The definition of project context

Project context is persistently defined as follows for effectively discovering context-oriented knowledge maps.

Project context annotates the operational information and the viewpoint of project developers for each project attribute as describing the important features of project objects.

Definition 1(project context and project attribute): Given a project object PO, and project attribute PA is one of its project attributes which describe the important features of project object PO. Then, project context PC is a set of annotations which explain the details of how the project attribute PA is dedicated in the project object PO. In order to completely supplement the operational annotations, the existential dependency 〈PA, PC〉 is a one-to-many relation, as well as the dependency 〈PO, PA〉.

Definition 2 (context type): Given a set of project context PC for annotating a project attribute PA which describes a project object. Then context type is a basic set of classification for grouping PC into the sense of know-who, know-where, know-for, know-when, know-how and know-for to indicate the rational relationship between PA and PC.

Then, an example is given below along with different situations for explaining the advantage and importance of the project context for elucidating project attributes.

Example 1: For the tool of OLAP which is one of the project attributes used for describing the specification file spec_dw.pdf., project context is a set of annotations which provide more operational information to elucidating how the attribute OLAP is dedicated in spec_dw.df. As shown in Table 2, a set of project context (DBA, Taipei, Bank, 1996-1998, Cube, Sales department) clearly provides users the operational information of project attribute OLAP in the specification file spec_dw.pdf, including the information of role, location, duration, operation, client, and organization type.

The advantage enriches the sense of know-who, know-where, know-for, know-when, know-how, and know-whom about the project attribute OLAP used in the specification file. As a result, not only the project attribute provides the important feature of the project object, but also the project context annotates the essential operational information of the project attribute.

Table 2. An example of project context

type Rational sense

DBA role know-who

Taipei location know-where

Bank organization know-for

1996-1998 duration know-when

Cube operation know-how

Sales department client know-whom

Basically, there are four types of project workers who seek the support of project knowledge, including novice, junior, senior and expert workers. Four various user experiences are described below, and the corresponding situations are explained right after.

z A novice worker usually has little or none practical working experience.

Therefore, a novice worker has to learn everything about project development from beginning level. As involving a project, a novice worker who know less and easily makes a mistake will need complete knowledge support to make progress.

z A junior worker has some or partial project experiences. Thus, a junior workers need to review some previous experiences and learn new knowledge. As involving a project, a junior worker who probably causes some delay will need sufficient knowledge support to improve the efficiency.

z A senior worker has much project experiences. Then, a senior user can apply the previous knowledge and understand new knowledge quickly.

However, a senior worker who is usually burdened with heavy loading will need relevant project knowledge to promote the performance.

z An expert worker has abundant project experiences in development and

management. Therefore, an expert worker who usually is a project manager or a project leader will need pertinent knowledge support to facilitate project development entirely, such as key internal and external stakeholders and important contracts.

Situation 1-1: From the Table 2, a novice worker can easily learn the practical operational information about OLAP from the set of project context.

Before referring the project object, the user can learn some operational experiences about the project attribute OLAP, including that a DBA may utilize OLAP in some bank-type projects, and the operation of cube is useful for analyzing the data for sales department. Also, the time period is helpful for reminding users the trend and popularity of OLAP. Accordingly, a novice worker can locate these important parts as referring the specification file.

Situation 1-2: From the Table 2, a junior worker can reinforce or supplement operational instruction about OLAP from the set of project context.

For example, the worker applied some operations of OLAP, rather than cube operation. Then, the worker can right focus on the description on cube operation to shorten the total learning cost as referring the specification file.

Situation 1-3: From the Table 2, a senior worker can decide to refer the specification file or not since the project context reveals important information.

For example, the worker can overlook the specification file if the worker is familiar with the cube operation in OLAP and bank-type projects. Then, the worker can look for other support without delay.

Situation 1-4: From the Table 2, an expert worker can learn some managerial information from the project context, such as a DBA may apply OLAP in some bank-type projects and the cube operation is useful in sales data.

For example, the expert worker who is a project manager will select a person who knows OLAP to be a DBA. Also, the reasonable project schedule is possibly arranged according to the useful duration in project context.

The sensible project context provides meaningful information for different types of project workers. Conversely, another opposite example is given below.

In contrast with above situations, four types of project workers may encounter more difficulties and problems whereas the case in example 2 is given.

Example 2: OLAP is a project attribute for describing the important feature of the specification file spec_dw.pdf. None of annotation or comment is offered for the project attribute OLAP.

Situation 2-1: A novice worker has no choice but referring the file. Lack of further annotation to indicate how OLAP is applied in the specification file, a novice worker has to go through the file or ask for help to figure out the application of OLAP. Many inconveniences are possible resulted from missing or misunderstanding the important parts. As a result, making progress is not easy under this situation.

Situation 2-2: A junior worker still has to manually open the file to learn the relevant parts for supporting current projects. However, the learning effect is totally depends on the worker. If the user missed or misunderstood something important, no one could help. Lack of further annotation, a junior worker may slowly look for the application of OLAP. The disadvantage imposes the worker laborious learning cost to understand the operational information of OLAP in the specification file. As a result, the working efficiency is not easy improved under this situation.

Situation 2-3: An expert user may use OLAP before, but he or she still has to refer the file again to see if something is useful. Simply providing the project attribute of OLAP to an expert user is insufficient to make the right decision. As a result, project development is not easy promoted under this situation.

Situation 2-4: An expert user or a project manager who may use OLAP before still has to manually open the file to find the operational information about OLAP to confirm or refresh his or her experiences, such as the user role or the period as applying OLAP. As a result, the project assignment or reasonable schedule is not easily controlled under this situation.