Organizational learning in public organizations

A recent post to the KM4Dev community drew attention to the new World Public Sector Report, published by the UN Public Administration Programme, which includes a chapter on organizational learning. The chapter talks of the important of knowledge sharing, networking and innovation:

Effective networking and teamwork may not only facilitate the timely completion of tasks but also improve the quality of work. For instance, in cases when a long time may be spent in trying to solve a particular problem, effective networking, collaboration and knowledge-sharing with peers may reduce this time considerably and thereby contribute to organizational learning.

It also talks about organizations characterized by compliance rather than commitment:

...the downside of strict adherence to hierarchical authority is that it tends to evoke compliance in government bureaucracies rather than commitment to the work at hand. The more strongly hierarchical power is exerted, the more results are generally focused on compliance. Yet the genuine commitment of staff is usually an essential factor in fostering meaningful change in any organization.