Transferring knowledge from one part of the organization to another is at the heart of knowledge management. But a general call to encourage more knowledge sharing or transfer is not very effective because there are many ways to transfer knowledge. You need to be sure that you are investing in the best method for what you want to accomplish. There are two questions that influence the choice of method.  

1. What is the transfer problem you are trying to solve? For…

     The African Rice Center* has been very successful in transferring knowledge about how to process rice in a way that makes it more nutritious and has less breakage. In a study conducted in Benin, 92% of the 600 women farmers took up a new process for parboiling rice. That is an amazing percentage for the transfer of knowledge. But the real story is the remarkable way they accomplished the transfer.

     I should note that in Benin parboiling rice is a major economic activity and…