Knowledge management (KM) as a science and a concept still remain little-known in Ukraine. "Knowledge Management" as an interdisciplinary academic course has just started its formation, however, it is already taught for the private sector at many educational institutions in Western countries, in MBA programs with distance form of education (eLearning). Studying this course involves familiarity with the theory of management, strategic management, innovation management, human resource management, and organisation’s information system management. Many Western countries are working towards the implementation of knowledge management in the public sector as well.

On 25-27 March, "Introduction to Knowledge Management" Workshop took place in Kyiv; it was organized by the DESPRO - Swiss-Ukrainian Decentralisation Support to Ukraine Project in cooperation with Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts (Switzerland) for teachers of education courses in the field of “Public Administration” from Ukrainian higher educational institutions.

The goal of the Workshop was to familiarize the participants with both theoretical principles and practical examples of the spread of knowledge management in the private and public sectors in Western European countries, to give them methodological guidelines on teaching this academic discipline (course) at higher school, to discuss the possibility of its introduction into the existing curricula in the field of “Public Administration” (for both full-time and distance forms of education), and to establish professional contacts between the Ukrainian teachers and their foreign counterparts.

27 teachers from Ukrainian institutions of higher educational were selected for participation in the Workshop from among more than 80 applicants willing to participate in the event. During the Workshop, its trainers were: Oliver Kessler, Head of the Competence Centre for Public and Non-profit Project Management at Lucerce University of Applied Sciences and Arts, Patricia Wolf, Research and Development Director at the Institute of Management and Regional Economics of Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts, and Ihor Katernyak, CEO of NGO “Ukrainian Distance Learning System”. They presented some examples of the spread of knowledge management in the private and public sectors to the participants, gave them methodological guidelines on teaching this academic course, actualized the need for its introduction in the existing curricula in the field of “Public Administration” for both full-time and distance forms of education.

The workshop addressed such issues as the concepts of KM in terms of management, sociology and psychology, specifics of KM theories and concepts in the public sector, challenges of KM, methods of KM (including best practice) - data management, competence management, and relationship management.

The participants discussed the best practice of knowledge management, the regional development projects, and peculiarities of teaching KM at higher schools. They also got acquainted with eLearning system (tools and techniques for design, planning and organization of e-courses) and the experience of eLearning implementation for both private and public sectors in Ukraine.

Before the Workshop started, a virtual professional network was launched on the DESPRO Project’s web-platform, where the participants had an opportunity to discuss their expectations from the planned event, to plan their further steps, to exchange experiences and materials.

The completion of the Workshop stimulated a new wave of discussions among the virtual network participants concerning the systemic steps towards the creation of a community of practice in Knowledge Management as well as the introduction of Knowledge Management topics and context in the courses of Public Administration. According to one of the community members: "The environment of like-minded people stimulates you, first of all, to self-development; second, it makes you ‘keep your brain fit’; and third, it gives rise to a desire to do something useful not only for yourself. "Make the world better" - it is a super thesis, I completely agree!"

TRAINERS
Oliver Kessler, M.A. in International Affairs and Governance, Head of the Competence Centre for Public and Non-profit Management at the Institute of Management and Regional Economics at the University of Applied Sciences and Arts, Lucerne (Switzerland). He is also the Head of the Master of Advanced Studies Program in Social Services and Healthcare Management and Director of adminet, a research network in the field of public administration. He is consulting public and non-profit organizations and conducting research in the following areas: strategic and risk management, organizational development, leadership and cultural development, cooperation and innovation.

Patricia Wolf, Prof., Dr. of Political Sciences, Research Director at the Institute of Management and Regional Economics at the University of Applied Sciences and Arts, Lucerne (Switzerland). She works as a Senior researcher at the Centre for Organizational and Occupational Sciences (ZOA) at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zurich (Switzerland), she teaches Knowledge Management at the University of Caxias do Sul (Brazil) and at the University of Hannover (Germany). Her research interests cover knowledge transformation and innovation management in the social systems (regions, organizations, and groups).

Ihor Katernyak, PhD in Physics and Mathematics, CEO of NGO “Ukrainian Distance Learning System”, Advisor to Mayor of Lviv on Innovation Development of the Region, author and manager of the “Innovation Spring” Project aimed at building partnerships between education, science, business, and government. He initiated the establishment of the Laboratory of Ideas and founded the Civil Education School. He worked as an advisor on e-services in the UN programs, as an expert on eLearning for the World Bank, European Union programs, and Loyola College, USA. He is interested in the wealth of cultural diversity, creativity and idea generation processes, knowledge management, and innovation development.