Summary
The present paper discusses the following issues: the nature of public advisory services and their scope, knowledge of beneficiaries and the scope of knowledge transfer as well as requirements with regard to knowledge of advisors. While pre-senting these issues, goals of the public advisory system were specified, such as sup-porting changes, adjusting to existing operating conditions, developing and creating entrepreneurship, preparing for the use of aid funds, etc., along with preparing advi-sors and advisory institutions for the implementation of the abovementioned tasks. The main thesis of the paper is the assumption that public advisory services are based on knowledge. Consequently, its fundamental goal is to define the needs and scope of public advisory services as well as activities regarding their provision in connection with the knowledge of advisors and beneficiaries in contemporary Po-land.
Keywords: knowledge, transfer, innovation, advisory services, improvement, development 1. Introduction
Changes during the socio-economic transformation period in Poland revealed an insufficient capacity of entrepreneurs and employees to adapt to the market requirements. Such a situation was caused by many factors, starting with production assets owned, through technologies used, level of education and skills of entrepreneurs and employees, to the type and number of innovations introduced. Moreover, it resulted from the lack of a systematic approach to these issues, which is a foundation of the management complexity and integrity, and, consequently, failure to ensure their optimality (along with profitability) and enhanced adjustment to the requirements in place. Accordingly, a necessity exists to support entrepreneurs and employees by means of an advisory system which facilitates the use of existing knowledge, its transfer and implementation. Such support is the domain of the public advisory services.
Knowledge and knowledge management are discussed increasingly often, while underlining their role in socio-economic transformations. Firstly, the interest observed results from attempting to become acquainted with methods and manners of a more reasonable use of owned production assets through knowledge. Secondly — it is a consequence of searching new technological, organizational or economic solutions, etc. Thirdly — it results from exploring the possibilities of changes implementation and defining their scope in current and future operating conditions. And finally — from seeking knowledge application tools. The conditions presented indicate the role of knowledge in the advisory system. It is important here that knowledge is of a process nature, enabling a comprehensive approach to the changes and innovations implemented. At the same time, knowledge should be of procedural nature, specifying how to do it and which tools to use in
existing conditions and in adapting to present socio-economic policy. As a consequence of such approach, the advisory system and advisors should constantly revise their knowledge along with its practical application skills.
The main thesis of the paper is the assumption that public advisory services are based on knowledge. Consequently, its fundamental goal is to define the needs and scope of public advisory services as well as activities regarding their provision in connection with the knowledge of advisors and beneficiaries in contemporary Poland. Taking account of the role of public advisory services and their connection with knowledge, the present paper discusses the following issues: the nature of public advisory services and their scope, knowledge of beneficiaries and scope of knowledge transfer as well as requirements with regard to knowledge of advisors.
The paper — of a survey and cognitive nature (cognitive goal) with practical application elements (applicative goal) — was elaborated on the basis of the subject literature, complemented with source materials on the EU’s and Poland’s socio-economic policies. Fundamental methods used in the paper are analysis and synthesis as well as induction, deduction and abduction.
2. Nature of public advisory services and their scope Advisory system aims at1:
• supporting beneficiaries in assessing present situation and aiding them in drawing conclusions as regards future activities,
• supporting the decision-taking process in the case where accessible knowledge does not enable one to make an unambiguous and entirely confident decision concerning preparatory, developmental or new activities.
Tasks of a public advisory organisation include various areas associated with solving problems and making decisions along with their implementation2. Such problems are a consequence of two contradictory processes: occurring difficulties and undertaking new activities accompanied by informational, disseminated and educational actions. It should be emphasized that advisory activities may aim at changing existing practices and disseminating actions, creating new quality. The scope of supporting population and business entities depends on a socio-economic policy of a given country, which in the EU Member States encompasses, i.e.3: • equal development opportunities of regions,
• protection of the environment,
• dissemination of new technologies and working patterns, etc.
By adopting such goals, the EU cohesion policy in the 2007–2013 financial perspective draws attention to, among others, improvement of the level of knowledge and innovative approach of employees and entrepreneurs, enabling them to adjust to the changing labour market and development processes. It is being achieved by investing in human resources and improving job quality, leading to the human capital formation. Advisory support in this scope aims at increasing competitiveness of economy and adjusting the level of employment and employees’ qualifications to the labour market.
