| dc.description.abstract | This research project took the Community of Practice (CoP) concept and applied it to the
author’s place of work, Kiewit Power Engineers (KPE). The purpose of this project was
to determine if Communities of Practice (CoPs) could improve knowledge management
(KM) and provide value to KPE.
All elements of starting and operating a CoP were reviewed through literature research
and used to guide the implementation of CoPs within KPE. A survey of KPE employees
was taken for measuring interest in the CoP concept and work groups were used to
consult with fellow employees on how to start and operate a CoP within KPE. Finally, a
trial CoP was created and observed for four months to see how it would function and if it
could provide value.
The trial CoP established a charter and operating guidelines to function by. Meetings
were held regularly to discuss sub-committee progress and technical topics related to the
domain area. The trial CoP sub-committees showed continual progress on their tasks
geared toward improving KPE processes. The post-meeting surveys showed that
members were gaining knowledge through the technical discussions and that members
thought the CoP was valuable and wanted to continue participating in it.
The trial CoP established that CoPs could function within KPE, improve KM, and
provide value to the company as well as the employees who participate. | |
