Managing knowledge in an outsourcing environment

A research project sponsored by the CRC in Construction Innovation recently considered issues concerning knowledge management; in particular, the knowledge interfaces between government agencies and contractors across three state government organisations (including Queensland Department of Main Roads). As projectbased organisations relying extensively upon contractors, organisations such as Main Roads face a difficult environment in respect of knowledge management. There is a degree of knowledge that is required of the various contractors' activities to be able to efficiently engage with the contractor. The fundamental objective was to consider how to effectively manage the knowledge that resides at the organisational boundary, which is often developed by the contractor, but required by the public sector agency to function effi ciently. The outcomes of the research highlighted that ICT-based systems had severe limitations and that issues pertaining to leadership, organisation culture, organisational structure and internal systems were fundamental and should be the focus of organisations that are looking to move beyond basic documentation.