Knowledge Management Function Model

The PMO's "project knowledge management" function model presents a capability to communicate and collaborate within the project management environment and with stakeholders in the business environment of the relevant organization. The model addresses project management information handling, particularly through the progressive implementation of knowledge management tools and techniques. However, this model does not attempt to introduce all concepts and considerations of the knowledge management discipline in an exhaustive manner. Rather, the PMO can use this model to guide the introduction of those knowledge management components that are aligned with project management communication and collaboration exchanges.

The prominent activities of the PMO's "project knowledge management" function model are depicted in Figure 4.1. Each activity is described in the following subsections.

Figure 4.1: "Project Knowledge Management" Function Model

Any PMO implementing a knowledge management capability must consider the culture of the relevant organization while knowledge management is being planned. In this case, organizational culture represents the manner in which people within the relevant organization interact, together with the responsibilities and actions they accept as appropriate. Instituting knowledge management affects the organizational culture and brushes up against people's beliefs and values. This condition must be considered while the elements of an effective project knowledge management system are discussed and deliberated. Afterward, people, for the most part, will gain an understanding of knowledge management concepts, as well as an appreciation for how their personal use of knowledge management ultimately contributes to business interests and objectives. The PMO can facilitate this acceptance by proceeding with implementation at a pace acceptable to the organizational culture.

Establish Knowledge Management Framework

The PMO, in close coordination with business unit managers and particularly the unit responsible for information systems (IS), should design a strategy for implementing knowledge management within the project management environment. This entails creating a knowledge management framework that will guide the development of near- and long-term capabilities of knowledge management used in the project management environment. Three complementary tasks — develop an approach, identify tools, and prepare a project knowledge management plan — should be performed in conjunction with establishing a knowledge management framework.

The PMO should take the lead in defining how data, information, and knowledge will be collected, stored, and retrieved to facilitate project management and to achieve its own functional responsibilities. It must develop a perspective on how such data and information is transformed into knowledge, and it must develop the means by which knowledge material is produced, maintained, and applied to benefit the relevant organization.

When establishing the framework for knowledge management, the PMO must have sufficient understanding of knowledge management concepts in order to achieve proper initial planning and subsequent implementation of advanced tools. First, the PMO should begin by recognizing that knowledge proceeds from — but is distinctly different from — data and information. Data usually results from quantitative measurement. Information adds meaning, relevance, and purpose to data. Knowledge, therefore, represents information that has been transformed by human experience or interpretation. It contains such added values as judgment and understanding about a matter or topic.

For the most part, knowledge is an organizational asset generated by people. It is codified or categorized to facilitate placement and application within the workplace, and then it is transferred or otherwise made available for use by other people. A number of automated tools can and should be used to facilitate the critical practices of knowledge management.

This discussion is hardly intended to be a primer in knowledge management, but it does provide a fundamental frame of reference for what needs to be performed to introduce knowledge management into the project management environment. In lieu of having an internal knowledge management development capability, the PMO may need to seek the advice and services of qualified vendors and consultants, particularly as it approaches implementing advanced processes and capabilities.

The PMO can begin its efforts to construct and implement a project knowledge management system by examining the communication and collaboration requirements within the project management environment. This examination can be as detailed or as abbreviated as the PMO's scope of responsibilities warrants. The following are key components of a knowledge management system and framework for which the PMO can determine needs and develop an approach for implementation.

Information Management

Most PMOs should likely begin their efforts at the information system level and then expand as more advanced knowledge management capabilities and tools are introduced over time. To that end, each PMO must decide how pertinent project management information will be exchanged, distributed, or otherwise managed, and then identify those participants who will be responsible for the information management processes that are established.

The PMO addresses this knowledge management element as a means to develop concepts that will guide the direction of project management information handling within the relevant organization. The PMO should identify the elements of information management that are described in the following three subsections.

Information Users

Determine who needs project management information in the relevant organization. Four broad categories of information users can be examined:

• Project participants: Project managers, team members, and technical staff

• Project oversight managers: PMO, sponsors, executives, control boards, etc.

• External project stakeholders: Customers, vendors, and contractors

• Business managers: Business unit managers (sales, contracting, human resources, etc.)

Begin by reviewing or identifying prominent project information needs among these groups. Compile the types of information required as the basis for subsequent specification of information content and processes for collecting and distributing information. Include needs for project management information archives and library services.

Information Systems

Review existing information systems and examine system architecture options for introducing new, automated mechanisms for information handling. Relative to those activities closely aligned with the PMO's "project management tools" function, this includes identifying what information systems approach is preferred in regard to four general types of systems:

• Paper-based approach: Project management information is collected and distributed by hand and is possibly supported by fundamental word processor, spreadsheet, or database software applications.

• Automated approach: One or more automated systems provide integrated collection of project management information as well as automated access and distribution for network-based information users.

• Web-based approach: This is a variation on the automated approach that simply uses the Internet or an intranet as the preferred platform for project management information collection and distribution.

