Knowledge Management in Development Projects

Abstract

"Development projects require knowledge management methods and tools that will support specific activities of project staff (management, monitoring, evaluation) and provide access to relevant knowledge for all project stakeholders. Project Knowledge Management System (PKMS) is a unique solution for each project. Some general concepts, approaches and tools are used to build the system, but there is no prescription to fit all. The main focus of the PKMS is the sharing of knowledge and delivery of knowledge in a form appropriate for its users. Development projects benefit from the knowledge available at local and global resources and at the same time generate and contribute knowledge that can be used by the development community."

Introduction

"Knowledge is one of the key factors in the success of development projects. The implementation and impact of a project depend to a large extent on individual knowledge of project staff, access to local and global knowledge resources and recognition and integration of indigenous knowledge. We may look at the implementation of a development project as an effort to apply existing knowledge to solve development problems. On the other hand a project produces valuable knowledge that should be shared and that should stimulate solutions elsewhere. The application of knowledge management technologies and processes can help improve the project management and the integration of indigenous and academic knowledge.

In the business environment it has been recognized that "managing knowledge is something all companies will have to master if they expect to compete in the global economy. Those that can learn quickly and then leverage and use that knowledge within the company will have a big advantage over those that can't. And this will be true whether knowledge is developed internally or acquired elsewhere" (Ken Derr, CEO of Chevron, Knowledge Imperative Symposium, September 11, 1995). The main issue for business organizations is achieving a competitive advantage by using knowledge more effectively. New approaches, methods and tools developed in the last decade allow for more effective collection, codification, and dissemination/sharing of individual and organizational knowledge. Development agencies and non-profit organizations are trying to adapt these practices and introduce knowledge management to support their goals. Most of the efforts are placed at the level of organization headquarters with the expectation that projects in the field will benefit from knowledge resources and services made available by headquarters.

The purpose of this paper is to explore issues of knowledge management at the level of development projects. The term development project is used in a very broad sense to cover a large diversity of development activities. It could be a technical project to develop a specific computer application or natural resources management in poor rural communities or a governance reform or health care improvement program. An underlying factor for these considerations is the project life cycle and the role knowledge plays at each step of project planning, implementation and evaluation.

A project is a unique venture to be accomplished in a given time. It is designed to meet specific objectives within an estimated budget and with provided resources. Knowledge management in respect to post-project activities and sustainability of processes initiated by the project is beyond the scope of this paper and will be a subject of separate considerations.

The time constraint is the main factor differentiating knowledge management in a project from an institutional program. An institution aims at establishing a knowledge management program as a permanent process in its operations. Knowledge management in a project is a process with specific start/end dates and clear purpose to support planning, implementation, monitoring and dissemination of results of the project. This process is conducted in the context of larger knowledge management systems developed by donor agencies, global multilateral initiatives, local and national governments and in specific cultural and political environments. The Project Knowledge Management System (PKMS) will be analyzed as a system with interfaces and linkages to external resources.This paper is intended as a contribution to a broader discussion on questions concerning the introduction of knowledge management in development activities:

• What concrete problems do we want to solve by introducing knowledge management in development projects? How can knowledge management contribute to better project management, higher effectiveness and impact of development projects?
• What knowledge is needed and who has that knowledge?
• Who needs what knowledge and what are the means to access and use the knowledge by project staff and beneficiaries, researchers and population at large?
• What are the cultural and political conditions for the empowerment through knowledge and what are the implications of wider access to knowledge in the society?
• What is the role of knowledge sharing systems in eradication of poverty and hunger?
• Which computer-based tools and methods and electronic communication facilities can be adapted in cost-effective ways for the needs of development projects, particularly at the grassroots level? What is the role of traditional methods and tools?
• What knowledge can be represented and disseminated in an electronic format and how it can be collected and codified?

Why have development agencies expressed so much interest in knowledge management over the past few years? After all, organizations have been documenting and sharing their knowledge for a long time. Following experiences in the business environment, knowledge is seen as a critical asset in addition to and sometimes as supplant of physical assets. In some cases, knowledge is the most valuable result of a development project. Do we remember the old story about teaching how to catch fish instead of just giving fish. Advances in computer technology and electronic communications are a strong factor in the development of systems that support knowledge management and dissemination.

In this paper we discuss basic concepts and definitions in the area of knowledge management and issues of a knowledge management system in relation to the project lifecycle."

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