Knowledge Management Strategies in Support of Succession Planning

Leader succession is a persistent strategic concern for U.S. federal agencies. The resultant loss of institutional knowledge as members retire, are replaced or are promoted significantly impacts the organization’s performance. Grounded in knowledge management theory, the purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore strategies federal leaders use to emplace effective knowledge management programs to support succession planning. The six participants were middle and senior-level leaders of a U.S. federal agency located in Texas who had at least 5 years of experience managing their organization’s knowledge systems during succession planning and succession events. Data were collected using semistructured interviews, published documents, and organizational artifacts. Yin’s qualitative data analysis process was used to identify four themes: (a) structured knowledge systems, (b) organizational documentation, (c) knowledge transfer methods and member education, and (d) program evaluation. A key recommendation is for leaders to invest and promote resources that effectively support leadership turnover events. The implications for positive social change include the potential for leaders to implement process efficiencies that reduce the need to allocate persistent government resources, reducing communities’ tax burden while sustaining the services provided

A robust, adaptive and hierarchical knowledge dissemination architecture

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