Title: Building a Foundation for Learning: The Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center
1Building a Foundation for Learning The
Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center
- Project Management Institute
- Tucson Chapter
- July 8, 2008
2Acknowledgments
- David A. Garvin
- Karl E. Weick
- Kathleen M. Sutcliffe
- Etienne Wenger
- Dorothy Leonard
3 Focus of Presentation
- Background in establishing the Lessons Learned
Center - Lessons Learned for the Lessons Learned Center
- Strategic direction for the next 5 years
4Need for a Lessons Learned Center
- Identified in Firefighter Safety Awareness Study
1994 South Canyon Fire (Colorado) fatalities - National fire training center re-engineering plan
5Early Benchmarking in 2002/2003
- Department of Energy
- U.S. Coast Guard
- Marine Corps
- U.S. Army (benchmarking visit)
- Organizational structure recommendations
- Adequately staff the analysis function
6Interviews with wildland fire personnel
- Early and recurring interviews to ask for
feedback is critical - Strong interest in general organizational
learning in wildland fire vs. sole focus on
lessons learned in firefighter safety
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8What is a Learning Organization?
- A learning organization is
- Creating, acquiring, interpreting, transferring,
and retaining knowledge. - Purposefully modifying its behavior to reflect
new knowledge and insights. - David Garvin
- Learning in Action
9Critical Tasks
- A learning organization tries to do six things
- 1. Collect intelligence about the environment.
- 2. Learn from the best practices of other
organizations. - 3. Learn from its own experiences and past
history.
10Continued
- 4. Experiment with new approaches.
- 5. Encourage systematic problem solving.
- 6. Transfer knowledge throughout the
organization. - David Garvin
- Learning in Action
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12Key steps in organizational learning success
- Focus on small wins select one or two
geographical areas with champions - Focus on a discipline first - prescribed fire
and wildland fire use
13LLC Processes
- Collection and Analysis (collect intelligence)
AARs/AAR Rollups, Info. Collection Teams, Case
Studies, Toolboxes - Knowledge Management/Retention (experiences/past
history, problem solve) via web sites,
newsletters, Advances in Fire Practice - Knowledge Sharing (transfer knowledge) community
of practice venues, workshops and conferences
14Collection and Analysis example
15Knowledge Management example
16Knowledge Sharing example
17Google search of Lessons Learned LLC 1 of 55
million returns
18Community of Practice
- A network of people who share a common interest
in a specific area of knowledge or competence.
They are willing to work and learn together over
a period of time to develop and share that
knowledge.
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21Strategic Direction to 2012
- LLC strategic planning process began in Oct. 2006
- Led by a fire mgmt. strategic planning specialist
- Used an interagency planning committee
- Received stakeholder input three times during
process including mission and strategic goals - Completed plan Dec. 2007 Operational Plan 2008
22New LLC Mission
- The Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center
actively promotes a learning culture to enhance
and sustain safe and effective work practices in
the wildland fire community. The Center provides
opportunities and resources to foster
collaboration among all fire professionals,
facilitates their networks, provides access to
state-of-the-art learning tools, and links
learning to training.
23Seven Strategic Goals
- Organizational Learning
- Relationship with the Wildland Fire Community
- Collaborative Networks
- Learning and Training
24Seven Strategic Goals
- Center Staffing and Funding
- Services and Products
- Marketing
25Litmus Test for Our Organizations
- Do we have a defined learning agenda?
- Are we open to discordant information as an
organization? - Do we avoid repeated mistakes?
- Do we lose critical knowledge when key people
leave? - Does our organization act on what it knows?
26Staffing Budget
- Currently 3 FTEs (1 NPS, 2 USFS) and 1 SCA intern
(NPS funded) all with agency support for travel - FY08 Project Status
- 289K for KMS (funded NPS/FS FY07 year end)
- 98K for analysis (NIFCG)
- 50K for writer editor work (USFS Fuels)
- 30K for TeamCenter (NWCG via NMAC)
- 30K for MFC/TeamCenter (USFS FAM)
-
27Two Challenges
- Bottleneck at analysis function
- Inability to plan for 2 or more years due to
project funding
28 Review of Presentation
- Background in establishing the Lessons Learned
Center - Lessons Learned for the Lessons Learned Center
- Strategic direction for the next 5 years
29Contact Us
- Paula Nasiatka, Center Manager
- (520) 799-8760, pnasiatka_at_fs.fed.us
- David Christenson, Asst. Center Manager
- (520) 799-8761, dchristenson_at_fs.fed.us
- Brenna MacDowell, Editorial Assistant
- (520) 799-8763, bmacdowell_at_fs.fed.us
- Kristen Manganini, SCA Intern
- (520) 799-8762, kmanganini_at_fs.fed.us
30Questions Commentswww.wildfirelessons.netwww
.myfirecommunity.netwww.IMTcenter.net