Sparknow principles

latest blogging

latest publications

rss feed

The feed includes blog entries, publications and page updates.

We’ve an archive of papers, essays and case studies, some of which are available below. We use this part of our site to illustrate snippets from the best of what we’ve learned and noticed and make this available in a useful and friendly way:

Thursday, June 17, 2010

unearthing knowledge management metaphors June 17, 2010

Here’s the thoughtleader for the Ark knowledge management conference which Paul Corney chaired this week. It takes a look at the worlds of knowledge management, knowledge economy, knowledge worker, knowledge transfer and...

Thursday, May 27, 2010

a3 sheets on narrative research and story competitions May 27, 2010

In 2006 or 7 Doug Lipman asked me to be part of a small group working with the United Ways at the International Storytelling Center in Jonesborough Tennessee. We agreed I’d talk...

Tuesday, May 04, 2010

The making of a living archive: explaining Sparknow's method May 04, 2010

Sparknow was commissioned by ADB in early 2009 to conduct a legacy stories project that would provide ADB with a series of assets, including an audio composition, a publication, a...

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Using University College London's Museum and Collections as a stimulus for innovation and discussion December 23, 2009

Part of the MLA London Knowledge Exchange Programme, one of the workshops Unexpected angles and surprising collaborations was an exciting one to curate. Hosted by UCL Museum and Collections...

Monday, August 10, 2009

The value of good curation: Using images to record MLA's innovation fund workshop August 10, 2009

Sparknow has always placed great emphasis on the effective use of space to create the right environment for the exchange of ideas and knowledge transfer. In our early days we used a...

Saturday, June 20, 2009

Demystifying horizon scanning and futures for Defra June 20, 2009

Never before in Defra have we done a lessons learned project in the way this one was done. It completely vindicated doing it.

Fiona Lickorish, Defra: Head of Horizon Scanning and...

Monday, January 12, 2009

"These are a few of my favourite....." January 12, 2009

In embarking on a very early virtual spring clean in that wonderfully productive period between Christmas and The New Year, I came across this article the EU's KnowledgeBoard commissioned me to write...
Thursday, October 23, 2008

Mind the gap, a personal view of knowledge work in UK construction October 23, 2008

Here’s a draft of an essay I wrote for the College of Estate Management last October, which I’m taking a fresh look at now. I took on the commission for three reasons

Saturday, October 11, 2008

Tools for change: Working with Royal Mail October 11, 2008

Through its ‘Transformation for Change’ project, Royal Mail is aiming to update and improve both the technology it uses and the services it offers to customers. By creating a series of carefully...
Tuesday, September 16, 2008

MLA London Knowledge Transfer Programme September 16, 2008

The MLA London Knowledge Transfer Programme reports have just been launched, and here they are, hot off the press. There are the Findings, a Methodology statement and an outline of...

Thursday, May 15, 2008

‘Sous l’arbre à palabre’ or ‘Under the palaver tree’ May 15, 2008

This case study outlines almost our very first encounter with SDC. Looking at it now I’m struck by the efforts we made to liven up our recountings of client work, by...

Thursday, May 15, 2008

Story Guide: Building Bridges Using Narrative Technique May 15, 2008

This Guide, and the Flyer that goes with it, are two of the major assets which resulted from a 5 year partnership (their choice of word) with SDC, the Swiss Aid...

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Using Story to Carve Out Spaces in Which the Organisation Can Start to Breathe May 13, 2008

Written for Natalie Shell, who edited the February edition of AI Practitioner on Significance of Story: Gifts, New Techniques and Inspiring Examples

Stories give, rather than take, time. This...

Monday, May 12, 2008

Listen, or thy tongue will make thee deaf May 12, 2008

This is an edited version of a paper Stephanie Colton and Victoria Ward gave at the Smithsonian conference in Washington a couple of years back. It explores two pieces of work from...

Wednesday, September 28, 2005

Gritty Lessons and Pearls of Wisdom: Using Oral History Interviews to Draw Deep Insights from Past Action, Illuminate Heritage and Catalyse Learning September 28, 2005

This is a ‘factional’ (factual in essence but dipped in fiction to protect the identity of our clients) correspondence between the authors during an oral history project for an international development institution...

Wednesday, April 28, 2004

Telling Tales: Oral Storytelling as an Effective Way to Capitalise Knowledge Assets April 28, 2004

Authors: Stephanie Colton, Victoria Ward with contributions from Claudine Arnold, Paul Corney and Carol Russell Spring 2004

I see that when we wrote this we were fumbling around for something we...

Wednesday, April 28, 2004

Developing and Nurturing Effective Communities of Practice April 28, 2004

Notes from an interactive session facilitated by Fiona Incledon and Victoria Ward of Sparknow at the Ark Knowledge Management conference ‘Managing for Health and Social Care’, London April 2004.

Think...

Wednesday, May 28, 2003

Slow knowledge: uses of the postcard in re-forming organisational time, place and meaning May 28, 2003

Authors: Stephanie Colton, Angela Dove, Victoria Ward, Clive Holtham. Paper presented at 'In Search of Time' conference, Palermo, Italy May 2003 This is one of my favourite ideas and think pieces. Sparknow has...
Sunday, April 28, 2002

Slow knowledge: the importance of tempo in debriefing and in individual learning April 28, 2002

Authors: Maike Bohn, Clive Holtham, Victoria Ward Paper submitted to OKLC conference Athens, Greece April 2002