Triggering Specialised Knowledge in the Software Development Process

Many factors determine the success of software development projects. The exchange and harnessing of specialized knowledge amongst and between the project team members is one of these. To explore this situation, an ethnographic case study of the product-testing phase of a new human resources management system was undertaken. Extempore verbal exchanges occur through the interplay of project team members in weekly meetings, as the software was tested, analyzed, and altered in accordance with the customer's needs. Utilizing tacit knowledge from the project members as well as the group, new tacit knowledge surfaces and spirals, which allows it to build over time. Five extempore triggers surfaced during the research generated through explicit stimuli, allowing project members to share and create new knowledge. The theoretical development places these learning triggers in an interpretive framework, which could add value to other software development and project management contexts.

The Effects of COVID-19 and Disasters on Scheduling Function in Mega-Projects

Mega-projects are crucial as they strive to provide infrastructural development and support growth and sustainability of a country's economy. Scheduling is an integral part of mega-projects, and special attention needs to be given to the planning of this activity. It is important that an experienced person in the project team be responsible for scheduling activities for the mega-project. In 2020, COVID-19 appeared and had devastating consequences on the world and all sectors of society including business, industry, and the economy. Mega-projects were also affected by COVID-19, a deadly pandemic that has caused a loss of millions of lives worldwide. The scheduling of mega-projects during lock-down proved problematic, causing major delays, backlogs, and additional cost and rescheduling of activities in the project. Disasters are also another factor that can hinder project performance. This chapter will unpack scheduling in mega-projects and how it is affected by COVID-19 and other disasters.

From "wading through treacle" to "making haste, slowly" in patient data sharing: A comprehensive yet parsimonious model of drivers and challenges to data sharing based on an EPaCCS evaluation and four pre-existing literature reviews

Aims: This study aimed to identify comprehensively the challenges and drivers encountered by Electronic Palliative Care Coordination System (EPaCCS) projects in the context of challenges and drivers in other projects on data sharing for individual care (also referred to as Health Information Exchange, HIE). It aimed to organise them in a parsimonious framework that underpins specific and non-trivial recommendations for steps forward.Data and methods: Primary data comprised 40 in-depth interviews with healthcare professionals from general practice, out-of-hours, specialist palliative care and hospital services; patients and carers; project team members and decision makers in Cambridgeshire, UK. Transcripts amounted to approximately 300,000 words. Secondary data were extracted from four pre-existing literature reviews on Health Information Exchange and Health Information Technology implementation covering 135 studies. A seven-stage analysis process was employed.Results: We reduced an initial set of >1,800 parameters into >500 challenges and >300 drivers to implementing EPaCCS and other data sharing projects. Less than a quarter of the 800+ parameters were associated primarily with the IT solution. These challenges and drivers were further condensed into an action-guiding, strategy-informing framework of nine types of “pure challenges”, drawing parallels between patient data sharing and other broad and complex domains of sociotechnical or social practice; four types of “pure drivers”, defined in terms of whether they were internal or external to the IT solution and project team; and nine types of “oppositional or ambivalent forces”, representing factors perceived simultaneously as a challenge and a driver. Conclusions: Teams working on data sharing projects may need to focus less on refining their IT tools and more on shaping the social interactions and structural and contextual parameters in the midst of which they are configured. The high number of “ambivalent forces” speaks of the vital importance for data sharing projects of skills in eliciting stakeholders’ assumptions; managing conflict; and navigating multiple needs, interests and “worldviews”, amongst others.

Mentoring as a potential means to assist consumer representatives contribute effectively to the assessment of health technologies in Australia: a pragmatic review

Objectives This project was implemented on behalf of the Health Technology Assessment (HTA) Consumer Consultative Committee (CCC) to explore training to support and retain new consumer representatives to participate effectively in HTA committees. These committees are key parts of the Australian Government's health system. Currently, there is no training available to them, specific to their roles in HTA committees. Hypothesizing that mentoring is appropriate, the project team undertook a literature review to identify definitions of mentoring, its benefits, skills requirements, resources, examples of best practice, and how mentoring might support consumer representatives in formal health technology assessment committee structures. Methods A rapid review was commenced by the project team and fifty-seven articles were identified and read independently. Following discussion, the team revised its approach as there was little evidence to assess and drew upon thirty-five articles where elements of mentoring were described. Discussion was followed by a thematic qualitative analysis exploring mentoring models. Results The project team agreed that features of mentoring programs were necessary to design a mentoring program under the headings of definitions, mentors’ qualities, benefits of training, resources, other considerations, and evaluation. These assist the design of a pilot project to test mentoring's effectiveness. Conclusion Mentoring may assist consumers working in the health technology area to develop their skills and competencies and contribute to representing the needs of health consumers in the approval of applications. A pilot mentoring program is currently being designed and will run with one mentor and one mentee in an HTA committee.

