The role played by PMOs in the transfer of knowledge between projects

Abstract

Projects are unique, temporary structures that produce unique knowledge. For organisations to gain competitive advantage, this knowledge needs to be transferred effectively between projects. Knowledge transfer across projects is thus an important and decisive competitive factor. However, project teams typically focus on short-term project goals, and often fail to regard capturing and transferring project knowledge between projects as important for the long-term benefit of the organisation. This theoretical study argues that Project Management Offices (PMOs) play an important role by supporting and facilitating the flow of knowledge between projects. A conceptual framework depicting the role of PMOs in the transfer of knowledge between projects is presented here, while empirical results will be reported on in a sequel to this paper.

Projekte is unieke, tydelike strukture wat unieke kennis lewer. Vir organisasies om ’n mededingende voordeel te behaal, moet hierdie kennis effektief oorgedra word tussen projekte. Kennisoordrag tussen projekte is dus ’n belangrike en beslissende mededingende faktor. Projekspanne fokus egter tipies op korttermyn projekdoelwitte en slaag dikwels nie daarin om die vasvang en oordra van projekkennis tussen projekte as belangrik vir langtermynvoordele vir die organisasie te beskou nie. Hierdie teoretiese studie voer aan dat Projekbestuurskantore (PMOs) ’n baie belangrike rol speel deur die vloei van kennis tussen projekte te ondersteun en te fasiliteer, en stel ’n konseptuele raamwerk voor wat die rol van PMOs in die oordrag van kennis tussen projekte uitbeeld. Empiriese resultate sal in ’n opvolgartikel gerapporteer word.