Creating a collaborative culture at the EBRD
by Bruno Balvanera and Olena Koval

In 2000, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) launched a knowledge management initiative in order to improve its performance in promoting the transition to free markets in former communist countries. A KM working group conducted an information assessment which revealed the Bank’s strengths and weaknesses.
The Bank had two issues to address:

• to develop and connect tools that help to manage information,


• to establish a system that manages and maintains the flow of knowledge and expertise around the London headquarters and regional offices.

The first part of the plan was to introduce sharing tools such as project features database, expert listing, client relationship management database, a community of practice called “EquEx”, and back to office reports.

The second part of the Bank’s KM strategy is to change behaviour towards building a knowledge-sharing culture. Knowledge sharing is less about the expertise itself, but about the way projects are carried out. The most important incentive for participation is removing the “costs” of sharing information. Another key element has been senior leadership’s strong commitment.

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