It generally involves dividing the knowledge-acquisition effort among multiple individuals, each of whom becomes a "subject matter expert" on some specialized area of the larger topic, then having them extract and abstract the more important findings and recommendations from that investigation into reports to and discussions with others in the organization.
The procedure often disperses the effort of acquiring knowledge among several experts, who focus on distinct areas within a broader topic. They subsequently compile and convey the most significant findings and recommendations from their investigations to colleagues in the organization via reports and meetings.