Knowledge Transfer and Capacity Building for Sustainable Project Management in Colombian Community Action Boards

Community Action Boards constitute fundamental grassroots organizations for democratic participation and infrastructure development across Colombian territories. Nevertheless, these organizations face substantial structural constraints in the formulation, management, and long-term sustainability of projects arising from collective community initiatives. This study analyzes project-management capacities, knowledge-transfer practices, and capacity-building needs in the Central Province of Boyacá, Colombia, and uses this diagnosis to inform context-specific knowledge-transfer strategies for sustainable community project management. The study involved semi-structured interviews with 15 Community Action Board presidents and structured surveys administered to 50 community leaders and active members. The findings reveal significant gaps in formal training, methodological knowledge, and institutional coordination, while existing knowledge is acquired predominantly through informal exchanges of experience. Based on these findings, the study developed a context-specific knowledge-transfer framework comprising three interconnected components—practice-based capacity development, systematization of community knowledge, and interinstitutional coordination—together with a six-module training program and a methodological handbook for sustainable project formulation and management. Conceptually, the framework integrates knowledge conversion, organizational learning, capacity building, social capital, and sustainability within the community project-management context. Practically, the proposed training and methodological resources translate identified capacity gaps into structured guidance for project formulation, resource management, sustainability, and institutional coordination. These outputs constitute context-specific proposals for subsequent stakeholder validation, implementation, and evaluation rather than evidence of demonstrated effectiveness. Participants also highlighted the importance of retaining organizational knowledge during leadership transitions.