Sunday, February 16, 2025

Can Knowledge Management Be the Key to Navigating Federal Workforce Reductions?


My first degree was in Political Science, so I understand that almost everything ultimately ties back to decision-making, values, and politics. Knowledge Management (KM) is no exception. While often described as neutral, KM is, in reality, a tool in the hands of people who have priorities and values to uphold. They will therefore use KM—if they value it at all—to support their priorities.

When discussions arise about reducing the federal workforce, they often center on eliminating waste and redefining the government’s role. While these debates are deeply political, I have aimed to provide a neutral analysis, focusing on how KM plays a vital role in ensuring that institutional knowledge is preserved, efficiency is maximized, and transitions—whether through downsizing or restructuring—are executed without jeopardizing essential government functions. My intent is not to judge ongoing changes but to explore how KM can be leveraged in a shifting landscape.

At the same time, I acknowledge that my perspective is shaped by my career in Knowledge Management. My experience leads me to view KM as a critical enabler of efficiency and continuity. Others may see different priorities, and I welcome discussion on how KM aligns—or does not align—with different viewpoints on government workforce reductions.

KM as a Tool for Efficiency, Not Bureaucracy

A key argument for workforce reduction is inefficiency—too many employees performing redundant or unnecessary tasks. However, KM can enhance efficiency without workforce reductions by:

  • Streamlining operations through better information-sharing and collaboration.
  • Preventing rework by ensuring employees access lessons learned from past initiatives.
  • Implementing AI-powered knowledge retrieval, reducing time spent searching for information.

A well-managed KM system ensures that knowledge flows seamlessly across agencies, reducing unnecessary duplication and allowing government employees to work smarter, not harder.

Preventing Unintended Consequences of Workforce Cuts

While downsizing may reduce costs on paper, it can also create new inefficiencies if critical knowledge is lost. KM mitigates these risks by:

  • Preserving institutional memory so agencies don’t lose expertise that takes years to develop.
  • Easing onboarding for new or remaining employees, preventing gaps in service delivery.
  • Ensuring knowledge continuity for long-term projects, preventing disruption when experienced employees depart.

Without a strong KM strategy, workforce reductions can lead to costly mistakes, inefficiencies, and delays that offset potential savings.

Aligning Knowledge Retention with Changing Government Roles

If the scope of government changes, knowledge must transition accordingly. Whether services are being privatized, decentralized, or restructured, KM helps by:

  • Capturing critical knowledge before employees exit.
  • Facilitating knowledge transfer between agencies and external partners.
  • Ensuring accessible archives of regulations, policies, and historical data for future use.

Additionally, one of the persistent challenges in the federal government is the reliance on antiquated electronic systems that are not well connected. Many agencies continue to use legacy databases and software that are incompatible with modern knowledge-sharing tools. This fragmentation further exacerbates knowledge loss when employees leave, as critical information is often siloed in inaccessible or outdated systems. Addressing this issue requires investments in modernized KM platforms that integrate across agencies, ensuring knowledge remains accessible and actionable even during workforce transitions.

KM doesn’t dictate the size or role of government; it ensures that any transition is managed intelligently and without unnecessary disruption.

Lessons from NASA: Knowledge Management in Workforce Reduction

Having worked with NASA’s KM program at the Goddard Space Flight Center for nearly a decade – as a contractor rather than a civil servant--, I am more familiar with this real world example. I was privileged to attend and present at the January 2011 Knowledge Forum dedicated to Shuttle Lessons learned and to work on case studies documenting some of NASA’s most tragic events. When NASA retired the Space Shuttle program in 2011, thousands of employees, many with specialized knowledge, left the agency. To mitigate knowledge loss, NASA implemented several KM initiatives:

  • Knowledge Capture Initiatives: Video interviews, wikis, and structured documentation preserved insights from departing employees.
  • Lessons Learned Databases: Institutional knowledge was centralized for use in future space missions.
  • Knowledge-Sharing Networks: Retired experts were engaged as consultants to provide continuity for emerging projects.

These KM strategies—while not perfect— helped sustain institutional memory, ensuring that knowledge critical to future missions, including Artemis and commercial spaceflight partnerships, remained accessible despite significant workforce reductions.

