A Conceptual Model for Project Observatories

The use of observatories in various fields of knowledge has added a relevant characteristic to them, typological diversity. This has created the need to develop models that assist in the conceptualization and design of these observatories, considering the specificities of their application contexts. Thus, the main objective of this work is to propose a conceptual model for project observatories, considering aspects related to their structures, processes, and involved actors. To achieve the proposed objective, this research was conducted in two phases: 1) conception and 2) evolution and evaluation. The conception phase, which gave rise to the first version of the model, included an ad hoc literature review and a systematic mapping of the literature on observatories, as well as the development of ten pilot projects on project observatories. During the second phase, the model was evaluated and evolved into three additional versions through three focus groups, a survey, and a multiple case study. The final version of the model, named Model for Project Observatories (MPO), is organized from a set of 61 concepts structured into three hierarchical levels (general, intermediate, and specific concepts).