1 [15, 56 2 [8, 35-38]. 3 [5. 18-27].
The EU policy points to the need to develop research and disseminate its results in the form of innovations. Four types of entities participate in the innovation transfer cycle (see Fig. 1):
1. Science — universities and research centres and units, including those associated with business entities;
2. Business entities — various enterprises in all sectors, including agricultural holdings;
3. Advisory entities system — associated with research units, but also with local self-government and state administration units, social organisations and business entities;
4. Local self-government and state administration units — through implementing tasks resulting from socio-economic, research and innovation policies and their influence on research units and business entities.
research initiative research conduct experiments in semi-technical scale dissemination of research results innovations
launching innovative solutions production, services market analysis indication of development directions
demand for new innovative solutions SCIENCE ADVISORY SERVICES BENEFICIARIES (business entities)
LOCAL SELF-GOVERNMENT AND ADMINISTRATION UNITS
Figure 1. Innovation transfer cycle and its fundamental entities Source: Adapted from [4, 32].
Searching for innovative solutions and supporting innovation activities can be seen in each of the discussed groups of entities, but the crucial role in the public advisory system is played by the state and local self-government policy, specifying — based on the Community Strategic Guidelines (drafted by the European Commission), National Strategic Reference Framework (of a EU Member State) and Operational Programmes (of an EU Member State) — directions for support and scope of supporting participating entities, including the impact on their innovation and development-related behaviours4. On the other hand, searching for innovative solutions on the part of research units results from the goals of their establishment, and, in addition, setting directions for research may be influenced by demands of business entities and by socio-economic policy. Research is conducted in a specific environment which has resources to finance it, indicates particular demands, cooperates in conducting research, etc. It should be noted that the research is conducted at a university or an institute which demonstrates qualifications in a given domain, has prepared staff and conducts research in line with procedures guaranteeing its quality and ethical value. Business entities, in turn, in order to ensure continuity of operation and competitiveness, perform analyses of the market and sales potential both with the currently offered product portfolio and by means of new applications (existing in a given period or new, whose implementation is made possible based on research undertaken). Thorough analyses of the market constitute the basis for undertaking initiatives connected with exploring innovative solutions meeting recipients’ expectations, or to fill in occurring niches. As a result of the analyses, business entities define directions for their development and demands for new innovative solutions. Advisory entities, on their part, disseminate new solutions, while cooperating with research units and business entities. At the same time, the entities — based on the knowledge of economic practice, observations of inadjustment of manufacturing techniques and technologies, organization of manufacturing processes etc. to existing needs — indicate the demand for particular solutions to research units.
The innovation transfer cycle, as shown in Fig. 1 is of a continuous nature, as some activities end their life span, some — begin it, and others — are in the development or maturity stage. As a result, advisory services play an important role as they should indicate the selection and applicability of certain solutions in existing conditions, in particular those resulting from the preferences of the state and self-government units. The aforementioned guidelines of the EU show that not only implementation and dissemination of innovativeness is important but also the creation of a system which will support the use of knowledge to create entrepreneurial attitudes and activities in the economy, including the sector of services and in infrastructure. Moreover, support in this scope, i.e. through advisory aid, aims at compensating imperfection of the market, hindering innovations and entrepreneurship5. EU’s cohesion policy, along with rural and agricultural policy, indicates the need for advisory services which is consistent with current directions of support for structural transformations in regions and the economy (e.g. favouring sustainable development). The role of advisory institutions is to create entrepreneurship at the national, regional and local levels in all fields which provide for the implementation of the adopted goals of economic policy, at present encompassing “creating conditions for the growth of
4
[12, 25-51].
competitiveness of knowledge-based economy and entrepreneurship ensuring an increase in employment and in the level of social, economic and spatial cohesion”6
.