• PDAs and wireless approach: This is yet another variation on the automated approach that expands the reach of the information system to mobile use via personal digital assistants (PDA) and other devices.

After identifying what systems or information management methods currently exist, the PMO should then prepare its recommended approach for the level of automation and interconnectivity to be used for information management. This can include recommendations for one primary system tool for capturing project information and serving as the central application of the project management information system. The resulting approach will be appropriately coordinated within the relevant organization and will guide the introduction and implementation of new information systems used in the project management environment. (Refer to the PMO "project management tools" function for conducting tool selection and implementation based on the developed approach.) Moreover, the chosen approach will provide the basis for other knowledge management system features yet to be considered.

Information System Access

The referenced users identified above must be revisited to ascertain their requirements for information system access. The same users who have project management information needs are also likely to be the ones who will contribute to information collection and analysis. In a sense, this represents a circular exchange where one user group accesses the input of another user group. The PMO should determine the general nature of input required from each group (or individual roles within a group) and then ascertain their access requirements across one or more information system platforms to be implemented. In addition, it is important to identify any information system training that will be provided to users at different access levels as new information system platforms are introduced.

Document Management

The project management environment inherently generates documents. Documents represent bundles of data and information having interrelated content. As an element of knowledge management, the PMO will benefit from developing a document management approach. Thus, the PMO must devise the means to facilitate project document management.

In developing this document management component, the PMO will identify primary documents and how they will be used and managed, which is complementary to the information systems element described above. The PMO can begin this examination by identifying the types of documents that reside within its project management environment. This includes:

• Project management plans

• Project management reports

• Technical documents

• Business documents

• Project records and logbooks

These documents will be examined more closely for content development in the later section on establishing the project management information system. However, for our purposes here, the PMO's focus is on developing an approach to how such documents in the project management environment will contribute to the knowledge management effort. In particular, the PMO must determine whether a separate need exists for an automated document management system or, perhaps, even a content management system. The PMO must also ascertain the types of documents used in the project management environment. Next, it must determine the preferred means by which authorized project management participants and stakeholders can generate, store, and retrieve the necessary project management documents.

The following subsections present three levels of document management capability that the PMO may wish to consider in constructing its approach to knowledge management.

Attached Documents

In this approach, pertinent project management documents are electronically appended to a feature or function of the primary information system, such as the document files attached to e-mail messages.

Document Managers

This technique uses an automated system specifically designed to handle multiple documents. The word processors on most computers have a file management capability that simply displays document filenames, size, and location on the system. Accordingly, the PMO can establish standard file directories and use an existing word processing system as the document manager. However, larger, more complex documents may be encountered and used in the project management environment, including CAD files, engineering drawings and specifications, and software engineering output. These examples may justify the PMO's consideration of specially designed tools or applications that facilitate large or complex document management. Of course, such tools and applications increase cost because more-advanced document handling features are included in the package.

Content Managers

This type of tool is used when there is a need for extensive use of recurring document content across many documents. Essentially, content management provides data sets — chapters, paragraphs, drawings, and even words — that are available for reuse and insertion in multiple documents. This is accomplished through the data-set management capability of the content management system. An example of how content management can be applied in project management is the use of templates and repeatable content for project management plans. Most word processors can manager templates. However, the technical and business aspects of project management may warrant some consideration of content management. The requirements for developing customized products or other technical solutions may indicate a need for a content management system that "translates" technical information to design and specifications documents. In addition, the complexity of associated contracts may require content management system support to address the multitude of content options in individual customer and vendor contracts. Most organizations would consider the acquisition of a content management system to be a major operating expense — starting at a low six-digits figure — that demands validation of need. At the same time, content management systems can often be used for multiple purposes across the relevant organization as a means to justify the hefty cost. Furthermore, if the PMO designs a comprehensive knowledge management system, there may also be applications for the content management system in the project archives and library.

Process Management

Process guidance, like much of the other information in a project management environment, has traditionally been paper-based. However, the advancing capabilities of information systems have increased access to and management of process guidance through automated means. In the project management environment, the issues of process management deal directly with the "project management methodology" function. The PMO's methodology management function ensures that all essential elements of project management, including links and integration with technical and business processes, are accomplished. Thus, the knowledge management aspect of methodology management provides for the efficiency of an automated platform on which the methodology resides.

In defining the needs for the project management methodology platform, the PMO should consider:

• Access by:

  • Project participants

  • Other stakeholders in the relevant organization

  • Customers and external vendors

• Translation and integration of methodology process management system content in:

  • Project management Web-based information pages

  • Executive dashboards

  • Project management information systems

  • Business systems

• Coverage and capture of project management life cycle activity information

The approach that the PMO deliberates in this knowledge management component identifies how the project management methodology will be made available within the project management environment. This PMO effort should therefore determine (a) what systems it will reside on, be connected to, or interface with, and (b) what information will be transferred to which project management participants as a result of that placement.

