PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Drawing from a diverse range of skills
the University of Pretoria is the only institution in Africa offering a master s
programme that is accredited by the Project Management Institute, says Steyn. Today s project managers, he says, need to have skills including a good understanding of project methodology, processes, appropriate tools and an integrated subject matter knowledge. In addition, they need to understand the client s requirements, the company strategy, the industry and the business environment. At the same time leadership abilities and the ability to collaborate have become key attributes of a successful project manager. Ultimately, the role of the project manager is to bring together the expertise of different disciplines,” he says, conceding that this level of experience can t be developed overnight, or by a single course. Projects continue to fail both because organisations don t employ adequate project management experience and
because projects, by their very nature, are unique, often with high levels of uncertainty and risk. Given that there are so many unknowns and ambiguities, project managers need to be comfortable with risk and change and be equipped with sophisticated management methods he says.
Tobie Oosthuizen is the MD of Faculty Training Institute, a specialist learning and development company offering accredited project management qualifications that provide foundational knowledge and skills as well as shorter skills and learning programmes. He agrees that successful project managers require a broad range of skills. The majority of those who sign up for project management courses at Faculty Training Institute are already employed, primarily in the IT industry. There is a realisation that most managers would benefit
from learning project management skills given that it is a valuable skills-set which adds value to any business. Historically, one of the biggest barriers was the cost of upskilling staff However, by utilising a Seta-accredited institution these funding challenges can be accommodated,” he says. Project managers of the future need to have a thorough grasp of technology and be well versed in programming and software, says Oosthuizen, adding that those who are technology laggards struggle. One of the biggest challenges facing project managers is their dependency on external factors including other departments, divisions and people, to see projects to completion. He agrees with
Growing need for project managers globally
The
Its Talent Gap Report says to address this need, 2.3-million people will need to enter the industry each year. One of the main reasons for the persistent talent gap in the project management space is that there are now more jobs requiring project-oriented skills. The report found that while the Covid-19 pandemic caused a contraction in project management-oriented employment, this is expected to
recover. The report s findings mirror the on-the-ground experience in SA. As the South African economy recovers from the ravages of the pandemic, there is renewed interest and demand for project managers, says MDSA Project and Construction Management s Jacques Erasmus. The company specialises in a range of project management, construction management, tenant coordination and client representation services in industrial, commercial and retail-oriented project spaces both in SA and abroad.
25 million is the number of new project professionals the global economy will need by 2030, according to the Project Management Institute
Erasmus says most projects stalled in the past two or three years. However, as confidence in the economyreturns, these projects are finally getting off the ground. This has resulted in one of the busiest starts to a year the company has had While there has been a growing acknowledgment in recent years of the value a project manager offers to a project, one of the biggest challenges facing the industry is project managers are often only factored in relatively late in the process when most of the important key decisions have already been taken.
We have been pushing hard to be involved in projects from the outset even if this involvement is at our own risk, says Erasmus. There are many advantages to being involved in a project from an early stage, he says, including the ability to maintain high standards and ensuring the appropriate due diligence is in place. While project managers were forced to operate virtually during the pandemic, Erasmus says he does not believe this trend will persist “A project manager with ears and feet on the ground is infinitely better placed than somebody
88 million people globally will be working in project management by 2027, says a Harvard Business Review article
operating remotely, he insists. One trend likely to persist in the longer term is greater industry collaboration. During the pandemic the industry started collaborating more than it has done before and I think this openness and willingness to share insight will continue. Technology continues to enhance the ability of project managers to deliver value, says Erasmus, adding that recent developments in the design space allow them to see things in 3D and even 4D. He believes project management will continue to evolve and grow as a discipline