3. Knowledge of beneficiaries and scope of knowledge transfer
Advisory needs refer to the state of lack of knowledge or (and) unfulfilled expectations with regards to professional advice provided by advisors. Lack of knowledge in particular concerns beneficiaries of the public advisory system who frequently do not realize the need for its expanding. EU activities, in particular regarding problematic areas, are directed towards7:
increasing adaptation capabilities of enterprises, entrepreneurs and employees, environmentally-friendly technologies,
promoting entrepreneurship and innovations, as well as economic activity management, new forms of work organization, including the improvement of ergonomic working conditions
and the level of occupational safety and health, implementing social and environmental innovations,
influencing actions aiming at improving the conditions and quality of life of the society, human capital formation and e-learning,
lifelong learning,
supporting cooperation and establishing partnerships in the area of education and trainings in order to facilitate exchange of experience and good practices.
The abovementioned activities indicate a need to develop the following directions of information and advisory work, along with the transfer of knowledge:
1. Advisory services developing personalities and entrepreneurial attitudes of population (in particular, entrepreneurs and potential entrepreneurs);
2. Advisory services promoting the implementation of an adopted development strategy of a given area (commune, poviat, etc.);
3. Advisory services favouring the development of specific enterprises and learning on the conditions of their performing (in particular, technological, economic, organizational and environmental ones).
4. Advisory services supporting cooperation of beneficiaries and their joint actions for their own environment (local communities).
5. Facilitation — helping beneficiaries in consolidating their knowledge and independent acquisition of new knowledge, bridging competence gaps.
The advisory needs particularly concern inhabitants of problematic areas, usually rural ones. Most frequently, it results from a lower level of education of these populations and their high unemployment (in particular, of a hidden nature), along with a need to prepare them for rural transformations, enabling a multifunctional and integrated rural management. In Poland, in 2010, the share of individuals 13 years of age and above with a secondary education was 26.5%, and with higher education — 8.8%. At the same time, the share of the rural population as compared with the urban population was8:
− approximately 3 times lower in the aspect of higher education,
6 [9, 40]. 7 [12, 76-78. 8 [6, 23-24].
− approximately 1/3 lower in the aspect of secondary education, − 2 times higher in the aspect of primary education.
The quoted data show that rural population is not sufficiently prepared to implement changes and innovations which should constitute a basis for structural transformations and activation of the unemployed. It is reflected in the EU’s structural as well as in rural and agricultural policies. Directions and the scope of changes of rural areas structure in the current financial perspective, and thus of advisory support, are specified in the Rural Development Programme 2007–20139. Based on the RDP 2007–2013 tools analysis, the advisory and knowledge transfer demands for rural population in the following areas can be defined:
1 . Agricultural advisory subsystem — providing farmers with support in farming, facilitating
decision-taking and strengthening the implementation of selected strategies and operational actions. It concerns preferred behaviours connected with farming which fall into the scope of technical and organizational advisory services as well as agricultural and environmental advisory services. Technical and organizational advisory services should be focused on providing support to commodity agricultural holdings which can make use of EUR 15,000 — for reaching high quality standards of agricultural products, crop production technologies, agricultural holding management, food safety and environmental standards10. On the other hand, agricultural and environmental advisory services aim at preventing negative effects occurring in environmental management (e.g. degradation, soil erosion, water pollution, etc.) and at a rational farmlands management by agriculture. Agriculture is associated with space. Therefore, conditions for its reasonable use and adjustment of the type of economic activities to it should be created, and thus for the provision of spatial order and spatial arrangements’ harmony. Developing specific undertakings in an agricultural holding is only possible if they are effective. For this purpose, economic and organizational advisory services should also be developed, aimed at supporting and directing farmers as it pertains to feasibility and profitability assessments of undertakings, business plan drafting, agricultural holding and undertakings management, various types of economic advisory services (bank, financial, marketing ones, etc.), providing advice in this scope, etc.
2 . Rural advisory subsystem, taking into account relations between contemporary agriculture
transformations and rural development, services and infrastructure connected with agriculture and agricultural population. On the one hand, it can be noticed that an increasing area of farmlands in necessary to achieve income comparable to this obtained from extra-agricultural activity. As a result, a portion of farmers are forced to seek employment outside agriculture or agricultural holdings and need to be concentrated, which is connected with an outflow of a part of farmers from agriculture. On the other hand, the industrialization of agriculture, development of services and infrastructure for agriculture also fosters employment outside agriculture. As a consequence, a need for new jobs for rural population arises. It is best to search for them in a place of residence. Questions arise: which activity to develop in the rural areas so that it was profitable and adjusted to purchasers, and how to conduct such an activity, taking into account the laws of economy and ecology. Helpful in providing answers to these questions are advisory services which, in the EU Member States’ rural areas, consists of four
9 [11]. 10 [13, 8-9].
fields in particular: advisory services in the scope of multifunctional rural development, socio-economic advisory services, environmental and rural advisory services and socio-economic and organizational advisory services. These four fields allow one to balance three goals: ecologic, social and economic ones, and thus facilitate sustainable development.