Collaboration Management

Collaboration within the project management environment presents the need for both facilitating processes and systems. The process factor is normally addressed through methodology and technical process implementation; the system factor then becomes prevalent in knowledge management as the means or mechanism used to convey process guidance. However, there are adjunct factors that also must be considered in establishing an effective collaboration capability. The PMO should examine this knowledge management component with consideration for:

• Collocation or geographical separation of project teams: The PMO should list all work locations of the project teams within its purview. This will enable a simple analysis of physical constraints on collaboration and initially indicate the types of tools needed to facilitate collaboration within the project management environment. This includes consideration of:

  • Single-location teams, where all team members work in the same facility — commonly typified by "walking distance" personal contact

  • Multiple-location teams, where team members perform different aspects of project works at different facilities — generally represented by some need and anticipation for short- or long-distance travel for routine or recurring personal contact

  • Virtual teams, where team members work at home offices or at global or local business facility locations and do not plan or anticipate routine personal contact

• Types of collaboration required: The PMO should determine the nature of collaboration needed within the project management environment and consider:

  • Project performance reviews

  • Technical performance reviews

  • Project team coordination and development meetings

  • Project stakeholder meetings

  • Project team member assignments and coordination of task status

  • Project team time use and approval activities

  • Technical and business innovation forums

  • Project Web-based knowledge-space reference pages

  • Cross-project collaboration, coordination, and information exchange forums

• Complexity of technical and business elements: The PMO will need to recognize the impacts of more-complex project solutions resulting from contract innovations, the introduction of new technology, or simply the complexities of the established technical solution and business interests. In this regard, the PMO can examine the:

  • Nature of collaboration required

  • Level of management involvement

  • Inclusion and availability of technical expertise

  • Participation by external stakeholders (and their collaboration capabilities)

Identifying the working locations of project participants, along with considering the types of required interactions and the complexity of project efforts, will help the PMO begin to discern the needs for collaboration tools and techniques. As this information emerges, the PMO can begin developing its approach to the collaboration component of knowledge management.

Next, the PMO will formulate the best means to achieve preferred project management collaboration. In particular, the PMO will identify what types of system applications or activities are necessary to facilitate collaboration efforts, which includes considering the following collaboration mechanisms:

• E-mail: A message creation and distribution system, as well as a virtual standard in today's business organizations for communicating and tracking project information.

• Instant messaging: Also a real-time message creation and distribution system, but which limits real-time access to communication and collaboration only to those participants currently connected to the system. This capability is provided through certain types of on-line Web-based communication applications, selected Internet service providers, as well as some mobile telephone and paging systems.

• Face-to-face meetings: Real-time personal interactions used to facilitate deliberation and discussions regarding technical, business, and project management topics.

• Telephone conferencing: A means to provide real-time deliberation and discussion among participants. Because this system may constrain the number of active participants by relegating other conference attendees to listening-only status, it is not practical for more than a handful of participants.

• Video conferencing: Similar to telephone conferencing, but it is enhanced by visual display of participants, as well as referenced displays and diagrams. These enhancements can incur considerable additional equipment costs, which the needs of the relevant organization may warrant, particularly if videoconference equipment and costs are shared across business units.

• Web-based collaboration: The systems and tools in this collection all perform project-related communication and collaboration within the context of their connectivity to the Internet or an intranet. Some may be associated with network-based applications and are differentiated by the features offered. They include the following generic tools:

  • Web-based presentation systems, which enable on-line audio-visual presentations to audiences of various sizes. Some systems provide for reruns of stored presentations.

  • Web-based communication systems — either an integrated feature of Web-based presentation systems or separate — enable interactive participation in on-line presentations and meetings where larger audiences require a participant-moderator capability.

  • Dedicated and open chat rooms, which provide both real-time conversation mode and forum-type conversation "threads" on various pertinent topics.

  • Task management systems, which provide for on-line assignment of project tasks to team members and others while also tracking and managing task progress.

  • On-line work spaces, which facilitate document and work-in-progress reviews by various project participants. Such work spaces can also transfer or exchange partially completed work products for use by other project participants. (This represents specialized use of project of knowledge spaces, which is reiterated in the next section about project archives and reference library.)

  • On-line time management systems, which enable the collection and management of individual participant time on project work. This feature may be integrated with other on-line systems, particularly task managers.

The PMO should gain an understanding of the relevant organization's collaboration needs and examine practical tool and system solutions in formulating its approach to the collaboration management element of knowledge management.

Project Archive and Reference Library Management

The capability to access and use lessons learned from previous projects is an essential activity of effective project management. Through the construction of a project archive (that is presumably on-line), users are able to access pertinent information elements for review or for application to new project planning efforts. Similarly, a project management information library, enhanced by knowledge management tools and features, can assist project teams in their individual and collective performance efforts.

Applying the following general tools can help in creating and managing the project archive and reference library capabilities of this knowledge management component.

