The importance of knowledge management is two-fold, firstly to ensure the continuity of knowledge throughout the life of the project, and secondly to assist the contract management team in meeting legislative and contractual requirements.[31]
12.1.1. Developing a Knowledge Management Strategy
Several items need to be considered when developing a knowledge management strategy. These include receiving, collecting, and recording the meaningful information; storing and sharing the information; information security; and maintaining and disposing of information. The collection and reviews of the information would effectively culminate in lessons learned.
A process for such activities must be put in place well ahead of time and the contract management manual must address questions such as who collects and stores the information, how is it managed, who has access to it, which phase the information is applicable to, how information will be shared, who will keep the versions and revisions of the documentation (for example, drawings), and what information is necessary for which activity.
12.1.2. Implementing Knowledge Management
Implementing and managing knowledge and information requires dedicated personnel who will actively manage documentation using an appropriate system. This will enable all parties involved to be proactive and record documentation accordingly. Different phases of the project might require different systems, for example construction could be best managed with a Primavera 6 system. The contract management manual, covering policies, procedures, and documented processes can assist in knowledge management implementation and management in the absence of sophisticated and expensive software. However, the most important factor when implementing knowledge management is the dedication of the team leading this task.
12.1.3. Measuring Knowledge Management
The government can effectively measure the success of knowledge management by checking whether the relevant documentation is easily retrievable and identifiable.[32] It is important to ascertain whether the information and data collected is recent and accurate; if the process of obtaining, storing, sharing, and disposing of the data been successfully implemented; and if the information and data is submitted and transferred between stakeholders in the appropriate form and at the appropriate time.
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