DISA Knowledge Management Summit

    The Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) sponsored the first Department of Defense (DOD) Knowledge Management Summit at its Headquarters on Fort George G. Meade, Maryland, Nov. 7-9.

    The three-day summit, co-hosted by the DOD Chief Information Officer (CIO) and the DOD Joint Staff, was created to standardize DOD knowledge management practices. More than 140 knowledge management specialists from 80 organizations participated.

    During the opening discussion, Alfred Rivera, director of DISA's Development and Business Center, explained that successful knowledge management allows the DOD to become more responsive and more effective and DISA's vice director, Navy RADM Nancy Norton, explained that knowledge management can give us an information advantage over our adversaries.

    Attendees divided into working groups to address three aspects of standardizing Knowledge Management for the Department. The working groups focused on:

    • Creating a unified knowledge management training program for the DOD.
    • Revising DOD knowledge management strategy, policy and doctrine.
    • Assessing the effect of the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education Cyber Workforce Framework on knowledge management practitioners.

    "Our goals, and the stakes, are high," said Stan Ford, a Joint Staff knowledge management officer, who led the group developing knowledge management strategy, policy, and doctrine during the summit. "The DOD is always in a state of metamorphosis."

    At the end of the summit, working groups provided summaries of their recommendations to Norton and Randall Conway, the DOD Deputy CIO forInformation Enterprise. Conway was impressed with the decisions made during the summit, noting the participants "took knowledge management and aligned their strategy to the priorities of the secretary of defense."

    "The results of the three working groups set the stage for positive development of knowledge management in 2018," said Paul Guevin, chief knowledge officer at U.S. Cyber Command.

    Participants will continue to hone their recommendations through online discussions. The enthusiasm of the participants prompted the organizers to solidify their plans for a follow-up Knowledge Management Summit in mid-2018.