Knowledge Management is applied in three areas.
- Acquisition of knowledge
- Knowledge maintenance (accuracy, integrity, timeliness, audit trail)
- Knowledge dissemination.
Planning for Knowledge Management includes identifying in advance (to degree possible) the types of knowledge that will be necessary, determining media (type, format, and scope of contents) in which that knowledge will be embodied, and setting up processes to achieve Knowledge Management goals. It also included measures to continually update the plan as new knowledge types become evident.
Consider this. Attempting a CSD project without a competent Knowledge Management program is a gross insult to the project’s team members. They work hard and faithfully to produce the knowledge that is their major output. That effort should not be disrespected and its value should not be abandoned.
Why Knowledge Management?
From one viewpoint, the purpose of a CSD project is to acquire the knowledge necessary to enable an effective solution for an issue of concern.
- Knowledge for understanding the problem
- Knowledge about how to go about solution-discovery
- Knowledge to set up and operate the solution
The ultimate purpose of a CSD project is, of course, to extinguish the original problem and replace it by the desired outcome, which is the product of the solution. The means to do this, the expertise, resources, and people-power, already exist in the world. Knowledge is the key which unlocks, mobilizes and directs the means. Therefore Knowledge Management is mandatory for success.
The Functions of Knowledge Management on a CSD Project
Therefore, effective Knowledge Management is an important CSD project function, with several purposes.
- Capture and preserve knowledge as it is acquired in timely and accurate form
- Make knowledge available to the solution-discovery team so they can carry out the project in an expeditious and coordinated manner.
- Maintain a historical record of the path of knowledge acquisition so it can be reviewed for its quality, so that a baseline is available from which changes can depart as the project evolves in a manner insuring their consistency with the rest of the project, and as a repository of project experience for the benefit of future projects.
The Knowledge Management function for a project performs certain necessary detailed functions to achieve its purpose.
- Determine what knowledge is to be acquired in each phase of the project and at various points during each phase.
- Decide how that knowledge is to be organized. Usually it is organized into various documents, actual or virtual, on various topics, arranging those documents in a hierarchy that expands and is filled over time.
- Verify the validity and accuracy of the emerging knowledge as it evolves from preliminary to final form.
- Decide the form of each “document” in terms of medium, format and content.
- Assign responsibility for creating each document and on what schedule.
- Preserve the knowledge in a secure manner.
- Establish means for capturing and validating changes as the project progresses.
- Make knowledge available in a timely manner to those having the need.
Formalism
The degree of formalism exercised in Knowledge Management for a project is directly proportional to the size and complexity of the project. The level of formalism is selected to be sure the benefits of Knowledge Management are provided, efficiently and completely, but without extraneous effort.
A small and simple project can be quite informal. Computer applications for creating documents in a group setting are available and can be the basis of the Knowledge Management system. The team agrees on appropriate rules and procedures. Each team member is responsible for carrying out the Knowledge Management function in his or her work area. Having a single team member assigned to supervise the Knowledge Management function would be sufficient management control.
A large and complex project, on the other hand, generally requires an extensive and well-planned Knowledge Management component with adequate personnel and resources. Rules and procedures are established to guide and control every eventuality. Infrastructure is set up to support every needed function. Designing the Knowledge Management system is, in itself, a candidate for CSD-type solution-discovery.
A Final Word
In the pressure and haste of a typical CSD project, it is highly tempting to let the Knowledge Management function slip. Various team members might be satisfied to keep their own informal notes, or worse, just keep what they know in their heads. The task of transferring project knowledge to the formal system gets short shrift. DON’T LET THAT HAPPEN!