Cross-project learning, the interlinking of knowledge from projects to create meaning and shared understanding, is still challenging for many organizations. Especially, project-based organization in the construction industry, where learning is often considered as an ‘extra’ task, secondary to the project tasks. Due to shortages in materials and an outflow of expert knowledge due to an aging workforce there is an increased need for learning to improve efficiency. Therefore, this research had focused on improving cross-project learning in project-based organization.

The challenges of cross-project learning at ProRail were explored with case study research that included a literature review, interviews and a focus group. Lack of time and goals for learning and a need for a learning culture were identified as barriers. The ‘Project Knowledge Development’ approach was developed to overcome the barriers in an effort to create structured approach to learning from projects in three phases: Information Collection (to improve the value of project evaluations), Knowledge Creation (to actively create cross-project knowledge) and Knowledge Utilization (to improve the use of knowledge in the projects).

Learning by sharing experiences is often seen, both in this case study as well as in existing research, however, learning from projects requires interaction with the shared experiences to create usable knowledge that can be applied to projects. Therefore, improving cross-project learning in project based organization starts with a structured approach to knowledge development to facilitate knowledge creation and the subsequent knowledge utilization with the use of learning trajectories and facilitating the active involvement of project managers.

In project-based organizations, enhancing performance and augmentation of project value rely heavily on the effective assimilation of past experiences. Nevertheless, the intricate nature of projects and time constraints present extra challenges for an effective learning across various project teams. Inter-project learning, particularly in the context of specialized teams, increased complexities, and limited interactions, become more challenging. This thesis endeavours to propose innovative approaches that aim to help project-based organizations to improve their inter-project learning processes.
This research addresses a critical gap in the literature, as there is limited existing research on inter-project learning within project-based organizations. The study begins with an extensive literature review encompassing organizational learning, project-based organizations, and inter-project learning. Based on the literature study, a hypothesis model has been developed. This model categorizes the factors into three main categories: barriers, facilitators, and influencing factors. Moreover, the factors are classified into three dimensions, each representing components that constitute the learning infrastructure mechanisms, knowledge accessibility, or organizational culture.
Following this, empirical research took place through a case study within the organization under study. The case study focused on understanding the organization's existing approach to inter-project learning and involved interviews with experienced project managers to gain deeper insights into inter-project learning processes. The findings shed light on the continuous need for improvement in the inter-project learning process. The results suggest that the factors impacting inter-project learning can be classified differently than merely as barriers, facilitators, and influencing factors. Instead, they can be classified as factors into four structural domains. These domains encompass technological, social, organizational, and industrial. Each domain represents various aspects that can be covered by the organization and each domain offers a more nuanced understanding of the factors that shape the dynamics of inter-project learning.
The research presents a roadmap framework that guides project-based organizations on what steps they need to undertake to improve inter-project learning. Utilizing this roadmap framework will assist organizations in enhancing performance and eventually increasing project value as a result of the effective utilization of the learning processes. This roadmap can be used as a starting point to optimize inter-project learning and knowledge exchange processes and eventually improve performance and augment project values.