As a side note, I came to work for NASA’s KM from a completely different industry, international development, an industry I rejoined later and which is today being destroyed (at least in the US)– sorry, losing neutrality here!

The Role of AI in Workforce Optimization—But AI Alone Is Not Enough

Artificial intelligence (AI) is often touted as a solution to inefficiency in government operations, from automating processes to assisting with decision-making. While AI can enhance KM by improving searchability, generating insights, and automating routine tasks, AI without a strong KM foundation is unlikely to succeed. AI systems rely on structured, well-organized data and knowledge repositories. Without KM ensuring that information is curated, contextualized, and up-to-date, AI risks amplifying errors, reinforcing biases, or failing to deliver meaningful insights.

To effectively integrate AI into government KM strategies, agencies should:

  • Ensure high-quality, structured data that AI can access and process accurately.
  • Develop AI models that support knowledge retrieval, rather than replacing human expertise.
  • Implement ethical AI practices to minimize misinformation and bias.
  • Use AI to enhance knowledge-sharing through automation and intelligent recommendations, rather than merely as a cost-cutting tool.

Thus, while AI can support workforce optimization, KM remains the backbone that ensures knowledge is captured, organized, and made actionable. Agencies looking to modernize must invest not only in AI but also in robust KM strategies that ensure AI tools work effectively and ethically.

Contrasting Republican and Democratic Perspectives on KM

The main issue KM professionals encounter isn't related to a Republican/Democrat divide but rather about whether leadership will understand and support KM, especially when KM is often on the chopping block in challenging budget contexts.  Nevertheless, let's try this chain of thoughts.  Both perspectives recognize that losing knowledge is costly, but they might differ on how KM should be applied to government workforce reductions. The key challenge is finding KM strategies that work regardless of political shifts—ensuring government remains effective whether agencies grow, shrink, or transform.

Republican Perspective: KM as a Tool for Efficiency and Lean Government

Republicans generally advocate for a smaller, more efficient government with reduced federal oversight and streamlined operations. From this perspective, KM should be used to:

  • Eliminate redundancy and ensure that government functions remain lean and agile.

  • Facilitate outsourcing and privatization, ensuring that knowledge transfers smoothly to contractors or state agencies when functions are moved outside the federal workforce.

  • Leverage AI and automation to reduce reliance on human-driven processes and decrease operational costs.

  • Minimize knowledge retention costs, focusing KM efforts on essential knowledge that directly supports the most critical government functions.

Under this model, KM plays a supportive role in enabling workforce reductions, ensuring that knowledge gaps do not disrupt government services while aligning with broader goals of downsizing and fiscal responsibility.

Democratic Perspective: KM as a Safeguard for Institutional Knowledge and Public Services

Democrats tend to emphasize the stability and continuity of government services, arguing that institutional knowledge is a public asset that should be preserved. From this perspective, KM should be used to:

  • Protect knowledge continuity to prevent disruptions in public services caused by workforce reductions.

  • Invest in workforce upskilling and retraining, ensuring that government employees can transition into new roles rather than being replaced by external contractors or automation.

  • Increase transparency and knowledge equity, ensuring that public access to government knowledge remains robust even when agencies downsize.

  • Strengthen cross-agency collaboration, using KM to prevent knowledge silos and ensure institutional expertise remains available across different branches of government.

Under this model, KM is seen as a critical safeguard that ensures government effectiveness and accountability despite workforce reductions.

Bridging the Divide: Common Ground in KM Approaches

While the two perspectives differ in how they approach workforce reductions, they share some common ground in KM applications:

  • Risk Mitigation: Both recognize the need to prevent critical knowledge loss that could harm national security, economic stability, or essential public services.

  • Data-Driven Decision Making: Regardless of political stance, effective KM strategies rely on data and AI-enhanced insights to guide workforce changes.

  • Improved Operational Efficiency: Both perspectives agree that government inefficiencies should be addressed, whether through workforce optimization, better collaboration, or smarter knowledge-sharing systems.

Ultimately, KM must be adaptable to different political priorities, ensuring that it supports workforce transitions in ways that align with broader governance objectives.

