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.

What is a Problem Project?

A problem project is a project that has any or all of these characteristics:

• it is behind schedule and not gaining any traction;
• everyone is working the 'fire hose' because things are not running smoothly, and you are putting out 'brushfires' all the time;
• the project team is frustrated and nobody can agree on where the project is headed and how long it should take;
• procedures are developed on the 'fly'; questions can’t be answered immediately;
• endless hours are spent jumping through hoops instead of progressing the project;
• the project costs are unknown; and
• requirements and the scope are constantly changing.

What is a Knowledge Productivity Office?

A Knowledge Productivity Office (KPO) or a Knowledge Management Office (KMO) is responsible for defining, designing, implementing and otherwise managing the organisation’s knowledge management system in a holistic, prioritised and financially prudent way and in compliance with the CIO’s (or equivalent) policy and broader standards of good or mandated business practice to enable and support the processes and core business of the organisation and the organisation’s people to add value to that core business.

Introduction

TARDIS is the knowledge management system within the Australian Defence Force’s Capability Development Executive . TARDIS was designed and implemented by HolisTech® Pty Ltd  and won the actKM 2004 Combined Cultural and Technical Silver Award . The scope of TARDIS is significant as it truly addresses all dimensions of a knowledge management system - people, process, technology and content. TARDIS is first and foremost a soft system of integrated components comprising people solutions through TARDIS Working Groups, process through TARDIS Process, and technology through various applications like ComWeb® , Telelogic DOORS® and Microsoft® Office .

One of our primary competencies is project management. We employ our own holistic knowledge-based approach on all assignments. This approach, coupled with some innovatively used tools, allows us to approach assignments in a robust and consistent way to meet our client's needs.

What is a Project Interface Map?

Project interface maps provide a powerful way to understand how work is actually done, both internally and externally to the project, as well as how one project is related to another. A project interface map uses data to provide management with empirical information on the real structure and relationships of project teams, between project teams and between projects themselves. The data shows whether a relationship between two or more nodes exists, and the value of that relationship. The data can be weighted or have attributes associated with it. The results are then displayed graphically or in tabular format.

What I am saying is that some sort of "Vehicle" should be used to create or change a "System" ....to move it from one state to another state. Accordingly, a Vehicle manages the transition of a System from an existing state to the required state.

For example this is the sort vehicle/system relationship that can occur:

This concept can be viewed another way - as a chronology or evolution of systems. A system enters its life at some point in time. In the below diagram some have begun their life prior to say, 2006. Others entered their life after 2006.

Many project management books and texts (and perhaps blogs) start with a definition of a project. Or if not, it is certainly in there shortly into the book. But why is that?

Well I guess they all need to put a boundary around what they are talking about, but also because it is pretty useful leading into the wider part of the text.

Additionally, from what I can see, project management is not really an accepted "management" discipline. Although, there are some moves by the various project management bodies and professional associations to get project management recognised as a profession.