The Public Health Casebook

Harvesting Tacit Knowledge

It is generally agreed that we have neglected the knowledge derived from experience, focusing instead on the knowledge derived from the analysis of routinely collected data, stats or information, and knowledge derived from research, namely evidence.

This is a resource of vital importance and a resource that will grow. It is expected that each Public Health professional will submit a case report each year and this will be kept as a closed resource to encourage people to describe their failures as well as their successes. It is hoped that professionals will report on the projects that did not go so well as well as on those that were highly successful, for there is a proverb in management that we learn more from out mistakes than our successes. There is another proverb that says that although it is important not to re-invent the wheel, it is sometimes necessary, but what is really important is that we do not re-invent the flat tyre.

Taxonomy

Benefits of submitting Case Studies

Everyone who submits a case report will receive proof of publication for inclusion in their development portfolio and we will think of ways in which particularly powerful case reports are rewarded. In the meantime it is in all our interests to build a powerful casebook, our interests as individuals and as a professional group.

Sometimes we can bring the change by bureaucratic authority, sometimes because we have large amounts of money at our disposal, usually these conditions do not apply. Instead we have to rely on what Max Weber called sapiential authority and the use of knowledge with confidence and authority. This in turn creates charisma, and charismatic authority is another important type of authority in which Public Health professionals have to rely. 

Submitting your Case Study