Summary of learning outcomes

To achieve this unit a learner must:

1 Assess information and knowledge needs internally and externally to improve decision

making and taking

2 Create strategies to increase personal networking to widen involvement in the decisionmaking

process

3 Develop communication processes to improve the gathering and dissemination of

information and organisational knowledge

4 Design and improve appropriate systems for the collection, storage and dissemination of

and access to the information and knowledge gathered

1 Information and knowledge needs

Sources: internal and external, primary and secondary, formal and informal, team workers,
customers and other stakeholders
Types: qualitative and quantitative, tacit and explicit, official and unofficial, policy and
opinion

2 Personal networking

Sources: stakeholders and useful contacts, internal and external
Methods: formal, informal
Strategies: formal and informal, direct or via media, relating and interacting trust and
confidentiality, forming business relationships, decision making and decision taking

3 Communication processes

Types: meetings and conferences, workshops and training events, internet and email,
written, telephone, video conferencing one-to-one meetings
Approaches: structured and coordinated, planned, formal and informal
Strategy: advantages, disadvantages; informal, face-to-face, formal in writing, emotional,
intelligence

4 Appropriate systems

Type: hard and soft, websites and mailings, access and dissemination
Style: trends and patterns, diagrams and text, consistent and reliable, current and valid; legal
and confidential