings and colleagues (2024)⁵, based on a peer-reviewed publication. There may be other connections that I have missed – please let me know! It’s also worth noting that, while I don’t diligently read RealKM Magazine, I do browse it and occasionally take a deep dive into topics such as “systems and complexity.” To date nothing has stood out as being something to republish in i2Insights. I think it’s worth both re-looking and exploring why not. Again if anyone from the knowledge management community has seen something they think would be valuable to have in i2Insights, please let me know.

I am interested to hear your thoughts and reflections.

Acknowledgement:

I am grateful to Bruce Boyes for starting a conversation several years ago, as well as for inviting me to speak at the Triversary and for republishing many i2Insights contributions in RealKM Magazine. Many thanks also to Stephen Bounds for a stimulating post-conference discussion.

Biography:

Gabriele Bammer is Professor of Integration and Implementation Sciences (i2S) at The Australian National University (ANU) in Canberra She is developing the new discipline of Integration and Implementation Sciences (i2S) to improve research strengths for tackling complex societal and environmental problems (see https://i2insights.org/i2s/) and she curates the popular Integration and Implementation Insights toolkit and blog (http://i2Insights.org). She is also the inaugural President of the Global Alliance for Inter- and Transdisciplinarity. In December 2024 she received the ANU’s most prestigious accolade, the Peter Baume Award, which “recognises eminent achievement and merit of the highest order.”

Presentation resources: PowerPoint slides.

See also:

• The i2Insights knowledge management articles so far republished in RealKM Magazine.
• Happy 10th birthday i2Insights! Celebrating a living toolkit for tackling complex problems.

Header image source: Adapted by Bruce Boyes from “Road” on pngimg.com, CC BY-NC 4.0.

Artificial intelligence (AI) statement: AI was not used in preparing this article.

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