Learning-Based Project Reviews: Observations and Lessons Learned from the Kennedy Space Center

This research focuses on understanding and developing best practices for effective “learning-based program/project reviews” (LBPRs). LBPRs are defined as program/project reviews that provide an opportunity to learn while sharing status for project control. These LBPRs aim to be an evolution from the traditional status and control reviews to an improvement conversation that drives both learning and improvement within the project environment. LBPRs are important because they provide the real-time, routine opportunity to create, capture, share, and apply both tacit and explicit knowledge throughout a project life-cycle—not just during “lessons learned” at project closeout. Some organizations do complete lessons learned throughout the life cycle of the project. To accomplish this research, an action research approach was implemented using NASA programs and organizations associated with the Kennedy Space Center. © 2005 by the American Society for Engineering Management

Complexity theories and organizational change

Complexity theory or, more appropriately, theories, serves as an umbrella term for a number of theories, ideas and research programmes that are derived from scientific disciplines such as meteorology, biology, physics, chemistry and mathematics. Complexity theories are increasingly being seen by academics and practitioners as a way of understanding and changing organizations. The aim of this paper is to review the nature of complexity theories and their importance and implications for organizations and organizational change. It begins by showing how perspectives on organizational change have altered over the last 20 years. This is followed by an examination of complexity theories and their implications for organizational change. The paper concludes by arguing that, even in the natural sciences, the complexity approach is not fully developed or unchallenged, and that, as yet, organization theorists do not appear to have moved beyond the stage of using it as metaphor rather than as a mathematical way of analysing and managing organizations