3. Forestry advisory subsystem — fostering the provision by entities (state and private ones)
owning forests of a reasonable forestry management and forest exploitation in compliance with the sustainable development principles, i.e. by strengthening protective functions of forests and thus improving the quality of the environment. The activities aim at protecting the natural environment, including forestlands. Forestry advisory activities, vestigial in Poland, are based on taking account of environmental requirements and using technologies saving the environment, including a forest ecosystem. In this advisory subsystem, economic issues, in particular management and efficiency should also be considered.
4. Requirements as regards knowledge of advisors
An advisor is a person providing advice, supporting the process of solving problems related to the lack of a particular type of knowledge. The advisor shows various solution variants to a beneficiary, their pros and cons, but the final decision needs to be taken by an interested entrepreneur, managing a given organization (enterprise, institution) or by a particular citizen who makes a decision to use a specific advisory service or to launch his or her own activity. Therefore, it can be stated that the basic goal of advisory services is to help beneficiaries in helping themselves11. Advisory support is provided through (see Figure 2):
8. Improving organization
7. Teaching independent problem-solving
6. Creating a cooperative atmosphere
5. Providing support in implementing
new solutions
4. Designing activities
3. Preparing a diagnosis
2. Problem-solving
1. Provision of necessary information
G o a ls o f ta sk ad v is o ry s er v ic es G o al s o f p ro ce ss ad v is o ry s er v ic es
Figure 2. Types of advisory services and advisory work goals hierarchy Source: Adapted from 3, 111.
− task advisory services which consist of gathering and transferring information, preparing action plans based on it and supporting their implementation,
− process advisory services, teaching independent problem-solving, cooperation between beneficiaries and making decisions regarding changes and the improvement of organization.
In Poland, task advisory services are predominant, which frequently replaces educational activities and plays a disseminative role with regards to new solutions, aid programmes, etc. Such advisory services are needed and effective; however, it is not a fully creative factor, influencing the interested parties’ activity in the process of changes. This is the role of process advisory services which should also serve as a basis for solving social and public problems. Here, an advisor is a facilitator who prepares beneficiaries for independent problem-solving, reviewing, at the same time, their choices12. To achieve it, first, the appropriate advisors need to be trained, and then, conditions for supplementing knowledge by advisory services beneficiaries need to be created. It should be taken into consideration that much needs to be done in both scopes, as up to now, public advisory services have not earned sufficient attention. Poland’s membership in the European Union forces some changes in the area of advisory services, which is proven by the analysis of advisory needs in the scope of RDP 2007–2013. Such changes should be of system character, taking account of advisory needs, the situation (i.e. the scope of the implemented socio-economic policy and resulting advisory needs, feasibility of financing the activities, period of their implementation, difficulty level, etc.), but also advisory potential, qualifications and preparation of advisors, their engagement, etc. (see Figure 3).
The scope of public advisory services is constantly growing, which entails a need for an increase both in the number of advisors employed, as well as their knowledge. In Poland, public advisory services, with the exception of agricultural one, do not have a long history and, in spite of existing demands, their development is not observed. As a result, many advisory needs remain unsatisfied, in particular in the scope of creating entrepreneurship (both in rural and urban areas) and reskilling. It should be noted that also many advisory needs in the scope of agriculture are not met because of decreasing employment level in agricultural advisory centres and the most talented individuals leaving advisory jobs as a consequence of shrinking funds for financing such units.
Current advisory demands and tasks resulting from implemented socio-economic policy and defined by EU strategic guidelines indicate the necessity to enhance the role of public advisory services provided by public organizations directly or under the public-private partnership13. However, independently for the form of provision of these services, a requirement exists to provide an adequate advisory potential which will play the following roles14:
• educative — training, on-the-job training, advisory services;
• social — interpersonal relations, encouraging actions, organizing task force groups, self-support teams, etc.,
• informative — gathering, selecting, processing and disseminating information;
• decisive — developing new innovative ideas, promoting progress and changes, preventing aberrations from occurring by presenting recovery programmes.