Project Information Storage Database

The project information storage database is the on-line project information center that contains critical information about past and present project work. It may be the primary tool selected for the project management information system that also has the capability and capacity to retain and access information on previously conducted projects. In particular, it addresses the project work breakdown structure (WBS), the project work plan (cost, schedule, and resource utilization), and the project risk management plan. This inherently provides indications of the accuracy of project estimates and allows standard estimates to be adapted for particular project use. This storage database may contain important project information components, such as project performance feedback and lessons learned, or this information may be captured using a project management knowledge space, described below.

Project Management Knowledge Spaces

This system tool extends the reference library features for accessing real-time and relevant project information and project management knowledge. Able to cover any imaginable topic the PMO may want to pursue, this tool includes user contributions in the form of project documents, technical papers, and on-line threaded or real-time discussions that essentially serve to expand the understanding of points and topics presented. After the project management information system, the use of knowledge spaces may be an organization's single most valuable tool. Because it can also be a significant cost item, it warrants PMO consideration of the following types of knowledge space use:

• Technical knowledge space: Provides access to technical papers and presentations that have value in the project management environment. This material can be compiled and stored on internal systems or provided via an Internet address for access at the source location. One or more knowledge spaces can be constructed to address multiple technical disciplines.

• Project team knowledge space: Provides on-line capabilities to exchange ideas in a discussion forum, display the project work plan and track project progress, attach project plans and documents for project team members to access, as well as conduct planning and document-review and -approval activities.

• Project management forum: Provides on-line capabilities to exchange project management concepts and ideas, identify and discuss current practices and solutions applied to project efforts, deliberate best practices in project management, and reference other relevant on-line forums. This is a cross-project knowledge space that all project stakeholders in the relevant organization can access.

• PMO knowledge space: Provides the PMO staff with a working knowledge space similar to that furnished to project teams. It can be used to assist in creating and managing PMO functions.

• Vendor/contractor knowledge space: Provides a means to identify and select vendors and contractors for project work assignments, manage their contractual responsibilities, and track their performance for ongoing consideration in subsequent work assignments.

• Customer knowledge space: Provides a means to capture information about customers for use in the project management environment. Such concerns as customer project history, customer performance issues, and customer evaluations, in particular, can be captured and examined for future reference.

• Project management and industry news: Provides access to news articles (normally as Internet addresses to Web pages) that are pertinent to the project efforts that the relevant organization conducts.

• Project management publications: Provides a general review of project management and technical books, and possibly incorporates a recommended reading list. This knowledge space also may contain a listing of relevant magazines and periodicals and may include an Internet address for on-line access to reviews or entire manuscripts.

• Project history knowledge space: Provides for Web-based display of relevant information from past projects, per information captured or derived from the project database — project descriptions, project classification, project results, etc.

• Project management training: Provides for Web-based review of internal and external training courses relevant to project participants. This consists of descriptions of optional and mandatory training and provides on-line registration capability.

These are a few ways in which knowledge spaces can be developed for use in the project management environment. The PMO should consider pursuing these, together with other types of knowledge spaces, to achieve a full-capability project archive and reference library.

Project Archive and Reference Library Options

The project archive and reference library can contain the following optional features:

• Project management knowledge database: An internal/external on-line system that enables project management information, technical guidance, and practice reference materials to be identified, collected, and stored as needed, or referenced for random access by users in the project management environment. This may not necessarily involve one system but, rather, a collection of several systems that provide access to project management concepts and techniques, white papers, sample tools and templates, on-line publications and project management news, and similar reference materials. The project management knowledge database may be a combination of the project information database and the project knowledge spaces and may possibly include other knowledge management access capabilities and features, which are also described in this section. In essence, this database represents the conceptual location for the project management reference library materials to be introduced for use in the project management environment, since this material will have to reside in a stored format somewhere.

• Search capability: The on-line project management reference library and knowledge management system should include the capability to search internal knowledge databases, as well as external sources on the Internet, to locate needed information. In particular, automated search capability can be established to automatically seek information on the Internet using keywords, phrases, or even names of vendors, contractors, or competitors.

• Executive dashboard: This may be a separate tool connected with the project management information system, or it could be presented in a knowledge space format. Inasmuch as information in this space will likely need to access the project database, creating this reference is a matter of PMO preference, with consideration for the capability that the primary project information database tool can provide.

• E-training: This library feature presents internal and external on-line project management and technical training programs that are accessible to users.

• Commercial project management portals: Many project management library features described in this list are available through this option. While some features are free, some have additional cost, usually in the form of an individual or organizational subscription fee. Most portals permit users to access various types of project management and technical information and publications; some include project management tools and templates that are available for download; and still others provide project team "knowledge spaces," "chat rooms," and discussion forums. This is a good alternative for the PMO to consider when it does not plan to pursue its own internal knowledge management system.

It is important to note that the automated focus of this discussion of project archive and reference library options does not preclude continued development of the traditional library, such as books, papers, and publications. In that regard, the PMO may wish to maintain a physical library in conjunction with its automated knowledge management system capability.

Introduce Knowledge Management System

The preceding section discussed defining the knowledge management concepts and practices for the relevant organization. The discussion that follows considers the planning required to introduce the preferred approach. This includes identifying the configuration of recommended hardware and software; specifying what system customization or "buildup" is necessary; and preparing for project knowledge content entry, transfer, and connectivity with other systems. These activities are described in the following subsections.

