I n t e g r i t y - S e r v i c e - E x c e l l e n c e

Headquarters U.S. Air Force

Collaboration and Communities of Practice in the AFMS

Maj J.D. WhitlockAFMSA/SGRS

Medical Information Services SymposiumFeb 2005

2I n t e g r i t y - S e r v i c e - E x c e l l e n c e

Outline

Overview

AFMS Knowledge Exchange (Kx)

AF Knowledge Now (AFKN)

AF Portal

Enterprise Information Management (EIM)

Secure TRICARE Online Portal

Next Generation Collaboration Svcs (NGCS)

3I n t e g r i t y - S e r v i c e - E x c e l l e n c e

Overview

Big picture = Management of unstructured data

Gartner Research: Enterprise portal + integrated web content and document management is key

Goal = Build an effective intranet:Easy to use (e.g. easy web content publishing)

Makes existing workflow more efficient

Long term goal = Marriage of effective KM & eLearningEnterprise search returns relevant documents, discussion threads, websites, and tailored training content

Knowledge capture and sharing is “baked in” to work processes

4I n t e g r i t y - S e r v i c e - E x c e l l e n c e

“Knowledge management systems are just one part of an effective strategy that will help

generate, capture, and disseminate knowledge that is relevant to the organization’s mission.”

President’s Management Agenda,Fiscal Year 2002, p. 13

#1 of 5 Government-wide Initiatives:“Strategic Management of Human Capital”

President’s Management Agenda

5I n t e g r i t y - S e r v i c e - E x c e l l e n c e

Knowledge Management is …

A conscious strategy of getting the right

knowledge to the right people at the right time

and helping people share and put information

into action in ways that strive to improve

organizational performance

The art of creating value

from intangible assets

6I n t e g r i t y - S e r v i c e - E x c e l l e n c e

Knowledge Management is Hard Work

Why does it take so much effort (and take so long) to transfer best practices within an organization? Research demonstrates:

Those who have K don’t realize it is valuable

Lack of resources and time to pursue K in enough detail to make it useful

Lack of preexisting relationships – people absorb K from people they know

Lack of clear business imperative for pursuing transfer of K

Szulanski (1994)

7I n t e g r i t y - S e r v i c e - E x c e l l e n c e

Communities of Practice

“What managers have been missing so far is

an understanding of the kind of social

structure that can take responsibility for

fostering learning, developing

competencies, and managing knowledge”

Wenger, McDermott, Snyder. Cultivating Communities of Practice: A Guide to Managing Knowledge. Boston: Harvard Business School Press, 2002

8I n t e g r i t y - S e r v i c e - E x c e l l e n c e

Communities of Practice

“Like a neighborhood bar or café, a

community becomes a “place” where people

have the freedom to ask for candid advice,

share their opinions, and try their half-baked

ideas without repercussion”

Wenger, McDermott, Snyder. Cultivating Communities of Practice: A Guide to Managing Knowledge. Boston: Harvard Business School Press, 2002

9I n t e g r i t y - S e r v i c e - E x c e l l e n c e

Community of Practice (AF Knowledge Now Working Definition)

• Shares a common purpose, context, concern, interest, set of problems or passion

• Regularly engages in sharing or learning to propel their knowledge or practice

• Identifies themselves as part of a community

• Develops a unique perspective on their common body of knowledge, practice, techniques or domain

• Spans departments or formal organizational structures

• Repeatedly engages in activities with other members

• Has interactions that last for an indeterminate period of time

10I n t e g r i t y - S e r v i c e - E x c e l l e n c e

AFMS Knowledge Exchange (Kx)

11I n t e g r i t y - S e r v i c e - E x c e l l e n c e

Aligning AFMS Strategy with AF Strategy

AF Information Strategy, Goal 7 (2002):

Implement knowledge management practices and technologies to assure knowledge is identified, captured and shared

Gen John JumperDr. James Roche

Goal of the AFMS Kx:

Facilitate the identification, capture, and sharing of AFMS knowledge in order to maximize organizational effectiveness

