ITcon Vol. 7, pg. 197-212, http://www.itcon.org/2002/13

A knowledge management framework for project definition

submitted:December 2001
revised:July 2002
published:August 2002
editor(s):A. S. Kazi
authors:Michael Whelton, PhD. Candidate
University of California, Berkeley
email: whelton@ce.berkeley.edu, http://www.ce.berkeley.edu/~whelton

Glenn Ballard, Associate Adjunct Professor
University of California, Berkeley
email: ballard@ce.berkeley.edu, http://construction.berkeley.edu/Faculty/Ballard/index.html

Iris D. Tommelein, Professor
University of California, Berkeley
email: tommelein@ce.berkeley.edu, http://www.ce.berkeley.edu/~tommelein/
summary:This paper proposes a knowledge management framework for project definition of capital facility projects. The conceptual framework emphasizes project-based learning and the creation of group knowledge in early phase project planning and design activity. The use of multi-disciplinary expertise in this phase of project development acknowledges the use of multiple decision frames by which stakeholders approach project solutions. This research views project definition as a collaborative decision-making process, and highlights the need for supporting group management techniques and technologies.Project definition is regarded as the phase of project development where exploration of alternatives creates innovative problem and solution definitions that allows maximum customer value generation to be developed. This paper proposes a management framework to support organizational and process interfaces within project definition. The model is based primarily on findings from recent research literature and on exploratory descriptive research. The model presents a process for project definition and supports group knowledge creation and management. The model bases its development on soft systems methodology to support group cognition, learning and creative solution generation. Collaborative group theory is incorporated into the model to support project definition. The framework builds on theoretical principles of lean design and construction
keywords:client purpose, group knowledge creation, decision-making, learning, organizational cognition, project definition
full text: (PDF file, 0.438 MB)
citation:Whelton M, Ballard G, Tommelein I D (2002). A knowledge management framework for project definition, ITcon Vol. 7, Special issue ICT for Knowledge Management in Construction, pg. 197-212, https://www.itcon.org/2002/13