A knowledge management perspective of the project management office

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the converting projects tacit knowledge into an available explicit knowledge in Project Management Offices, using the SECI model to analyze these processes. Using case studies, the information was gathered by in loco observation, interviews with PMO managers and project managers, and document analysis. The results show the socialization, externalization, combination and internalization, SECI in PMOs level, helping to visualize the process of transforming project tacit knowledge into explicit knowledge and to understand that knowledge must be incorporated into operational practices, rules in databases, and company history. Organizational culture was presented itself as a major factor, influencing this process of sharing knowledge among employees from the two companies studied. The steps of the spiral of knowledge, using the SECI model for the conversion of knowledge, the stage and how companies apply this conversion, show that these processes happen on a daily basis and continuously if the team understands this need. Project managers have to emphasizes the important of knowledge management, knowledge sharing and knowledge storage during the development of projects. Mainly PMO has an important role in the process of storage and sharing of knowledge.

Keywords

• Knowledge Management
• SECI model
• Project Management Office
• Brazilian Case studies.