12I n t e g r i t y - S e r v i c e - E x c e l l e n c e

…on One Slide

280 Content Managers from across AFMS creating / maintaining 300+ individual websites

21K documents – kept up to date by automated expiration system

Document owners prompted to renew or archive old docs

10K Kx members – membership enables:Kx access from non dot-mil domain

Ability to add documents to Kx

Ability to “subscribe” to an individual website

No logon required to view 95% of content from any dot-mil domain

Virtual Library for clinicians

13I n t e g r i t y - S e r v i c e - E x c e l l e n c e

Successes

Non-technical personnel can quickly and conveniently

create and update web-accessible content

No training required to upload documents

Minimal (1-2 hour) training to maintain website

Website creation / maintenance is MS Word based

High functioning search utility returns both individual

websites and documents

Easily locate AFMS subject matter experts

Scalability – potential for optimization of information

management across AFMS

14I n t e g r i t y - S e r v i c e - E x c e l l e n c e

Behavioral Health Websitehttps://kx.afms.mil/behavioralhealth

22 pages, 200 documents, 58 personnel subscribedGoal of Content Manager: New accession Behavioral Health personnel can get (and stay updated on) all relevant career field info – and know what is expected of them in the Air Force Medical ServiceBottom line: Effective (and easy) career field management

15I n t e g r i t y - S e r v i c e - E x c e l l e n c e

ComingAttractions

Industrial strength forum capability

WEBDAV (drag and drop document submission)

Server upgrades to reduce latency

Cookie based (automatic) login

Partnering with AF/SGOC to jump start SG Consultant

websites

Partnering with AFIOH to implement categorized

searching

Concept Searching(Taxonomy Browsing Screenshot)

Multiple Taxonomies

Browse documents by taxonomy

17I n t e g r i t y - S e r v i c e - E x c e l l e n c e

Kx Single Sign On w/ AF Portal

Pros:No more “change your Kx password” emailsConformance with AF/CIO vision

Cons:Added hassle factor of logging on to AF Portal vs. currently no logon required from dot-mil for 95% of Kx content

Working Plan:Wait at least until AF Portal achieves CAC auto sign on capability before putting Kx behind AF Portal

Implement cookie based login to Kx

18I n t e g r i t y - S e r v i c e - E x c e l l e n c e

AF Knowledge Now (AFKN)

19I n t e g r i t y - S e r v i c e - E x c e l l e n c e

AF Knowledge Now (AFKN)

AF Center of Excellence for KM Rapid growth in CoPs

Integrating with AF Portal:AFKN CoP’s replacing Portal COI’s

AFKN migrating to GCSS-AF framework (i.e. will be available only via Portal)

Better than Kx for restricted access CoPsUser must administer membership

Pros / cons using AFKN vs. Kx for open CoPs

20I n t e g r i t y - S e r v i c e - E x c e l l e n c e

AF Portal

21I n t e g r i t y - S e r v i c e - E x c e l l e n c e

AF Portal

Significant progress since the “everyone get a Portal password” drill last spring

AFIM & FFIM

Search functionality still immature

“Light content migration”AF Portal web content publishing is not user friendly

If pressed to publish on AF Portal, recommend:• Publish basic POC info and links to other resources

• Compare ease of use with Kx

• Consider managing info that changes on Kx instead

22I n t e g r i t y - S e r v i c e - E x c e l l e n c e

Infrastructure

Application

Data

User Interface

Infrastructure

User Interface

Application

Content

AF Portal / GCSS-AF Vision

Portal

Operational Support Modernization Foundation

Enterprise Warehouse

Infrastructure

Application

Data

User Interface

Systems A …

Infrastructure

Application

Data

User Interface

Infrastructure

Application

Content

User Interface

Website A …

Infrastructure

Application

Content

User Interface

x 100s x 1000s Data

User Interface

x 10s

x 100s

Common Framework

Security

Msg

Infrastructure

Data / Web

Data

Content

Data

Content

ContentData

Data

ServicesServicesServices

Data

ServicesServices

ApplicationApplication

23I n t e g r i t y - S e r v i c e - E x c e l l e n c e

AF Enterprise Information Management (EIM)

“Provide decision–makers and all Air Force personnel with on–demand access to authoritative, relevant and sufficient information to perform their duties efficiently and effectively” (AF CDD Nov 03)

= Spiral 1= Spiral 1

Collaborative Tools

Records Records ManagementManagement

Knowledge Management

Information Information Management Management Tools (IMTs)Tools (IMTs)

WorkflowWorkflow

Document Document ManagementManagement

Content Content Management Management ToolsTools

•My Workflow

•Active Workflow List

•Closed Workflow List

•Routing Lists

•My COIs

•My File & Document Management

•My IMTs, Wizards & Templates

• AF Workflow Wizard

• AF Fm 1768 (SSS)

My EIM

[“My EIM” Notional Illustration]

