Knowledge Management Models Supporting Causal Analysis in Project Design Creation

Abstract

Correct implementation of the processes of building causal analysis frameworks is one of the critical elements to ensure success in the proper preparation of project designs. These frameworks are the foundations on which the provisions of the theory of change are based, and logic models illustrating causal links between input resources, activities, outputs, results (outcomes) and impacts, as well as identified problems related to the needs of stakeholders and their proposed solutions. The proper run of causal analyzes requires collecting and using significant resources of explicit and tacit knowledge related to the conducted community mapping, stakeholder analyzes (their needs and expectations), priorities of financing organizations, feasibility studies, and strategic analyzes of internal and external factors. Adequate support for managing this type of knowledge is essential to ensure the possibility of appropriate improvement of the planning, monitoring, and evaluation systems of projects and programs. One of the potentially available directions for developing research in supporting the management of valuable knowledge in the processes of causal analysis in project design creation may be solutions applying the extensive achievements of ICT systems modeling. The study discussed in this paper was carried out to find answers to the following research question: what is the possibility of using selected knowledge management models to support practical causal analysis that is beneficial in project design preparation? The primary purpose of this paper was to develop and pre-examine knowledge management and logic models in terms of their usefulness in the implementation of project design creation processes. Theoretical considerations related to the proposed models were supplemented with the offered possibilities of their implementation and the development of further research on the potential of improving designing systems, in particular when taking into account explicit and tacit knowledge valuable in the correct implementation of stakeholder expectations management processes for the success of projects and programs.