Summary
As a Knowledge Specialist you will deliver a high-quality, proactive and professional service.
Knowledge Specialists enable a continuous learning culture where organisational knowledge, research evidence, external good practice, know-how of staff and patient experience of healthcare can be used daily to inform and improve strategic and operational decisions, policy and practice. They mobilise knowledge by delivering services that encourage the capture, sharing and re-use of research evidence and knowledge.
They develop a safe environment where knowledge exchange and learning can take place to discover tacit knowledge – knowledge that is not written down and is held by individual members of staff or patients. Often embedded within a team they also build connections across team, professional and organisational boundaries to ensure knowledge can flow.
Behavioural Skills
| Title | Details |
|---|---|
| Analytical Thinking | Acquiring a proper understanding of a problem or situation by breaking it down systematically into its component parts and identifying the relationships between these parts. Selecting the appropriate method/tool to resolve the problem and reflecting critically on the result, so that what is learnt is identified and assimilated. |
| Conceptual Thinking | Acquiring understanding and insights regarding the underlying issues in complex problems or situations through the development of abstract representations, the identification of patterns and the analysis of hypotheses. |
| Creativity | Taking innovative approaches to problem solving and/or devising inventive and creative solutions. |
| Cross-Functional and Inter-Disciplinary Awareness | Understanding the needs, objectives and constraints of those in other disciplines and functions. |
| Customer Focus | Understanding the needs of the internal or external customer and keeping these in mind when taking actions or making decisions. |
| Decision Making | Making decisions at the appropriate time, taking into account the needs of the situation, priorities, constraints, known risks, and the availability of necessary information and resources. |
| Flexibility | Taking account of new information or changed circumstances and/or business requirements and modifying response to a problem or situation accordingly. |
| Goal Orientation | Maintaining focus on agreed objectives and deliverables. |
| Holistic Thinking | The ability to place problems in the context of the wider business landscape or area of interest. Understanding how different business functions work together to achieve shared goals. |
| Influence, Persuasion and Personal Impact | Conveying a level of confidence and professionalism when engaging with stakeholders, influencing positively and persuading others to take a specific course of action when not in a position of authority. |
| Information Acquisition | Identifying gaps in the available information required to understand a problem or situation and devising a means of resolving them. |
| Initiative | Being proactive, anticipating opportunities for systems, service or product improvement or development and taking appropriate action(s). |
| Interacting with People | Establishing relationships, contributing to an open culture and maintaining contacts with people from a variety of backgrounds and disciplines. Effective, approachable and sensitive communicator in different communities and cultures. Ability to adapt style and approach to meet the needs of different audiences. |
| Organisational Awareness | Understanding the hierarchy and culture of own, customer, supplier and partner organisations and being able to identify the decision makers and influencers. |
| Persistence | Meeting targets, acting and/or fulfilling agreements even when adverse circumstances prevail. |
| Planning and Organisation | Determining a course of action by breaking it down into smaller steps and by planning and resourcing each of these, making allowance for potential problems and escalating if necessary. |
| Resilience | Demonstrates resilience when working under pressure, displaying a calm and rational approach to the task at hand. |
| Strategic Perspective | Keeping organisational objectives and strategies in mind, and ensuring courses of action are aligned with the strategic context. |
| Teamwork | Working collaboratively with others to achieve a common goal. |
| Verbal Expression | Communicating effectively using the spoken word. |
| Written Expression | Communicating effectively in writing, such as reports and via emails. |
Professional Development Activity (PDA)
| Title | Details | PDA Group |
|---|---|---|
| Community of Practice | Contributing to and leading communities of practice to enable the exchange of knowledge for healthcare knowledge and library staff with an interest in specific topics. | Increasing Knowledge |
| Deputising | Standing in for supervisor or manager on a temporary basis during periods of absence. | Broadening Activities |
| Ethics and Values | Underpinning healthcare ethics and values by providing the best available evidence at the right time, in the right place, to inform decision-making and enable better outcomes for patients and populations. | Developing Professional Skills |
| Evidence Based Practitioner | Keeping up to date with good practice, innovation and appropriate evidence. Ensuring changes to everyday knowledge and library practice are informed by appropriate evidence and professional knowledge. | Increasing Knowledge |