My Workflow

24I n t e g r i t y - S e r v i c e - E x c e l l e n c e

EIM Support, Product, and Infrastructure Providers

Define Business Rules

Change Management

Template Library

User Groups

Configuration Management

Quality Assurance

Training

Employment ServicesEmployment Services

EIM Product SetEIM Product Set

Document Management

Workflow

Collaborative Tools

Information Management Tools (IMT)

Records Management

KnowledgeManagement

Content Management

25I n t e g r i t y - S e r v i c e - E x c e l l e n c e

AF Enterprise Information Management (EIM)

Good news: Fantastic potential if it works

Re-engineer the way AF personnel get work done

Bad news: Already behind schedule

Software suite wasn’t quite as integrated as it was supposed to have been

Technical challenges to integrating with AF Portal

Pulse-OX decreasing … stay tuned!

26I n t e g r i t y - S e r v i c e - E x c e l l e n c e

Secure TOL Operational Vision

MHSWebsites

BusinessPartners

OutsideAgencies

Open Portal

ServicePortals

HealthResources

TOL Help

TOL

Secure Portal

Telehealth

LearningManagement

Web BasedEnrollment

HEAR

Access toCHCS I / II

ServicePortals

Access toPHR

PharmacyRefill

TOL

OnlineAppointing

BeneServices

SecureMessaging

ProviderPages

FacilityPages

www.tricareonline.com will be the Single Secure MHS Web Portal for eHealth and Telemedicine Initiatives

27I n t e g r i t y - S e r v i c e - E x c e l l e n c e

Secure TOL Functional Vision

Providers – Role-Based Virtual Desktop Access to All MHS Applications and Services:

Single Sign On (SSO) to Clinical Applications (Client Server & Web Applications)

• Context Management Enhances Patient Safety –Same Patient, Same Data

Secure Messaging• Provider – Provider • Provider – Patient

Trusted Medical Reference Resources

Telehealth Portal

Provider Directed Web-Based Education – Info Rx

Administrative Functions

28I n t e g r i t y - S e r v i c e - E x c e l l e n c e

Secure TOL Single Sign On with Service Portals

Verification of ID (Authentication)

Web Applications

Client Server Applications

DMDC

Authenticated ID

Authorization-User Rights &

Privileges

Username & Password /CAC or PIN

Verification of ID (Authentication)

Authenticated ID

Service Portals

Common Services:Single Sign On

Context Management

Username & Password /CAC or PIN

Authorization-User Rights &

Privileges

29I n t e g r i t y - S e r v i c e - E x c e l l e n c e

Vision for AFMS Web Presence

Use TRICARE Online Info Architecture so MTFs only need to manage one public interface

TRICARE OnlineAirforcemedicine.afms.milAir Force Link Info Architecture

Public / Patients

High level AFMS content will have same look / feel as other AF orgs

AF Portal Info ArchitectureTRICARE Online

Line AF

AF Portal for single sign-on, use Kx and other web enabled apps to find info / get the job done

Via AF Portal “My workspace”:-- Kx Knowledge Junctions-- Secure TOL Portal-- SSO / migrated applications

AFMS

CommentsWeb PresenceAudience

30I n t e g r i t y - S e r v i c e - E x c e l l e n c e

Next Generation Collaboration Services (NGCS)

DoD wide access to WebEx web conferencing tool at no cost to users (3,000 concurrent users)

Audio, Video, Application / Desktop Sharing, Whiteboarding, File Transfer, Chat, Polling, Recording of session

Requires CAC network login capability to host web conference (but not to participate in a conference)Advertised as firewall friendly (SSL over Port 443)4MB Java browser plug-in required

Admin rights not required for install

Anticipate adding SIPRNET capability this summerTechnically a pilot program, but will transition into a DoD wide acquisition

32I n t e g r i t y - S e r v i c e - E x c e l l e n c e

Last Thoughts …

Why not establish an MTF CIO Community of Practice?

Kx or AFKN depending on sensitivity of content

CIOs submit documents on best practices (SLAs, Contingency Plans, JCAHO IM preps, etc.)

CIOs subscribe to CoP to get updates

Periodic web conferences on NGCSVolunteers present best practices to group

Easier to create / maintain community

Any volunteers?Good OPR bullet ☺☺☺☺

I n t e g r i t y - S e r v i c e - E x c e l l e n c e

Headquarters U.S. Air Force

For more resources see:https://kx.afms.mil/km_miss

Questions?