International Journal of Adaptive, Resilient and Autonomic Systems, 3(1), 1-18, January-March 2012 The Semantics of Project Knowledge Management Rony Dayan KnowAndManage Ltd. 10 Beilinson St. Rishon Lezion, Israel Phone/Fax: 972-3-9665970 Rony.Dayan@KnowAndManage.com Abstract The purpose of this conceptual paper is to suggest a new approach to the knowledge management aspect of project management. The approach taken constructs on the structured building of the New Product Development method that divides the development project into a multitude of predefined phases performed by pre-assigned personnel with specific professional characteristics. The model proposed correlates knowledge modules to the combination of a project phase with the profession of the project team involved in it. These modules include information necessary for the project team for the performance of the specific phase they are at, as well as a collection of the team's experience that would enrich the company's intellectual data-base. This model would create a practical solution to the never ending quest for knowledge sharing within and between projects and would also ensure the usage of necessary standards and directives by the project teams. The originality of the model proposed is in the semantic tagging of the knowledge modules that enables navigating through the events described by project phases and teams characteristics, in order to retrieve necessary information, and to document newly experienced knowledge. Keywords Knowledge management, project management, content management, new product development, semantic categorisation, knowledge modules. INTRODUCTION Most organizations conduct their business according to ordered projects. This article refers to these as project-based firms as opposed to functionally-based firms. Projects are the framework defining the work that needs to be performed for an outcome to result in a given time and prescribed resources. When establishing a project or when accepting its terms and committing to them, organizations assume they are aware of their initial conditions, and based on them, they can estimate the very ability to accept the project, and furthermore to deliver its outcome on time and on budget. Initial conditions usually consist of existing resources which are not yet committed (human resources, facilities, machines, infrastructures, and required licenses). What is usually missing from that list is the very capability of the organization to choose and perform the required activity at the expected quality; this is taken for granted given the subject of the project at stake and its similarity with previous activities the organization was involved with, or given the profession of the organisation's employees. Nevertheless, the volume of business conducted as projects, indicate the importance organisations should give to any element affecting the means of conducting them and the quality of their outcome. This is the basis of interest of this article which addresses both knowledge management as well as project management, and adds conceptually to the current body of knowledge through new thinking. What organisation's management assume is that if the same people who previously dealt successfully with a certain activity are reassigned to the new one which has a relative resemblance to the old one, then they stand a reasonable chance of repeating this success. Life is unfortunately not predictable enough and many times, the experienced employees are