Both perspectives recognize that losing knowledge is costly, but they differ on whether KM should support a leaner government (Republican view) or protect institutional continuity (Democratic view). The key challenge is finding KM strategies that work regardless of political shifts—ensuring government remains effective whether agencies grow, shrink, or transform.

A Values-Driven KM Approach to Workforce Decisions

KM may be neutral as a set of tools and frameworks, but its operationalization is not neutral—it reflects the priorities of those who wish to use it. Whether an agency is downsizing, restructuring, or shifting responsibilities, KM provides the framework to:

  • Identify and retain essential knowledge.
  • Ensure smooth transitions for employees and services.
  • Minimize disruptions to government functions.

This is an initial set of ideas, written from the perspective of someone who has spent a career in KM. While my bias toward the importance of KM is clear, I invite discussion on these perspectives and alternative viewpoints.

----

There is a literature on KM in the public sector but it tends to assume that politics don't impact public service institutions that much.  This may need revisiting.

For additional light reading:

* "Navigating the Political Landscape: Insights on Knowledge Management and Progressive Politics," by Keith Markovich, January 30, 2025. An interesting take which leans towards advice for Personal Knowledge Management (PKM), which I find to be extremely relevant in today's challenging information environment. 

* "The incoming US administration:  transition, decision-making, and the value of Knowledge Management," by Bill Kaplan, December 4, 2020. Obviously about the previous administration's transition, but advocating "unemotional, evidence-based, analytical, understanding history and lessons learned."  I'm afraid all that gets thrown out the window.  

Wednesday, February 12, 2025

Generative AI for Older Adults: What's Missing and What's Next?

At the Arlington Neighborhood Village (ANV) Coffee and Conversation event this morning (February 12, 2025), I had the opportunity to discuss Generative AI—what it is, how it works, and its potential to enhance the lives of older adults. While AI is already making strides in creativity, communication, and learning, many of its most promising applications for aging populations are still in their early stages.


The full presentation will be available on the ANV YouTube Channel, but in this post, I want to go further—exploring key areas where generative AI needs improvement to become a truly valuable and accessible tool for older adults

Where Generative AI Needs More Development

1. Smarter Personalization and Memory Retention

Today’s AI can generate content on demand, but it lacks long-term memory and deep personalization. Future advancements should enable AI to:

  • Remember user preferences over multiple sessions, creating more natural and familiar interactions.
  • Adapt its responses based on an individual’s background, experiences, or storytelling style.
  • Support reminiscence therapy by helping users refine and build AI-generated life stories over time.

2. More Engaging Storytelling and Reminiscence Tools

AI can assist with memoir writing, but its storytelling still falls short in emotional depth and historical accuracy. To improve:

  • AI should be able to integrate personal photos, voice recordings, and handwritten notes into life stories.
  • Historical and cultural context should be embedded to ensure accuracy and relevance.
  • Tools should enable family members to co-create and edit AI-assisted memoirs collaboratively.

3. Improved AI for Creative Expression

While AI is already being used to generate art, poetry, and music, it still needs to become:

  • Easier to use for those who are not tech-savvy, with intuitive, no-prompt-needed interfaces.
  • More interactive, allowing step-by-step refinements instead of starting over each time.
  • Capable of learning personal styles over time to produce work that feels truly unique.

4. Better AI for Social Connection and Communication

AI can help older adults stay connected, but existing tools often feel impersonal. To be truly impactful, AI should:

  • Mimic individual writing styles so AI-assisted messages feel authentic.
  • Provide conversation starters for those who struggle with social engagement.
  • Enable seamless multilingual communication for connecting with family and friends worldwide.

5. More Ethical and Privacy-Conscious AI

As AI becomes more integrated into personal content creation, privacy concerns grow. Developers must ensure that:

  • AI-generated content is fact-checked to prevent misinformation.
  • Users have control over their data, especially in personal storytelling applications.
  • AI systems remain transparent about how responses are generated and where data originates.

Looking Ahead: The Future of Generative AI for Older Adults

Generative AI holds immense potential to support older adults in storytelling, creative expression, and communication—but only if it becomes more personal, interactive, and ethical. Future AI tools should prioritize:

  • Memory retention to improve personalization.
  • User-friendly design to minimize technological barriers.
  • Stronger privacy protections to ensure security and trust.

