Project Learning

Project Learning

Learning and Knowledge management are core success factors for effective project delivery. Knowledge is a project resource, and often is a project output as well (particularly in a project which is doing something new or unusual).

The most obvious characteristic of project work, is that it exists to deliver a defined outcome, whether that outcome is an oil well, a completed factory, a new road, a research report, a piece of working software, or a winning bid. Any time there is a defined outcome, knowledge is important. The more you can access the "know-how" associated with delivering that outcome - knowing how to drill a well, build a factory, construct a road, write a report, develop software or submit a winning bid - the easier and less risky that delivery becomes. "It's easy when you know how". Access that know-how, and the outcome becomes easy to deliver.

Projects need to plan their knowledge acquisition (see the section on Knowledge Management ), and need to capture their knowledge for the benefit of others. They also need to develop their own, ongoing learning processes to be applied during the life of the project. They need to adopt simple, quick and effective learning processes such as the Army platoon-scale After Action review. They need effective technology for a project-scale lessons database. They need assigned learning roles and accountabilities.

We will work with your project team to introduce learning disciplines, roles and processes, tailored to the project scale, context, timescale, stage-gates and outcomes. Your project will be equipped to learn before, during and after activity, in support of improved delivery of the project objectives.