Knowledge management in public service provision: the Child Support Agency

The paper addresses the issue of knowledge management in public service organisations where the concept of provider competitiveness is of limited significance but other priorities prevail. The broad aim is to understand how the concept of “competitive advantage through knowledge management”, as practised in the broader business community, might translate to the modern Civil Service? This issue is explored through the medium of a study within the UK's Child Support Agency (CSA) based on the results of interviews with, and questionnaire responses from, the senior management group. The central question thereby investigated was: “To what extent can the conditions required for successful knowledge management be observed and evaluated?” A “conditions framework” and associated analysis is then used to assess broader implications and the possibility of wider application within other such public service organisations.