Dissertation Defenses

Doctoral Dissertation Announcement

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Candidate: Willis H. Thomas

Degree of: Doctor of Philosophy

Department: Interdisciplinary Ph.D. in Evaluation

Title: A Metaevaluation of Lessons Learned Repositories: Evaluative Knowledge Management Practices in Project Management

Committee:
Dr. Larry Buzas, Chair
Dr. Michael Scriven
Dr. Liliana Rodriquez

Date: Tuesday, June 17, 2008 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
4410 Ellsworth Hall

Abstract:
The big picture of this dissertation is focused on assessing lessons learned repositories, which involves good practices of managing evaluative knowledge in the context of project management. In the past, primarily because of the inaccessibility to computers, lessons learned were stored on paper and subject to loss and destruction. Today, lessons learned are being stored electronically in the form of digital data and are theoretically more secure. Research indicates the necessity to develop better conformance standards to support systematic processes for maintaining lessons learned repositories. Metaevaluation plays an important role in this process.
This dissertation sets forth to: (a) review the increasingly-large literature concerning the principles, procedures, practices and processes used to evaluate lessons learned; (b) investigate records management within the field of information science to study factors related to the design and usage of lessons learned repositories; (c) identify good practices in project management as it pertains to deployment and administration of lessons learned; (d) understand how individuals and groups use organizational learning theories in a quest to manage
evaluative knowledge; (e) compare and contrast pros and cons of common approaches to creating lessons learned repositories; (f) demonstrate how managing lessons learned can be improved through the process of metaevaluation; (g) discover practical suggestions to improving evaluative knowledge management through the implementation of a lessons learned system; and (h) explore resources such as checklists and templates which purport to help improve lessons learned.