Getting Started with AI

Curious about generative AI? Explore ChatGPT, Gemini, or Claude to try AI-powered writing, art, and storytelling. If you want to help shape AI for older adults, advocate for more personalized and ethical solutions in the AgeTech space.

A Final Thought: Generative AI isn’t a replacement for human connection. Instead, it should enhance well-being, strengthen relationships, and empower older adults to engage with technology on their terms.

Friday, February 07, 2025

Traveling Lightly: How to Explore the DMV with an Eco-Friendly Mindset

For the past few years, I have become more conscious of the environmental cost of travel. Initially, I focused on my travel to other locations rather than considering the sustainable options available in my own area, Arlington County in Northern Virginia. I now focus more on local travel and key destinations that I can reach by train and then try to combine train and bicycle as my primary modes of transportation.  Yesterday, during a webinar with leaders of our county's Climate Policy Office, I was happily surprised to learn, among other things, that there were local efforts to align business-related, income-generating activities like tourism with a more environmentally conscious approach to tourism.  In the future, when I plan trips to destinations further away than my immediate neighborhood, I will seek out information similar to what Arlington County is providing 

Here are a few resources:

When you live here, there are lots of opportunities to support eco-friendly economic development and engage in volunteer work and advocacy activities. I help mostly with cleanup activities around streams and parks and with the Energy Masters program which supports energy efficiency improvements for low income housing and their residents. When you visit, make sure to look up potential activities such as nature walks or even the Green Community Tour if you happen to be here in early June. My little permaculture-inspired backyard was part of the tour one year. 

Of course, if you come to Arlington, you should explore the broader area, which could mean the Washington Metropolitan Area (DMV) and beyond.

Exploring Eco-Tourism and Sustainable Travel in the DMV

The Washington, D.C. metropolitan area (DMV), encompassing D.C., Maryland, and Northern Virginia, is rich in history, culture, and natural beauty. As travelers become more conscious of their environmental impact, eco-tourism and sustainable travel have gained momentum in the region. From green-certified hotels to nature-focused experiences, the DMV offers numerous opportunities for responsible exploration.

Green Spaces and Nature Reserves

For nature lovers, the region is home to an array of parks and preserves committed to conservation. Great Falls Park in Virginia offers breathtaking views of the Potomac River while emphasizing environmental preservation.  If you’re up for a nice bike ride, you can reach some great views by following the trail in the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park, stretching from Georgetown into Maryland. On the other side of Washington, D.C., Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens provides a serene escape with water lilies and lotus blossoms, all within an urban setting.

Credit: Barbara Fillip, date unknown, probably 2010s. 
Taken at Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens.

Sustainable Accommodations

Eco-conscious travelers can find sustainable lodging options in the DMV. Many hotels in D.C. and Arlington participate in green certification programs like LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) and EarthCheck.

Eco-Friendly Activities

For those interested in sustainable urban exploration, Capital Bikeshare offers a green way to navigate the city. Farmers’ markets, such as the Arlington Farmers Markets and Eastern Market in D.C., promote local food systems and reduce carbon footprints. You might even catch a tour of the Area 2 Farms, where my salad, microgreens and herbs are grown, vertically.  Additionally, guided eco-tours of the Anacostia River highlight conservation efforts and the importance of protecting local waterways.

Supporting Local and Sustainable Businesses

Dining sustainably is easy in the DMV, with many restaurants sourcing ingredients from local farms. Busboys and Poets, a community-driven eatery, prioritizes sustainability with plant-based menu options and fair-trade coffee. True Food Kitchen in Arlington offers health-conscious, environmentally friendly dishes that align with sustainable agriculture principles.

How to Travel Responsibly

To reduce environmental impact while exploring, opt for public transit, bike rentals, or walking tours. Support businesses that prioritize sustainability, and when visiting natural areas, adhere to Leave No Trace principles by minimizing waste and respecting wildlife.

By choosing eco-friendly travel options, residents and visitors alike can enjoy the beauty of the DMV while preserving it for future generations. What are your favorite sustainable spots in the region? Share them in the comments!

