Table 2.

Classification of capabilities according to the level of complexity[50]

Level	Type of capabilities	Definition	Examples related to KM
Zero-order	Resources	Stocks of available factors that are owned or controlled by the organisation [57]	Access to evidence
			Protected time of the clinical staff to get involved in service improvement
			Funds provided by external KM programmes
First-order	Ordinary capabilities	Abilities to deploy resources to fulfil relatively simple tasks	Using a case-finding tool to identify all patients with a certain chronic condition in the general practice system
Second-order	Core capabilities	Bundles of an organisation’s resources and first-order capabilities which are strategically important to achieving its objectives at a certain point in time	Undertaking audit and feedback of chronic disease registers in order to improve evidence-based management of patients and increase financial gains of the general practice
Third-order	Dynamic capabilities	Abilities to constantly integrate, reconfigure, renew and reconstruct an organisation’s resources and core capabilities in response to the changing environment	Ability to change the way audit and feedback is conducted in response to the changing research evidence and/or performance targets
			Ability to incorporate new research evidence, health improvement methodologies and other forms of knowledge to modify existing and design new KM projects
			Ability to design a new register verification tool enabling a quicker and hence more cost-effective way of conducting audit and feedback