| Facilitation skills | Methods and techniques for managing (or facilitating) a meeting or group session (both face-to-face and online) and then through a series of planned activities. | Developing Professional Skills |
| Gaining Knowledge of Employing Organisation | Gaining basic knowledge of the employing organisation, its business, structure, culture, policies, products/services, operations and terminology. | Increasing Knowledge |
| Gaining Knowledge of the Technical Environment | Gaining knowledge of IT activities in the employing organisation. | Increasing Knowledge |
| Involvement in Professional Body Activities | Attending meetings, seminars and workshops organised by professional body and reading published material, such as journals and web content. | Participation in Professional Activities |
| Job Shadowing and Special Assignments | Undertaking temporary periods or secondments in other roles, particularly those that offer a new perspective on own function or exposure to other environments and cultures. | Broadening Activities |
| Mentoring | Acting as a mentor, advising those for whom there is no direct responsibility, on matters to do with their job role, career and professional development. | Broadening Activities |
| Organisational and environmental context | Understanding organisational priorities and challenges identified by the executive team. | Increasing Knowledge |
| Professional development and reflective practice | Reflecting on practice and being self-aware about performance. | Developing Professional Skills |
| Research Assignments | Exploring a topic which is not part of own normal responsibilities and presenting findings to colleagues and/or management | Increasing Knowledge |
| Team Leadership | Undertaking learning and practice of the skills required to lead teams, including motivation, direction, coaching, delegation, appraisal, counselling and developing others. | Developing Professional Skills |
| Wider library, data, information and knowledge sector context | Networking across the healthcare economy, both information providers, data analysts and health informaticists, to support shared learning and joint working. | Participation in Professional Activities |
Qualification Components
| Title | Awarding Bodies |
|---|---|
| CILIP Chartered Member (MCLIP) or Knowledge Management Chartered Member (MCLIP-KM) | Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals |
| Graduate or Post-Graduate level qualification in Library and Information Studies (or equivalent) | Higher Education |
| FEDIP Advanced Practitioner | The Federation for Informatics Professionals |
GKIM Skills Framework Skills
| Skill | Level |
|---|---|
|
OR10 | Risk management Understanding and mitigating risk (for example, as part of a project led by your team). |
OR10 | Working OR10 | Risk management 1.Demonstrate an ability to follow departmental risk management policies and procedures to assess GKIM-related risks. |
|
IT05 | Information security Developing a good understanding of information security principles. |
IT05 | Working IT05 | Information security 1.Follow best practice on information security, such as storing documents on the right system within the organisation and regularly checking settings. |
Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework Skills
| Skill | Level |
|---|---|
|
Applying user-centred insights |
Practitioner Applying user-centred insights You can:
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Knowledge, Library and Information Management Framework
| Skill | Level |
|---|---|
|
1.6 Collection promotion |
1.6 Collection promotion | Level 3 - Apply I can apply a detailed understanding of different groups of staff and learners to the design of marketing and promotion of collections. I can deliver targeted promotion of resources. Librarian |
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2.1 Data management |
2.1 Data management | Level 3 - Apply I can organise and manipulate data to inform business decisions for the knowledge and library service and the wider organisation or healthcare system. I can advise others on handling, cleaning and presenting data. I can create databases and repositories and maintain these to handle business and research data. |
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2.9 AI and algorithmic literacy |
2.9 AI and algorithmic literacy | Level 3 - Apply I can create and share effective prompts and develop agents to retrieve information using AI and critically evaluate the results to inform my own work and the work of others. I can advise healthcare staff and learners on how to use AI effectively and sustainably, highlighting latest developments and potential risks from AI to the organisation. I can advise the organisation about using protocols to appraise AI applications before deployment. I can curate organisational information, knowledge assets and data sets for effective use by AI systems. |
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2.10 Data stewardship |
2.10 Data stewardship | Level 3 - Apply I can write procedures to ensure the interoperability of data sets within the knowledge and library service. I can advise my organisation about understanding and protecting data privacy. I can devise and deliver training to instruct healthcare staff and learners about the importance of maintaining accurate data and help them to understand and protect their data privacy. |
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3.3 Information retrieval |