More Resources @ 
Virginia Green Travel

The next Sustainability in Tourism Conference is in Williamsburg, March 20-21, 2025, and will feature discussions on responsible travel, eco-friendly business practices, and sustainable hospitality. It’s an excellent opportunity for networking and learning about innovative approaches to sustainability in the tourism industry. I can reach the conference location with a train to Richmond and a bike ride on the Virginia Capital Trail. That would be a great way to get there. I've got some planning to do!

Wednesday, February 05, 2025

Exploring the Relationship between Knowledge and Fiction (Part 4: Knowledge at Societal Level)

This is the fourth post in the "Knowledge and Fiction" Series.

Part 4: Knowledge at Societal Level & World Building

The novel I am working on is set in 2065, which is 40 years from now.  As we are witnessing that a lot can happen in a week, a lot can happen in  40 years. At the same time, 40 years is only half a lifetime. I am not engaging in comprehensive world-building in the traditional sense. I am not envisioning flying cars and life on Mars. In crafting this world of 2065, I am constructing a framework for how knowledge and expertise function in the future. In many ways, world-building is about the unseen structures—institutions, trust networks, and ways of knowing—that define everyday life. Themes to consider include:

  • The role of expertise in a knowledge-driven society.
  • Impact of advanced technologies on data and information flows.
  • Trust in knowledge institutions and emerging professional roles.
  • Global knowledge flows: What networks facilitate or hinder them?
  • Knowledge access disparities: Who benefits, and who is left out?
  • Consequences of knowledge loss, whether through societal breakdown or natural disaster.

These are contemporary themes that are unlikely to become obsolete in 40 years.  At the same time, I am likely overlooking elements that will be prominent by 2065. 

The way we (in Western society) approach knowledge today, in 2025, is not the same as the way we approached it 40 years ago.  The way we access and treat information, the way we handle data, issues around misinformation, lack of trust in traditional institutions of knowledge, etc., all these changes are part of broader societal shifts.

Since I am looking at 2065 for the setting of the novel, I need to figure out how things will have evolved around these themes.  For a while in the late 1990s and early 2000s, there were references to “knowledge societies” but over time focus on knowledge was replaced by focus on data and now we’ve entered the era of the “AI-driven society”.   For the purposes of my plot --putting on my amateur futurist hat--, here are some questions I am contemplating:

What is the role of expertise in 2065?

In the past, I might have asked what is the role of expertise in a knowledge-driven society. Today, I would ask about the role of expertise in an AI-driven society. For the purpose of writing speculative fiction, I have to imagine the role of expertise 30-40 years from today. 

  • Who is considered an expert in 2065?  What expertise is most valued?  How is that expertise validated? Whose knowledge is valued?
  • Perhaps the term “expert” has become pejorative in 2065 because of a catastrophic failure of so-called “experts”.
  • What are some emerging pathways to expertise?  Have traditional credentials (degrees and certifications) been replaced by new ways of learning and acquiring experience?  Have resumes finally disappeared as obsolete relics of the past? Is expertise measured on an individual’s ability to manipulate or work with advanced technologies?
  • What new roles and professions have emerged?  What do they “do” for work?  Has the distinction between work and the rest of life changed?  Are the characters still struggling with work/life balance?  I hope not.
  • What areas of “old” knowledge might become relevant again?

What is the impact of advanced technologies and data flows in 2065?

I will no doubt be challenged to come up with a realistic perspective on technology in 2065. The speed of progress is difficult to predict.  It’s somewhere between fast and extremely fast. Technological advances don’t impact everyone equally or at the same pace, which could be an interesting aspect to explore.  We are still very early in the era of AI advances but by 2065, the term “AI” will mean very little, just as  the term “IT” means very little now because it covers too many different things.

  • How far along will quantum computing be by 2065 and what will be the impact on daily lives (if any)? What about neural interfaces and nanotechnology?  What about medical advances in the treatment of all the conditions related to cognitive decline and more broadly, aging?
  • How will robotics and the Internet of Things (IoT) have evolved?  For this aspect, I’m particularly interested in the convergence of robotics and IoT to address challenges related to an aging population in most of the Western world and parts of Asia.   In that context, I am researching AgeTech and even experimenting with more wearable technology than I have in the past.
  • What ancient, sustainable technologies might make a comeback?
  • How will new technologies impact societal inequalities and divisions?
  • How will information and data overload impact decision-making and governance in 2065?

