Improving knowledge exchange with technology tools

Abstract

Sustainability is a major driver of a number of international instruments including the Brundtland Report, Rio Declaration, and Agenda 21. All of these instruments emphasize the need to improve our management and exchange of knowledge.

Sustainable management of natural resources requires the integration of information from many sources and disciplines, as well as close collaboration between geographically dispersed team members. Natural resource managers make decisions every day—to make sound decisions, they must have access to the best available information.

Knowledge management systems address a variety of factors, including generation, organization, sharing, and application of knowledge. This paper demonstrates the value and applicability of various technology tools, including collaborative workspaces, Web conferencing, mailing lists, and Internet portals/knowledge repositories. The experiences of two organizations, FORREX–Forest Research Extension Partnership and FORCAST (Coalition for the Advancement of Science and Technology in the Forest Sector), are used to highlight the benefits of these tools within the natural resource sector and beyond.