3.3 Information retrieval | Level 4 - Enable I can identify evidence based information needs by working in an embedded way alongside healthcare and public health teams. I can formulate and carry out complex and comprehensive evidence searches across bibliographic databases, information resources and organisational knowledge assets. I can evaluate, select and present the evidence search results to inform healthcare and public health staff decision making. I can rapidly transfer knowedge into policy and practice through the development and delivery of horizon scans, personalised alerts and current awareness bulletins to keep health and public health staff up to date with the latest resarch . |
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3.6 Information appraisal |
3.6 Information appraisal | Level 4 - Enable I can understand and apply critical appraisal skills to the results of complex evidence searches and systematic reviews. I can apply statistical reasoning to appraise evidence. I can provide critical appraisal training for staff and learners. |
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3.7 Abstracting and summarising |
3.7 Abstracting and summarising | Level 4 - Enable I can expertly summarise evidence and knowledge at document and aggregated level. I can execute comprehensive summaries of evidence searches with a basic level of synthesis. |
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3.8 Information synthesis and integration |
3.8 Information synthesis and integration | Level 4 - Enable I can expertly synthesise knowledge through analysing evidence search results to provide categorisation, identify conclusions and recommendations. I can execute a comprehensive synthesis of the outputs of evidence searches. I can apply synthesis skills of evidence and knowledge to contribute to systematic reviews or produce rapid reviews. |
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4.1 Information governance |
4.1 Information governance | Level 3 - Apply I can create effective information governance processes to ensure compliance with organisational policies and legal requirements for the handling of data and information within the knowledge and library service. I can ensure knowledge and library systems are fully compliant with information governance requirements. This might include completing Data Protection Impact Assessments or having responsibilities as a departmental Information Asset Owner. |
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4.3 Copyright, intellectual property and licensing |
4.3 Copyright, intellectual property and licensing | Level 3 - Apply I can maximise the use of information resources available to the organisation within the limits of licensing regulations. I can advise health care and public health staff and learners on compliance with information legislation and guidance including licensing, intellectual property, open access and copyright as it relates to knowledge assets. |
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5.1 Information management |
5.1 Information management | Level 3 - Apply I can devise information management policies for the organisation. I can oversee and advise upon the storage, co-creation, access and dissemination of organisational information on a range of platforms such as intranets, internets, SharePoint, repositories and discovery systems. |
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5.3 Information architecture |
5.3 Information architecture | Level 3 - Apply I can apply standards to create, implement and maintain structures of organisational information using a variety of tools such as metadata, taxonomies, thesauri, ontologies, controlled vocabularies and resource descriptors to enable the discovery of organisational knowledge and information. |
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5.4 Metadata |
5.4 Metadata | Level 3 - Apply I can create and structure metadata to describe organisational information and digital knowledge resources to make them easier for healthcare and public health staff and learners to find and use. I can apply the principles of metadata to identify provenance, improve the recall and manage retention and disposal of organisational information. |
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5.5 Classification schemes and taxonomies |
5.5 Classification schemes and taxonomies | Level 3 - Apply I can expertly choose and apply the right classification scheme to organise digital and print knowledge resources, making information easier to find and use. I can design and apply taxonomies that show the hierarchical relationship of different groups of data, information and knowledge, making them easier to understand and use for evidence?informed decision making. |
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5.8 Subject indexing |
5.8 Subject indexing | Level 4 - Enable I can apply pre-existing schemes such as Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) and produce modifications and alternative systematic arrangement of terms to aid the retrieval of various specialist collections of information, organisational knowledge and resources I can make improvements to pre-defined schemes such as Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) to ensure they remain relevant for use with local collections and reflect evolving language, culture, terminology and are suited to local needs I can develop thesauri and controlled vocabularies to demonstrate the inter-relationship between terms. I can advise the organisation on effective application of subject headings and maintain standards to ensure organisational information can be easily located. |