Establish Hardware and Software Configuration

The PMO should collaborate with the information technology (IT) department to examine and select an appropriate project knowledge management system architecture. However, it is the PMO's responsibility to ensure that the hardware and software selected will achieve the intended project knowledge management objectives. Actual hardware and software tool acquisition and implementation can be conducted within the PMO's "project management tools" function. The present activity, however, describes the prerequisite steps for identifying the preferred configuration of hardware and software to be used in the project management environment.

All in all, this effort provides insight into what hardware and software is needed to implement the preferred approach to knowledge management in the project management environment. It further identifies the hardware and software configurations that will be introduced in conjunction with project knowledge management system implementation.

The PMO will outline the results of the knowledge management framework examination presented earlier to identify the means by which it will introduce project knowledge management capability. It will then specify the types of software applications that are recommended to achieve the preferred approach in each of the knowledge management component areas. This entails considering and making decisions in the following three areas:

System Integration

The PMO should recommend what project information system capabilities will be sought as well as whether there will be one primary system or multiple systems that can be linked to manage:

• Project information: Management of cost, schedule, and resource utilization; often includes graphical depiction of project timelines and resource matrices, project reporting features, as well as executive dashboard project and program depictions

• Project management information: Management of activities performed across the project management life cycle; often includes checklists, templates, and information tracking forms to facilitate management and approval responsibilities

• Project portfolio information: Management of decisions and deliberation related to project selection, continuation, and termination as well as project prioritization; often includes on-line access to business case information and current project status

• Project collaboration: Management of on-line interactions among project team members and other relevant stakeholders within the project management environment; often includes task assignment and progress reporting, time management, and communication and discussion features

• Project reference information: Management of on-line access to project and business documentation (plans, policies, etc.), project management archives and library services, and internal and external project management information services

The PMO will have to determine which type of system will best serve its immediate project information management needs while also considering system expansion in the future, as may be identified in long-term plans.

System Connectivity

In collaboration with the IT department, the PMO should identify how its project information systems will operate in conjunction with its other systems (if there is more than one system) and with other current and planned business systems. Although the IT department may manage considerably more aspects and issues, these are a few of the key connectivity issues that the PMO may wish to know about and perhaps influence.

• Electronic data interchange requirements

• Software residence locations on networks

• External access requirements and capability

• Mobile computing interfaces (PDAs, wireless, dial-up modems, etc.)

Once necessary coordination has been accomplished, the PMO should rely on the IT department to fulfill system connectivity requirements.

System Customization

The PMO, in conjunction with guidance from the IT department, will need to determine what system customization and buildup should be accomplished and who will perform that work: the system vendor, the IT department, or resources within the project management environment. Planning in this area usually addresses customization that aligns the system with current processes and practices. However, it may also include customization that affects the capability for system interconnectivity. Normally, the IT department will lead or perform operating system configuration while the PMO will perform software application customization.

Design and Develop System User Interfaces

To assist users in accomplishing their work in the project management environment, the PMO will need to plan how users will access and use knowledge management systems. This may include a range of considerations from simply adding the final touches on current system user screens to creating new system user interfaces.

The PMO will need to identify the preferred user-interface features (in Web-based and standard-screen formats), and then plan and conduct system user-interface design and development activities to include the following areas:

• Web-page screen design: Provides the preferred, standard information content and screen appearance in a logical and relevant manner for user access

• Automated Web-page generation: Provides automated data calculations, introduction of new information from linked database systems, and report templates for display of information on pre-designed Web-page screens

• Search-engine criteria specification: Provides automated capability to build up the project management information library (database) through automated searches on the Internet

• User access levels: Provides access level definitions for the various types or categories of system users and administers security/password features of the system

• User personalization: Provides options for individual users to customize screens, reports, and screen content according to personal preferences or needs

The PMO can facilitate the design and development of these user-interface features to optimize system capabilities and maximize system benefits for users.

Introduce Project Knowledge Content

The capability and configuration of the total project knowledge management system will guide content management. However, the PMO will want to prescribe how all systems will capture, store, and organize relevant information. For each knowledge management framework component, it should specify its plan for achieving the following content-handling attributes.

Content Capture

This element specifies the means by which information is introduced into the project knowledge management system. To a large extent, project management data and information captures will be a manual-entry process. The project manager, team member, or designated project administrator will enter data and information content into the system when they become known or at specified recurring time frames. Automated calculations or electronic data transfers from other systems may generate some content as well. As a result, the PMO should be able to identify the source of required knowledge management system information, particularly if there will be any requirements for individual manual entry. Such requirements must be conveyed to system users.

Content Storage

This content management element specifies where the data or information resides. This may be a moot point if the project knowledge management system is totally automated and requires no manual database or storage setup or access outside of IT department management. However, defining this element becomes more essential when users of the knowledge management system create electronic files and documents and have the associated responsibility for addressing their storage locations. The PMO should identify preferred databases and other electronic file storage locations and then convey the electronic or on-line system storage addresses to system users.

