Why Implement a Project Knowledge Office
Risks in projects, regardless of context, size or technology, have a common thread. The chief project risks are often the fundamental reasons why projects fail. They are many and varied, with some more important than others. However, evidence shows, and the project management literature states, many of the reasons for project failure include, but are not limited to:
- Lack of agreed vision or outcome for the project.
- Scope and direction changes in the project.
- Difficulties in implementing a project due to conflicting priorities and limited budgets or fixed budgets.
- Poor planning of the project due to the poor project management skills of the team, or lack of time or leadership.
- Poor communication between project customers, system users, project implementers and other stakeholders. This leads to different expectations, 'surprise' outcomes, lack of 'buy-in' from stakeholders and generally poor relationships.
Problems and challenges similar to those identified above are relatively common in projects. The key to meeting these challenges is to 'proactively' manage risks - not just articulate or identify them. You must ensure they are dealt with before they become 'issues' that require substantial effort and resources.
However, risk is related to knowledge about the project, which means that the more information and knowledge all stakeholders have on the project, the less risk exists, because stakeholders are able to get a picture of the whole project and keep abreast of project activities as they occur, or are planned to occur. Accordingly, if perfect knowledge was achievable, then risk would probably be eliminated, or as we say ...'risk reduction in a project is about knowledge increase and knowledge sharing'. If we accept that project risks are less often technical but mostly 'people to people' or process risks, and more specifically, 'knowledge deficiency' risks, then projects need a definitive mechanism to address this issue.
What Is a Project Knowledge Office
So to increase and manage all aspects of knowledge in a project, we use the concept of a Project Knowledge Office (PKO). The PKO can comprise any number of people depending on the size and complexity of the project. Its role is varied, but it is generally to assist the project in all its knowledge management and production activities, including coaching on software tools and direct maintenance of data and information. It is the physical portal and 'one stop knowledge shop'for all project activities and staff.
That being said, knowledge and information management tasks are appropriate for any project at any point in its life cycle. Our PKO provides a knowledge management assistance package for a project or programme of projects. So, PKO tasks might include:
- Development and maintenance of the Project/Programme taxonomy.
- Maintenance of all Project/Programme data, and information, including hard copy documentation.
- Maintenance of all Project/Programme databases including requirements management databases and traceability management.
- Maintenance of a Project/Programme Event Log, which is a record of all key decisions and events in a project’s or program’s life, including outstanding day-to-day actions required.
- Maintenance of the Project/Programme Lessons Log. This is essential for a program to ensure that other projects learn from the mistakes and successes of others within the Programme.
- Maintenance of all Project/Programme stakeholder details.
- Support to all meetings and workshops as appropriate and required. This includes the recording and publishing of meeting minutes and workshop outcomes.
- Facilitation of specialist workshops such as requirements generation, requirements and task prioritisation, WBS development, cost estimation, risk identification and project planning.
- Development of best practice and efficient methods and techniques to manage and maintain information and knowledge through your process.
- Development and maintenance of planning and coordination tools and systems to ensure work is focussed, auditable and repeatable.
Of course this is all done using your software, or if you wish, we can recommend some tools for you, or help with your process in selecting the most suitable, appropriate and cost effective tools for you./
Finally, our PKO can fit into your existing Project/Programme Management Office (PMO) or it can evolve into one. However, because at the start of any initiative you need to gather the data, information and knowledge to determine the scope of the project, then establishing the PKO right at the start of a project’s life would seem prudent, although a PKO can be established at any point in a project’s or programme’s life.
