Knowledge
The combined result of people's experience, their values and beliefs, the surrounding context, and their intuition and insights, which they use to interpret and understand new situations and information.
Key Points
- Goes beyond data and information by adding meaning through experience and context.
- Includes tacit elements (intuition, beliefs, insights) and explicit elements (documented facts).
- Enables sound judgment, decision making, and problem solving on projects.
- Develops over time and spreads through learning, reflection, and sharing (e.g., lessons learned).
Example
A project manager reviews a rise in defects. Drawing on prior experience, an understanding of recent team turnover, the organization's culture, and lessons learned, the PM concludes onboarding gaps are the root cause and implements targeted training and pairing to reduce defects.
PMP Example Question
Which option best represents knowledge in a project context?
- A weekly dashboard listing defect counts by module
- A PM's conclusion that a spike in defects is linked to recent staffing changes and inadequate onboarding, leading to a training plan
- Raw test results exported from the QA tool
- The configuration management plan stored in the repository
Correct Answer: B — Knowledge, applied experience, context, and insight to interpret information
Explanation: Option B shows the use of experience, context, and intuition to interpret information and decide on action, which is the essence of knowledge.