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5.10 Cataloguing and resource description |
5.10 Cataloguing and resource description | Level 3 - Apply I can assist with cataloguing knowledge resources by applying rules and formats and resource description standards to add and amend basic records to maintain and improve the organisation and retrieval of knowledge resources. I can use advanced features within catalogues to effectively locate knowledge resources held in knowledge and library collections. I can demonstrate to a library user how to use advanced functions on catalogues to locate knowledge resources. |
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6.1 Knowledge management |
6.1 Knowledge management | Level 3 - Apply I can apply knowledge mobilisation principles, thinking and development so healthcare teams and organisations can rapidly apply research evidence and good practice, organisational knowledge and individual tacit knowledge into policy and practice I can put into place systems and processes to identify, capture, create, analyse, curate and distribute knowledge to contribute to organisational learning, drive innovation and create organisational value I can embed knowledge mobilisation into ways of working, for example facilitating a Before Action Review before an organisational project or piece of work commences and a Retrospect at its conclusion I can select, plan and facilitate a range of knowledge mobilisation tools, tailored to team or organisational circumstances. This might include adapting learning before, during and after tools such as Appreciative Inquiry, Action Learning Sets or Knowledge Harvesting. I can help teams to capture, share and use Lessons Learned, and to articulate tacit knowledge and personal insights. |
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6.3 Knowledge synthesis and combination |
6.3 Knowledge synthesis and combination | Level 3 - Apply I can contribute to a service that produces summarised insights for evidence-based, informed decision making. I can work alongside health and public health teams to understand their knowledge needs so that knowledge insights can be synthesised and summarised to meet these needs. This will include synthesis from a variety of sources such as published research, organisational data, lessons learned, good practice, staff know-how, patient or staff lived experience, guidelines and procedures |
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6.4 Knowledge transfer and organisational learning |
6.4 Knowledge transfer and organisational learning | Level 3 - Apply I can raise awareness of, and encourage use of, a range of tools and techniques for teams to use to learn before, during and after all that they do so others in the organisation or healthcare system can apply that learning to inform and improve their own work. I can source and summarise internal organisational knowledge, individual know-how, good practice and external published and unpublished research to accelerate evidence-informed policy and practice. I can develop and maintain directories of expertise and encourage individuals to contribute and use these to inform their practice. I can devise and implement methods to capture and share knowledge before people move on to different roles, avoiding knowledge loss. |
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6.5 Knowledge sharing and collaboration |
6.5 Knowledge sharing and collaboration | Level 3 - Apply I can advise healthcare and public health teams on approaches and tools they can use to encourage knowledge sharing and collaboration. I can design and facilitate opportunities to encourage people to collaborate and share knowledge. I can establish, monitor and maintain Communities of Practice on behalf of healthcare teams and specialist groups. This includes encouraging active participation, monitoring and reporting on engagement and manging closure of inactive communities. I can identify, capture and curate knowledge and learning resulting from knowledge sharing and collaboration activities on behalf of teams and the organisation. |
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6.6 Organisational knowledge assets |
6.6 Organisational knowledge assets | Level 3 - Apply I can establish processes to conduct knowledge audits, identify areas of good practice and knowledge gaps and implement recommendations to address these. I can identify, create and curate organisational knowledge assets and assess how these are used effectively by healthcare and public health teams. I can report upon and communicate about the value of knowledge. |
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6.8 Knowledge Management culture |
6.8 Knowledge Management culture | Level 3 - Apply I can contribute to an organisational learning culture where knowledge mobilisation and shared learning thrives. I can raise awareness and demonstrate the value of knowledge mobilisation to the organisation and local health system. I can drive organisational change by encouraging widespread use of evidence, organisational knowledge and individual know-how. I can identify and encourage the use and spread of good practice. I can enable psychologically safe opportunities for people to share and use knowledge. I can develop and support organisational knowledge mobilisation champions. (KS Broker, K Manager) |
The Professional Body Responsible for this job family is CILIP. This job role profile was created in collaboration with BCS, using Role Model Plus.