CoPs for Cops: Managing and Creating Knowledge through Networked Expertise

Abstract

Managing knowledge in large organizations is a challenge in itself. Modern views on Knowledge Management (KM) focus not only on finding ways to capture and distribute corporate knowledge but also provide ways through which knowledge can be shared, discussed and created. Different types of organizations have different approaches to KM. From general descriptions of these approaches, parallels to the Dutch police will be presented. This chapter discusses how KM within the Dutch police is an integral part of the organization and how explicit and tacit knowledge is shared to create new corporate knowledge. The authors present examples of how Communities of Practice (CoPs) within the Dutch police play a role in both sustaining and developing their own practice, and how these communities are crucial to the learning organization.