Designing Indigenous Knowledge Management Model for Gadaa System: Rule-based Knowledge Representation Approach

Abstract

Thisaper analyzes the current status of indigenous knowledge (IK) in Gadaa System in Oromo as general and Guji Oromo Community in specific, and the way how IK has been transferred among Guji Oromo Community for the long period of time, and indicating the way forward on capturing, converting, sharing and preserving the IK in Gadaa System for the next generation with the help of Technology. To design the indigenous knowledge management model in Gadaa System, this Study adopted two models. The first one is Socialization, Externalization, Combination and Internalization (SECI) Knowledge management Model which developed by Nonaka and Takeuchi, the second one is Boisot Knowledge Categories Model. These models, SECI and Boisots’, indicate the spiral arrangement of four sub section revolving from exchanging tacit IK to codifying the tacit knowledge by using several mechanisms and showing the possibilities of how the explicit (codified knowledge) can be combined with the support of different technological methods, to understand codified knowledge and the common scientific relationship between tacit and explicit knowledge in sharing of the given IK. The primary data were collected through mixed approach (qualitative and quantitative) with face-to-face interview, group discussions with 10 domain experts (Abbootii Gadaa, Baatu, Jaarsa biyya, Hayyuu) and, through questionnaires on the basis of purposeful sampling strategies in West Guji Zone in 2020. The study result indicated that the Community, particularly the young generation do not understand and utilize this knowledge because of no yet any technology is there, which facilitates managing and transferring of this important indigenous knowledge in Gadaa System to the next generation. Therefore, based on the finding, the proposed Indigenous knowledge management model in Oromo Gadaa System using ruleased knowledge representation technique specifically for Guji Oromo are designed as stepping stone for the transformation and preservation of IK.