Language Matters: How Baker Library is Working Towards Conscious and Inclusive Description

Inclusive and conscious archival description can support consistency in researching and describing marginalized groups and can serve to provide context and a counter-narrative reflecting the perspective of the documented community. It can also help to address the power imbalances between creators and subjects of records. In this article, the authors describe efforts to prepare best practice guidelines for inclusive description and for revising descriptions to remediate outdated, problematic, or offensive language and meet modern standards. They also share how the project team is working together to create meaningful and enduring changes that both provide a better experience for staff and users and support Harvard Business School’s Action Plan for Racial Equality.

Compressor Upgrade on Existing Platform: A Study on Vibration from Structural Perspective

Due to an increase in gas lift demand on an existing field in Sarawak, an existing Gas Lift Compressor (GLC) on the processing platform requires to be upgraded to meet incremental oil production requirement. These sets of compressors consist of 2x100% reciprocating compressors that were designed for 1.5 MMscfd each, with discharge pressure of 55.1 barg (800psig). The gas from these compressors is used mainly for gas lift at the processing platform as well as gas lift, instrument gas and utility gas at adjacent wellhead platforms. From the Conceptual Study, the existing compressors are not able to be retrofit for upgrade and is to be replaced with 2 × 100 % new gas engine driven compressor that capable of delivery 3.0 MMscfd of compressed gas each. During the engineering stage of GLC package, Skid Dynamic Analysis has been carried out to evaluate the GLC skid structural design due to the operating dynamic load cases. The study recommended that the skid to be welded to the platform where the compressor is located to prevent the risk of high vibration. With the recommendation from Contractor's study, project team proceeded to carry out Structural Dynamic Analysis to assess the dynamic effect of the GLC skids to the platform deck. The Finite Element Analysis (FEA) results revealed that there are several modal modes mainly at the drilling deck and extension deck non-compliance to PTS guideline. Structural Dynamic Modification (SDM) and optimization was performed to dynamically stiffens the structures to shift the modal modes away from the operating range to fulfil PTS criteria. However, the SDM results was still unable to comply thus the need of Anti-Vibration Mounts (AVMs) is considered. Prior to application of AVMs, Structural Forced Response Analysis needs to be carried out to evaluate the risk of the system and confirm the requirement of the AVMs. Without the forced response analysis, the effect of AVMs, locations and numbers of AVMs cannot be addressed during the design study. This paper will discuss the issues concerning vibration from reciprocating compressors upgrade on an existing platform, changes in the existing operating and design philosophy, challenges in addressing compressor installation and utilization of AVM from the perspective of Project Team. The paper will also provide key lessons learn and recommendation for future considerations in Compressor upgrades on existing facilities from a Structural Engineering point of view. The project is currently at its detail design finalization and installation is expected to be completed by November 2021.

Thread: Managing context in project environments

<p>Creative design agencies are unique organisations as various disciplines and priorities combine to deliver solutions in often complex client problems. A suite of software platforms is used in the day-to-day operations of project-based organisations, however there still appears to be a disconnect between communication and shared understanding. While the market for project management software is saturated, a need exists for a complementary platform that can help encourage shared understanding throughout the client project lifecycle. This project aims to explore issues of boundary spanning, project knowledge management, and communication with DNA Design serving as a project partner. In this exploratory research process, a qualitative research approach revealed several issues revolving around inadequate handover processes, low work self-efficacy, and a lack of alignment between priorities. The core finding of this project found that while practitioners do communicate throughout the project lifecycle, there is no one best fit for all project members and despite the high levels of communication, many practitioners feel they lack the necessary information and understanding in a client project. From this core finding, the product development strategy pivoted. Instead of developing and implementing a knowledge repository, it could be more beneficial for DNA and other project-based organisations to consider strategies and technologies to actively manage expectations and understanding within a client project. The proposed solution, Thread, aims to track each project team members’ attitudes at a regular interval to map the stage of the project lifecycle and provide DNA a bird’s-eye view of the user experience of project team members to allow for active project management during the project lifecycle and a quantifiable post-project review process. It is hoped the recommendations and proposed solution can be scaled to other project- environment organisations as the challenges of knowledge sharing and communication are felt heavily in multi-disciplinary teams and organisations. As the future of organisations are moving towards specialised knowledge workers, it is increasingly important that staff are aware of the context of the project to be empowered and productive.</p>