The Importance of Institutional Knowledge
Refugee resettlement organizations navigate a rapidly changing landscape shaped by humanitarian crises, shifting policies, and evolving client needs. While this creates dynamic work, it can lead to burnout and turnover, which challenges operational consistency and clarity. According to research conducted by Panopto and McKinsey, employees spend approximately 20% of their workweek searching for internal information or determining the best person to consult for specific tasks. This statistic highlights the disruption caused by turnover and gaps in knowledge management.
Amid this whirlwind of change, preserving institutional knowledge emerges as a critical strategy for sustaining organizational effectiveness. Institutional knowledge is the collective expertise and historical context crucial for refugee resettlement agencies to navigate complex operations. Systematically capturing and managing this knowledge ensures continuity, efficiency, and high service standards despite turnover and external pressures. Effective management of institutional knowledge not only mitigates the impacts of turnover but also enhances the organization’s resilience and adaptability in a constantly evolving landscape.
Plan for Technology Training and Updates
Technology in refugee resettlement offers powerful tools for streamlining operations but also presents challenges due to rapid advancements and the need for constant adaptation. This is particularly difficult in high-turnover environments, where new systems frequently introduce learning curves for staff with varying tech proficiencies.
To manage this, organizations can strategically plan technology updates, allocate time for comprehensive training, and incorporate team input early in the process. Decision-makers should prioritize this team input to help them select new technological systems that will promote smoother workflows and align with both organizational and staff needs. For instance, a new tech system may seem highly advantageous, but it may also have more complicated functions than are necessary for your team to work efficiently.
As technology and processes evolve, ongoing training is essential, especially for organizational functions outside of individuals’ day-to-day responsibilities. These “cross-training” practices keep staff current, improve efficiency, and enhance teamwork. Additionally, cross-training employees on various systems can ensure that no single individual’s absence will create a bottleneck or disruption to your work.
Write It Down—Or It Didn’t Happen
Documentation is the bedrock of institutional knowledge. Without it, critical information and procedures can be lost, particularly in high-turnover environments like refugee resettlement. Just like with , if you didn’t document it, then it didn’t happen. Documenting every step of procedures, no matter how small, is crucial for preserving knowledge, maintaining consistency, and making processes accessible to all team members. In fact, case notes are a great example of how clearly and consistently recorded information can preserve institutional knowledge. Day-to-day resettlement functions like transferring open cases or preparing client files for monitoring require clear documentation for others to successfully carry out their own functions and processes.
Encourage each employee to document their responsibilities and procedures in a standardized format or template to ensure uniformity in process development. This documentation should include detailed descriptions of processes, key contacts, and any other relevant information. For example, if there are frequently used go-to community resources in your area, develop a system for dynamic and up-to-date community resource mapping. Assemble these documents into a shared electronic system that is accessible to all team members, organized logically with clear categories, and easy to navigate for users across functions.
While transparency in workflow is crucial, certain organizational levels require discretion for strategic, legal, or privacy reasons. When documenting processes, clearly differentiate between confidential information (like client-sensitive data) and openly shared procedural information (such as case management protocols).
Develop Standard Operating Procedures
Creating effective standard operating procedures (SOPs) is crucial for maintaining consistency and efficiency, particularly in a field as dynamic as refugee resettlement. SOPs provide a clearly visualized and structured approach to routine tasks to help operations run smoothly even in the face of personnel changes.
Developing SOPs requires a tailored approach because each organization’s needs and contexts are unique. While there is no “one size fits all” SOP template, there are a number of best practices that can be shared for writing your own. Promoting collaboration in SOP development by involving staff in the process is an essential first step in identifying the kind of tool that will work best for your team. Techniques such as sticky note exercises, where team members write down steps for various procedures and arrange them on a continuum, can be highly effective. This collaborative approach also increases buy-in and community building for your staff.
Based on conversation with your colleagues, you can then move toward choosing an SOP template or platform that suits your organization’s needs. Whether using simple tools like Microsoft Word or more advanced platforms like Miro or Canva, the key is to select a tool that aligns with your team’s needs and preferences. For example, if your team frequently collaborates on documents, platforms like Miro can facilitate this process, while simpler tools like Microsoft SmartArt may suffice for less complex . Busy direct service staff may also benefit from using artificial intelligence (AI) SOP generators such as Scribe, Whale, or Tango, as these platforms can create organizational charts, SOPs, and other training job aids just by capturing or screen-recording how you complete your own processes in real time. These tools can be helpful places to start, but be sure to carefully consider how to avoid compromising personally identifiable information in the process.
Note: Switchboard does not endorse any individual product or for-profit corporation but has provided an overview of some common options for your own consideration.
Further Reading on Related Topics
Succession planning is crucial for any organization’s survival because it facilitates leadership continuity and mission resilience. These resources, though focused on ethnic-community based organizations, offer relevant best practices for all newcomer services organizations:
- Blog: Succession Planning for Empowerment and Capacity Building
- Tip Sheet: Navigating the ECBO Organizational Lifecycle
Organizational sustainability requires commitment to ongoing institutional growth in a way that plans for the future responsively and responsibly. The resources below contain helpful strategies for building sustainability in resettlement programs at every stage of operation:
- Archived Webinar: Planning for Sustainability: Strategies and Considerations
- Archived Webinar: Organizational Sustainability: A View from 3 Perspectives, Center for Victims of Torture
Successful navigation of transitions requires preparation and flexibility. These resources offer insights from experienced change managers in resettlement for various transitional scenarios:
- Blog: 7 Tips for Supporting Staff Through a Database Transition
- Podcast Series: Leading During Times of Transition:
The IRC received competitive funding through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Grant #90RB0052 and Grant #90RB0053. The project is 100% financed by federal funds. The contents of this document are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families.
