New Ideas and Words

Look for the following words and phrases to enter the vocabulary of the civil design and construction professions:

• Integrated Risk and Knowledge Management System - - Systems that allow organizations to engage in a iterative evaluation of events that prevent you from meeting your objectives coupled with proactive implementation of measures to control or mitigate those risks. Look to these system having capabilities to transfer knowledge to risk owners with the goal of helping them to solve their problems. The ultimate goal is to develop capabilities and resources that interlock risk management, work process optimization, and knowledge management.
• Continuous Risk Management - - Vertical and horizontal communication and coordination of risk throughout the entire project life-cycle. This level of linkage and connectivity allows for the capture and transmission of lessons learned and best practices - - using a "central nervous system" for knowledge sharing.
• Knowledge-Based Risks - - Web-based, multi-media knowledge bundles that provide users with expert advice on risk control and mitigation strategies. Instead of a "collect, store, and ignore" approach, knowledge-based risks form an active collection of lessons learned that are continually reused and updated.
• Riskapedia - - The resource is a "hard hat area" that is intended to be under construction for life. Riskapedia is all about user interaction, conversation, evolution, and ultimately, the accomplishment of work. Users have the opportunity to rate and discuss content, provide or author content, ask questions of experts, and use content in the performance of work and the management of risks.
• Knowledge Capture and Transfer - - Knowledge capture and transfer uses the most natural modality - - conversation but carefully structured and controlled conversation. Project risk records are used to guide the initial interviews.
• Wiki-Enabled Teams - - Wiki environments enable horizontal communication, collaboration, and knowledge sharing across the project space. The wiki provides teams an easy-to-use, flexible interface to collaborate on documents, conduct discussions, manage calendars, locate information, and most important, work more effectively.