Knowledge management in a public sector project environment

The purpose of this dissertation is to provide a detailed review of knowledge management strategies and practices in public sector project environments, while specifically analysing the knowledge management strategy of Dublin City Council (DCC), namely the Roads and Traffic Department. The range of projects undertaken by DCC provide an ideal opportunity to examine what knowledge transfer (if any) exist and how it benefits the organisation. The research conducted was in the form of a case study and results were obtained from semistructured interviews which were carried out with employees within the Roads and Traffic Planning Department of Dublin City Council. It is evident from the findings that although no formal knowledge management strategy is present within the Department, a strong knowledge sharing culture exists among staff. A heavy reliance on a personalisation does have flaws, which the Department will continue to encounter unless changes to the knowledge management practices are made. Based on a review of current literature and the analysis from the interviewees, it is recommended that Dublin City Council take a two stage approach to improving their knowledge management practices. In the short term, a central repository should be introduced to codify the knowledge and complement the existing practices within the Department. It is then suggested that a long term goal for Dublin City Council would be the initiation and participation in a Community of Practice venture among the various City and County Councils throughout Ireland. This would provide further benefit to the organisation as well as other City and County Councils. This paper holds significance for DCC as it provides an insight into the barriers which could potentially be experienced should they seek to improve their knowledge management practices. Enablers, which would help overcome these barriers and achieve the two strategies (short-term & long-term) are also outlined in the paper. Finally a set of recommendations are provided in order to help Dublin City Council instil a knowledge management culture within the organisation and implement the two strategies which have been formulated in this paper. Due to the time constrains of this project the case study was limited to one Department within Dublin City Council. While a more complete study would provide more accurate results, this study provides an insight into the knowledge management practices within a public sector environment, an area which holds significant potential for further research. Based on the results and analysis within, it is hoped that this research project will serve as a basis for further research in the area of knowledge management in a public sector project environment. Key Words: Knowledge Management, Project Environment, Public Sector, Lessons Learned, Knowledge Transfer.