KM to support the development of an international research organization

This new paper¹ published in the Knowledge Management for Development Journal, 19 (1) 2026, focuses on evaluating the knowledge management in a Canadian international research organization. Its purpose is to understand employees’ appreciations, perceptions and concerns, to make some recommendations aimed at implementing an adapted knowledge management strategy, responding to the organizational needs.

The importance of knowledge management (KM) in contemporary organizations, a brief presentation of the Canadian international research organization, the research methodology (quantitative and qualitative research) used in the study, the analysis and interpretation of research results, and recommendations made are respectively explored in the journal article.

According to Dalkir², KM can be defined as the deliberate and systematic coordination of an organization’s people, technology, processes and organizational structure to add value through reuse and innovation.

Dalkir³ also reported that the evolution of KM, from 1800 to now, occurred according to the needs and concerns of each era, as illustrated in Figure 1 below.

Figure: Historical Evolution of KM, from 1800 to Now

The necessity of considering KM in today’s organizations – public or private – is highlighted in the  Knowledge Management for Development Journal’‘s paper by the following:

• The KM history⁴ and its justification.
• The new economy characterized by the constant competition.
• The employment market which is quickly changing.
• Organizations becoming more and more learning environments.
• The artificial intelligence used in all aspects of socioeconomic development nowadays.

The research is made in a Canadian international research organization, which headquarters is located in Ottawa with regional offices respectively in Senegal (for Western and Central Africa), Kenya (for Eastern and Southern Africa), India (Asian region), Uruguay (Latin America and Caribbean)) and Jordan (Middle East and North Africa). Its present knowledge management program is mostly limited to knowledge sharing and its promotion among employees and grantees.

Among many existing knowledge facilitators that can be considered, the research chose four (4) facilitators, selected for their importance in the context of the Canadian international research organization: 1. Leadership, 2. Engagement, 3. Organizational Structure and 4. Technology. An online questionnaire (16 questions) filled by employees enabled those workers to rate their satisfaction for each facilitator, according a 5 point-Likert scale (1 to 5). Virtual interviews (14 questions) with knowledge sharing officers in departments also helped to collect viewpoints and concerns regarding the present knowledge sharing, as well as suggestions to build an adapted global knowledge management strategy to be implemented in the international research organization.

The analysis and interpretation of research results permitted to conclude what follows:

• The leadership displayed to support the knowledge sharing is globally satisfactory.
• The engagement demonstrated by employees in the knowledge sharing needs to be boosted.
• Technological resources and systems in place could be improved to better respond to needs.
• The existing organizational structure might be modified/changed and replaced by a new one.

Principal recommendations made can be summarized in the following lines:

• The creation of a knowledge centre, in charge of implementing all steps and activities of the KM at the international research organization.
• The development of mechanisms that could help raise employees’ involvement in the knowledge sharing activities.
• The acquisition of additional technological tools and systems responding to employees’ needs and concerns.
• The promotion of the utilization of Artificial Intelligence to help create, organize and disseminate new knowledges.
• The extension of future KM researches to regional offices to take into consideration their specificities and realities in a global KM strategy for the international research organization.

Header image source: IDRC, reuse permitted under IDRC’s Terms of use.

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