Knowledge Communication in Post-Disaster Reconstruction Projects

It has been argued that the construction sector is a provider of services, which includes the provision of considerable knowledge and other intangible assets. Construction project knowledge is generated by activities of individuals, project teams and construction organisations, and communicated across project teams and supply chains. The source and communication of Project knowledge, arguably, start from the very beginning of the project; that is from concept design stage, right to the hand-over of the final products (e.g. buildings, roads, and bridges). Communication involves interaction between people or organisations in the project. It enables information and knowledge to move from those who have them to those who need them. Recent and massive natural disasters reveal a great deal of challenge which those involved in the management of reconstruction projects face. The nature of disasters and the complexity of reconstruction projects pose unique challenges compared to ‘normal’ construction projects. Based on a thorough literature review, this paper investigates and documents the role of knowledge management in disaster management especially from a post disaster reconstruction perspective. Furthermore, it identifies knowledge communication practices and techniques that are currently being employed in post-disaster reconstruction in a number of countries. Lessons for academia and for project managers are proffered