Content Organization

This element of content management addresses the relationships between and among knowledge management data elements. It provides for examination of data and information to ensure time relevance and content compatibility. Time relevance means making sure that two or more data elements used in calculations, presented in reports, or introduced into discussions and deliberations are of the same time period and, therefore, relevant to one another. Content compatibility means verifying that each data element used, particularly those retrieved from connected systems, is what it is supposed to be. To illustrate this latter point, one knowledge management system component may access a data element from a connected system that uses a data field identifier called "Project ID." For a given value of "Project ID," that data field identifier must refer to the same project in all systems. The PMO must be reasonably assured that all data and information are checked and properly organized for time relevance and content compatibility as they are introduced into project knowledge management system components.

Implement Knowledge Management System

The specific features of the project knowledge management system will be designed and implemented based on prerequisite deliberation and decisions that define the knowledge management framework for the relevant organization. The PMO can consider the following guidance for designing and implementing project knowledge management system components.

Develop Project Management Information System (PMIS)

The PMIS represents the fundamental capabilities of information capture and exchange within the project management environment. It is the traditional term and approach applied to project data and information handling. As such, it retains high importance within the context of this PMO "project knowledge management" function model. The PMIS includes several elements that the PMO must consider to ensure effective communication within the project management environment. The PMO has responsibility for implementing these elements using the one or more project knowledge management system components selected and installed for use. The PMO should adapt its project knowledge management system to deliver as many of the following six features and capabilities as the selected project management information system provides.

Project Plans

The PMO should design and implement the means to prepare and access project plans, which include the following:

• Project plan: The document that defines the project and guides project management activities, and includes:

  • Project definition: Project scope, objectives, preliminary schedule and cost; identification of project manager, sponsor, and key resources; etc.

  • Technical solution elements: Technical approach steps and detailed description of how project objectives will be achieved, including identification of techniques and technologies used

  • Project business case: Customer information, customer needs and expectations, technical capability to perform the project, strategic business interest, assumptions and constraints, business risk, feasibility and cost-benefit analyses, etc.

  • Business solution elements: Costs, fees and expenses, vendor costs, contract terms and conditions, etc.

• Project work plan: The project work breakdown structure (WBS), with cost, schedule, and resources identified and appended for each work element.

• Primary project management support plans: Documents that are prepared to expand on concepts and provide routine project management guidance. The following plans can be considered individually or combined and prepared as one project management support plan:

• Risk management plan

  • Communications management plan

  • Scope management plan

  • Schedule management plan

  • Cost management plan

  • Procurement management plan

  • Quality management plan

  • Staffing management plan

• Secondary project management support plans: Documents that are prepared to expand project management guidance, as needed, with regard to organizational policies, achievement of business objectives, industry practices, project complexity and risk factors, and the experience level of the project team. The following plans can be prepared on an as-needed basis and appended to the project management support plan:

  • Budget management plan

  • Business case management plan

  • Customer support plan

  • Cost estimating plan

  • Project documentation plan

  • Facilities management plan

  • Financial performance plan

  • Project auditing plan

  • Marketing plan

  • Performance review plan

  • Project structure plan

  • Staff training plan

  • Staff integration and transition plan

  • Materials acquisition plan

  • Standards compliance plan

  • Vendor/contractor management plan

  • Transportation plan

  • Project close out plan

  • Operations transition plan

Project Reports

The PMO should design and implement the means to prepare and access project reports, which includes the following general types:

• Project progress or tasking reports: Normally prepared by project team members to indicate progress toward accomplishing assigned project tasks, with distribution to the project manager

• Project status reports: Commonly prepared by project managers to indicate the current project status relative to planned cost, schedule, and resource utilization; to identify problems, issues, and their resolution; to specify deliverables and achievement of project objectives; to confirm contract compliance or note contract modifications; and to address accomplishment of business objectives; with distribution to the project sponsor, executive control board, and the PMO

• Project portfolio reports: Customarily prepared by the PMO and containing aggregate results or indicators of project performance, business case fulfillment, and recommendations for project continuation or alternative actions (such as project audits, temporary hold, termination); with distribution to the executive control board

• Project audit reports: Usually prepared by the lead auditor (which is sometimes the project manager) to present the findings and recommendations of a project or technical audit; with distribution to the project sponsor and the PMO, as well as to other project stakeholders as deemed appropriate

Project Management Documents

The PMO should design and implement the means to prepare and access project management documents, which includes the following:

• Project charter: Specification of project management authority, funding allowance, and authorization to proceed with project management and technical life cycle activities. This document may be incorporated as an element of the project definition document, as deemed appropriate within the relevant organization.

