Donor patterns: a modular structure for sharing knowledge

Groups within organisations learn from experience. The learning experience may itself be enough to help a decision and may also be codified into a knowledge base for use at another time. A modular structure, called a Pattern Language, provides both a base for recording this knowledge and also a format for the debriefing of experience to gain that knowledge. The modularity means that the modules, or prototypes of them, may be imported from other applications so speeding the process and encouraging the transfer of good practices. Two applications, in process engineering in a chemical company and strategy formation in a small charity, are given, which demonstrate the use of donor patterns as means of importing knowledge and stimulating learning. Although the circumstances of the two cases are quite different the processes are similar in duration and structure, suggesting a model for future application.