12 [14, 44-45]. 13 [15, 69-71]. 14 [15, 58].
Advisor’s attitude: function, competences, behaviour, reputation, authority. Nature of situation — defined by operating conditions Advisor’s customers’ assessment Advisory potential: knowledge, experience, imagination, communication skills, leadership, organization. Beneficiary’s potential: knowledge, experience, motivation, creativity, trust for advisor, production resources. Advisory tasks: types of tasks, difficulty level, implementation period, resources owned. Advisory organization goals Communication
Figure 3. Advisors’ behaviour as a function of the potential and nature of the situation Source: Adapted from 10, 42.
Advisor — while performing various roles — should demonstrate adequate preparation, knowledge and professional experience in order to meet his or her beneficiaries’ requirements. It denotes a need to have competences necessary to work as advisor. The competences include15: − knowledge in a given scope (I know what),
− skills (procedural knowledge — I know how and I can), − attitude (I want to and I am ready to use my knowledge).
Competences are a basis for the advisor’s work and effectiveness, but apart from them, other features should also be considered, such as: communication skills, attractiveness, trust, reputation and authority. The features are derivatives of competences, but their existence depends on the advisor’s personality, his or her attitude and openness towards customers. In the advisory process, the advisor should16:
• take care of beneficiaries and their needs, • appreciate his or her customers,
• formulate goals and tasks for beneficiaries, 15 [7, 83-86].
• maintain relations with people, • know how to influence people, etc.
The presented requirements from advisors indicate that knowledge is a starting point for their work; therefore, a system for their preparation and on-the-job training in relation with socio-economic policy should be considered.
4. Conclusions
Currently, the place and need for the public advisory services development exist. It results mainly from the following indicators:
1. Socio-economic transformation and Poland’s accession to the European Union puts new challenges in front of the public sector, whose implementation necessitates advisory support; 2. EU policy favours advisory support development; therefore, it is worthwhile to take advantage
of such support and organize institutional aid for transformations, including the structural ones and those related to creating entrepreneurship;
3. Advisory support can be provided to all interested parties or to a particular group (e.g. free of charge to micro- and small enterprises);
4. Such support can be provided by various advisory institutions (from the national to local levels), public institutions or those acting under the public-private partnership;
5. Advisory support provided by the public sector or recommended by this sector should be prepared in the best manner possible and adjusted to recipients so that they take advantage of it, entering development path consistent with implemented socio-economic policy.
6. The activities should be based on advisory system founded on advisors’ knowledge and its constant improvement — resulting from adopted development programmes.
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WIEDZA W SYSTEMIE DORADZTWA PUBLICZNEGO Streszczenie
W opracowaniu przedstawiono nastpujce zagadnienia: istot doradztwa pu-blicznego i jego zakres, wiedz beneficjentów i zakres transferu wiedzy oraz potrzeby w zakresie wiedzy doradców. Ukazujc te zagadnienia wskazano na cele systemu publicznych usług doradczych, którymi s wspieranie przemian, dostosowanie do istniejcych warunków działania, rozwój i kreowanie przedsibiorczoci, przygoto-wanie do korzystania z funduszy pomocowych itp., a wraz z tym przygotowania do-radców i instytucji doradczych do realizacji tych zada. Podstawow tez opraco-wania jest załoenie, e wiedza jest podstaw publicznych usług doradczych. W zwizku z tym jego podstawowym celem jest okrelenie potrzeb i zakresu doradz-twa publicznego oraz działa zwizanych z jego wiadczeniem w powizaniu z wie-dz doradców i beneficjentów w warunkach współczesnej Polski
Słowa kluczowe: wiedza, transfer, innowacja, doradztwo, doskonalenie, rozwój
Andrzej Piotr Wiatrak
Department of Management Quality Faculty of Management
Uniwersity of Warsaw
ul. Szturmowa 1/3. 02-678 Warszawa e-mail: apw@mail.wz.uw.edu.pl