• Scope change management documentation: Management of project scope change requests, change request reviews and analyses, scope change approval, and change notice actions

• Project issues log: Identification and resolution management of project customer, project sponsor, and project team issues; may include the consideration and documentation of problem management

• Contact log: Identification and management of important project stakeholder contacts

• Actions log: Identification and management of critical project or technical activities (including postmeeting action management) that are not otherwise covered in project planning documents

Technical Plans and Documentation

The PMO should design and implement the means to prepare and access project technical documents, which includes the following:

• Technical requirements document

• Technical specifications document

• Engineering and technical site survey

• Technical standards and procedures

• Technical design document

• Technical review document

• Technical testing and validation plan

• Product quality control plan

• Configuration management plan

• Construction and engineering plan

• Health and safety plan

• Inspection plan

• Logistics support plan

• Make-or-buy plan

• Manufacturing plan

• Field support plan

• Product life cycle plan

• Regulatory compliance plan

• Systems integration plan

• Tooling plan

Contract Documentation

The PMO should design and implement the means to prepare and access project contract documents, which includes the following:

• Customer technical and business proposals

• Customer contracts

• Customer contract modifications

• Customer deliverable acceptance documents

• Customer invoices

• Vendor/contractor proposals

• Vendor/contractor contracts

• Vendor/contractor contract modifications

• Vendor contractor document submittals and reports

• Vendor/contractor deliverable acceptance documents

• Vendor/contractor invoices

Meetings and Collaborative Events

The PMO should design and implement the means to prepare and access information and documents concerning project meetings and similar collaborative events (for example, technical reviews, performance reviews, technical solution discussions, etc.), which include the following:

• Meeting agenda preparation

• Meeting scheduling (date, time, location, and method, such as in person, on-line, via phone)

• Notification of meeting participants

• Meeting actions and follow-up responsibilities

This PMIS element can also be considered relative to the subsequent discussion of on-line collaboration, if that becomes a prevalent meeting method.

Develop Executive Dashboard

The executive dashboard can be viewed as a condensed and graphical representation of the project status report in real time. Its name corresponds to instruments on an automobile's dashboard panel, which may vary from graduated dials to displays of specific values. Despite the naming convention, executives are not the only project stakeholders who can benefit from accessing such information. However, the project information needs of the executive are usually the primary factors in the design and development of the executive dashboard.

The PMO should identify the requirements and construct an executive dashboard solution that provides appropriate project information to prominent users. The PMO can consider the following sample information elements in designing and developing an executive dashboard capability that serves key project stakeholders of the relevant organization:

• Primary dashboard indicators

  • Project status ^[1]

    • Green indicator: project is proceeding according to plans

    • Yellow indicator: project has some variation but it falls within allowable tolerances

    • Red indicator: project has some critical variations from plans

  • Project milestones

    • Identified milestone

    • Milestone achievement status (completed/not completed)

  • Project deliverables

    • Identified deliverable

    • Deliverable achievement status (delivered/not delivered)

• Secondary dashboard indicators

  • Project risk management performance

    • Risk events (for past project periods to date, perhaps by life cycle phase)

    • Risk response implementation (yes/no)

    • Risk control effectiveness (percentage of impact reduction)

  • Project issues management

    • Issue type (per such categories as customer, project team, vendor/contractor, etc.)

    • Issue description statement

    • Issue resolution statement

    • Issue status (open/closed)

  • Customer invoice status

    • Invoices submitted (invoice ID, date, amount)

    • Invoice amounts paid (invoice ID, date, amount)

This sample listing represents a few common executive dashboard content elements. The PMO can decide which of these or other information elements are needed for the dashboard it will implement in the relevant organization. In that regard, the dashboard should contain sufficient information to give users an adequate high level perspective of project status and its performance. It should also provide links to more-detailed project information according to individual user needs. For example, the dash-board can be prepared as an automatically refreshed Web page or by using a predefined display scheme that the deployed knowledge management system provides.

Construct Project Management Library

The project management library is an on-line reference tool that virtually all stakeholders in the project management environment can use. Although selected content may warrant access control, a large part of this project knowledge management component should be accessible to project managers, project sponsors, and project team members.

The PMO can use the inherent capabilities of the project management information system and supplement them as necessary with other knowledge management system components to provide a complete and comprehensive project management library facility that contains the information elements described below:

• Project lessons learned: Information and recommendations from previously completed projects that can be applied to current project planning efforts. For easy reference, lessons learned can be captured and organized into the following categories:

  • Customer feedback

  • Project manager feedback

  • Project team feedback

  • Project cost, schedule, and resource estimating results

  • Technical and technology feedback

  • Executive feedback and guidance

• Project archives: A repository for project management plans and technical documents that can support postproject analyses and studies, provide reusable technical and project management solutions, and review project management and technical process effectiveness. Project archives also can be aligned with the project team knowledge spaces described in the next section.

• Policy guidance: A reference to applicable policy and governance information that has application in the project management environment. This may comprise policies that direct the use of project management and technical methodologies, tools and practices, standard business objectives for every project, and industry and government regulatory guidance and mandates.

