Chris, right, on an observer tour of Cycling Track, meeting with the International Cycling Union Technical Delegate, Gilles Peruzzi, to share his experiences. The cycling venues were in a Japanese prefecture with reduced Covid restrictions and the only events that had spectators.


associated master data that creates, we hope, a cohesive information systems user experience. IM also work hard on infor- mation lifecycle management. We quite often retire blocks of knowledge which are no longer relevant to specific learning (though we do keep it all in a reference library).


Knowledge Development (KD) is all about contextualising content to support learning activities, ensuring a good quality foundation for learning.


Games Learning (GL) is about develop- ing capability, aiming to provide fit-for- purpose and thought-provoking learning experiences. We are constantly looking for new ways to deliver learning – aggregat- ing the best of the other three portfolios, to ensure learning outcomes are achieved. In terms of working with the organising committees, we have a very high cadence dialogue across the full lifecycle, and we do this with up to five organising com- mittees at once. We see distinct phases of demand, usually related, sequentially, to budget, organisation design and opera- tional readiness.


We emphasise a number of evergreen approaches, for example they must grow as a learning organisation. Every Games context is so different, there is no such thing as an Olympic expert or a silver bullet knowledge-source that will solve their problems.


24 INFORMATION PROFESSIONAL DIGITAL


I think KM is important, but organisa- tional development and learning more so. You could say we are an OD consultancy service for them in many ways. The bottom line is that there is a direct correlation between good knowledge and de-risking delivery. The Games are complex, but they are arguably the most compelling knowledge uptake exercise that exists, espe- cially when you consider that there are no second chances, no delays allowed!


Recognising­confidentiality­and­ diplomatic constraints, to what extent­have­you­had­to­overcome­ resistance­or­“not­invented­here”­ syndrome­at­the­IOC­and­with­the­ host­cities? Chris – That’s a really interesting question. And, actually, it’s not something we en- counter unduly. The organising committee inevitably has a big appetite for knowledge, and most of what it needs to consume is driven by the demands of the overall Games delivery challenge.


We develop close knowledge-sharing relationships with them which are fun- damental. Why? Well, they have to very quickly develop an understanding of what they need and when, with our help, and I think they realise they take huge risks by not availing themselves of the long opera- tional experience of the IOC. The other aspect to mention here is


change. We don’t want a copy-cat approach, we want suitable change, to exploit opportunities to deliver more efficiently. The organising committees get this, everyone wants efficiency, so they know we want to see ideas and challenges to the status quo. The role of the IOC is to ensure a fertile environment for these ideas to flourish and be aligned with many stakeholders. Even if some of the ideas don’t work out, the important thing is to try, fail fast and learn in time to adjust. Which brings us back to the knowl- edge-transfer imperative. We in IKL play our part, but I think the whole eco-system works against any notion of not invented here.


Organising the world’s biggest sporting­event­during­the­pan- demic­must­have­been­incredibly­ tough.­What­was­the­biggest­single­ learning? Chris – Much of the complexity in the Games comes from the volume and variety of stakeholders. Each needs very specific services to allow them work effectively. The pandemic created a huge challenge, but it drove the stakeholder community together in a way that was remarkable. A really strong commitment to a clear and compelling stretch target promoted closer working and a willingness to overcome


December 2021


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