Abstract
This article describes the design and development of a Web-based knowledge management system that is used by the United States Department of Energy and its affiliates. To design this system, we began by developing a theoretical foundation that we call the 'Collaborative Cognition Model'. It extends current descriptions of knowledge creation by identifying different categories of knowledge involved in the process and how those different categories are captured and transferred between individuals at the organizational level. To manage the complexity of system development, we set the goal of designing a system that was adaptable to its environment - a living system. In addressing this goal, we defined initial requirements, built a prototype and surveyed representative users. We used the results of this evaluation to develop the first phase of the system. In this way, we began building and enhancing a dynamically changing system that is based on the needs of its users.