What is the level of trust (or mistrust) in knowledge institutions and professional roles in 2065?

Considering the erosion of trust in all kinds of institutions, including media and academia, and confusion around the role of science, I consider it a very legitimate concern for 2065.

  • What will be the role of academia, scientific research institutions, and the media, and how will they evolve?
  • What new roles might emerge to address challenges in scientific knowledge?
  • How can speculative fiction portray conflict around trust and sensitive issues that currently lack consensus without becoming “political” in nature? 

What are the relevant global networks facilitating global knowledge flows in 2065?

Even if the action takes place in a relatively confined setting, the characters don’t live in isolation. Their primary network might be very local, siloed and constrained by geopolitical factors, or global but narrowly defined by professional needs. It’s not clear to me (yet) that any of this is central to the plot but it’s worth exploring.

  • Can new technologies facilitate decentralized knowledge hubs and global (planetary) cooperative AI systems?  This might involve autonomous networks of locally based AI systems collaborating (for the common good?).
  • What are the barriers to such knowledge flows?  What are the technology barriers and AI-related challenges?  And perhaps equally important, what are the human/political challenges, geopolitical tensions, linguistic divides and other implications for knowledge equity.

What does access to knowledge look like in 2065?

  • Who has privileged access to knowledge in 2065?  How is that privileged access leveraged?  In 2065, data is a highly prized commodity – it already is now.  There is probably some highly profitable, illegal trade in data, including personal data.
  • Who is left out of the knowledge economy?  What is the impact of increasing disparities and technological illiteracy?  By 2065, there are new names for issues emerging from disparities in technological adoption.
  • Are there societal counter-movements fighting against some of the new technologies and their impacts?
  • Is anything happening underground to challenge authorities and promote access to “forbidden” knowledge?
  • Are there any ethical dilemmas around access to knowledge, access to proprietary, dangerous, or personal data?

What knowledge(s) are lost or on the verge of collapse in 2065?

As of 2025, there are concerns about linguistic diversity not being represented well in Large Language Models, lack of acknowledgement of traditional and indigenous languages, and overall Western domination of knowledge institutions and research.  What will be the status of these concerns in 2065?

  • What systems will have been put in place to preserve knowledge and create resilient local knowledge networks?
  • What ancient or old knowledge previously perceived as obsolete will have been rediscovered and leveraged to solve 2065 challenges?

There is a danger, of course, of overcomplicating the novel, getting lost in research and losing track of the critical elements of the plot. 

What I have been reading:

The Great Age Reboot: Cracking the Longevity Code for a Younger Tomorrow, by Michael F. Roizen, M.D..  

People put M.D. or Ph.D. after their names to signify expertise
.  Will these traditional credentials still hold weight in 2065? Defining who holds knowledge, how they acquire it and how they convince others of their expertise in 2065 is part of world-building. 

The first part of the book is about current and anticipated advances in medicine that will increase human longevity, not just by allowing us to live longer but to live healthier longer.  Some of what the author describes and the timelines seem optimistic – I am no expert in that field.  Realistic or not, reading about the potential future of medicine has been very useful to imagine certain aspects of the world of tomorrow for the novel.  The second half of the book is a lengthy reminder that regardless of medical advances, there is a lot we all can do individually today to maintain good health with lifestyle choices… and then hope to benefit from the medical advances if and when we need them in the future. That also resonated with me even if I’ll admit to scanning that section as it did not tell me anything I didn’t already know.

Final Thoughts

Speculative fiction has long explored knowledge as a force that shapes worlds. In Dune (Frank Herbert), knowledge monopolies define power structures, while in The Diamond Age (Neal Stephenson), access to knowledge is a key theme. The approach to world-building mentioned in this post differs—it focuses on how knowledge institutions, technologies, and trust evolve over time, shaping the fabric of everyday life in 2065.

As I refine my world-building for 2065, these knowledge themes will continue to shape the story’s backdrop. While much of this won’t be explicitly detailed in the novel, the underlying structures will influence every aspect of the characters’ reality.