• Industry news: A reference to current news articles and publication content that deals with pertinent business, technical, and project management topics. This can be managed as a collection of industry-relevant news and information that is either captured and stored for later network database access by users or is represented by links to specified Web pages that are compiled and categorized for subsequent user access via the Internet. This information collection effort can include automated and manual information searches based on relevant key words, as well as monitoring and participating in on-line business, technical, and project management forums, chat rooms, or Webinars.

• Papers and presentations: An on-line repository for relevant internal and external technical papers and presentations dealing with business, technical, and project management topics. Information that is submitted at professional conferences and conventions or obtained from those sources or individuals can be categorized and stored for access in the project management environment.

• Project audits database: An on-line repository of the different project and project management audits that the PMO conducts. In general, this is essentially a document repository, but some PMOs may want to construct a more rigorous audit quantification system that provides a more detailed automated analysis capability. The project audits database will necessarily have restricted user access and can be used for subsequent internal studies in the project management environment.

Implement On-Line Project Collaboration

The PMO can maximize collaboration in the project management environment by implementing knowledge management tools. In the context of this PMO function, collaboration means enabling project team members and other stakeholders to communicate and exchange information that helps to achieve project objectives.

The PMO can use three prominent tools to facilitate project team collaboration:

Project Team Knowledge Spaces

This is an on-line information center — often represented in Web-page format — that is established for every major project. However, other configurations can also be used. For example, the project manager, cohesive project teams working multiple projects, and even business units can also set up team spaces. Possible content for such knowledge spaces includes:

• Project charter

• Project definition and other descriptive information

• Project status information

• Project logbooks

• Project reports

• Participant contact list (telephone, location, e-mail address, etc.)

• Customer information, including links to customer Web sites

• Vendor/contractor information, including links to vendor/contractor Web sites

• Links to relevant industry news and information Web sites

• Links to project plans and technical documentation (see handover spaces, below)

• Links to relevant project management information portals

• Links for project management methodology access (such as process and practice guidance, as well as forms, checklists, templates, etc.)

• A dedicated project team chat room to chronicle project management and technical discussions pertaining to the project (see also general discussion rooms, below)

The project team knowledge space is an on-line location that provides quick and easy access to project information that the project team and other stakeholders require. This tool's Web-based nature makes it accessible to geographically dispersed project team members.

Product Review and Handover Spaces

This is an on-line repository of project and technical documentation that authorized individuals can access. Represented by on-line work spaces where project and project management deliverables are created and stored, it can be used to:

• Store and access project plans, including retrieval for review and approval

• Store and access technical documents, with particular emphasis on retrieval and use of documents by different project team members (possibly at different geographical locations) for iterative design and development of project deliverables

• Store and access project deliverable electronic files and documents for quality review and approval, both internally and by customers

• Store and access vendor/contractor electronic file and document deliverables

• Provide simple or extensive feedback from technical and management reviews, as well as next-step guidance for iterative design and development activities

• Facilitate access to iterative deliverables for use in concurrent engineering of other project deliverables

The product review and handover space can be used to convey any deliverable design and development documentation that project team members need, including access to actual project deliverables that are constructed in electronic formats.

General Discussion Rooms

This is an on-line collaboration feature that traverses the project management environment. It can be developed for a wide audience, like all stakeholders within the project management environment or for a specified user group, such as all project managers. It presents a capability for ongoing exchange of knowledge and information about project management, which can be conveyed in formats such as live on-line chat and threaded topic forums. One or more on-line discussion rooms can be developed to provide such capabilities as:

• Forum for exchanging project manager knowledge and information

• On-line project management mentoring through an "ask the expert" forum

• Forum for discussing new techniques and emerging technologies

• Real-time distribution of lessons learned

• Forum for organizational news and announcements about current and new projects

The introduction of general discussion rooms emphasizes a cross-project and cross-business unit collaboration capability within the relevant organization.

Implement Other Knowledge Management Tools and Techniques

This PMO "project knowledge management" function generally retains the traditional considerations of strong project communication while presenting a relatively new focus on intensive collaboration or interaction within the project management environment. To that end, this PMO function model does not presume to provide a comprehensive examination of emerging knowledge management concepts and practices. However, there are a few more knowledge management tools and considerations that the advanced PMO may want to consider in its evolution. The list below briefly describes a few:

• Project management methodology system access: Provides interconnectivity between knowledge sources and the processes and practices of the preferred project management methodology system.

• Customer information knowledge spaces: Provides capability for customers to have their own Web page on the relevant organization's knowledge management system as a means to access information (such as project status, reports, and deliverables) relative to the customer project being conducted and possibly including an interactive communication capability, together with contract and invoice information.

• Vendor/contractor knowledge spaces: Provides capability for preferred vendors and contractors to have their own Web page on the relevant organization's knowledge management system as a means to access relevant project information, as well as to provide information about their participation and progress.

• Project portfolio management system access: Provides interconnectivity between knowledge sources and the processes and practices of the preferred project portfolio management system.

^[1]Note that these status indicators can be presented for the overall project or for each of the three critical work plan elements: cost, schedule, and resource utilization.