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BusinessDay www.businessday.co.za Wednesday 16 March 2022
INSIGHTS
PROJECT MANAGEMENT
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Drawing from a diverse range of skills
Today’s project •managers need a number of key attributes, writes Lynette Dicey
I
t is predicted the value of project-oriented economic activity will reach $20trillion in the next decade and that sub-Saharan Africa will witness a 40% growth in project management employment opportunities. Professor Herman Steyn specialises in project management at the University of Pretoria’s Graduate School of Technology Management (GSTM). He points out that the trillions of dollars directed towards the recovery of economies following the Covid19 pandemic will require millions of project managers. In 2019 it was estimated 41%
of Germany’s GDP was projectbased. A Harvard Business Review article predicts that by 2027, 88-million people globally will be working in project management. This growth is being driven by rapid change and the need for greater agility. The University of Pretoria offers a number of project management programmes ranging from a PhD research programme and a two-year master’s programme to a range of shorter courses. The most popular of these shorter courses has been running for the past 25 years and has been presented more than 180 times to more than 10,000 students. Not surprisingly, the curriculum content has been updated several times to keep it in line with new developments. While a variety of institutions offer project management courses, 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 Steyn that leadership has become an increasingly important attribute in project managers, particularly the ability to inspire, motivate
and exhibit emotional intelligence. The latter attributes are important in a remote working environment. In the IT space, the majority of projects will remain remote, believes Oosthuizen. Given the global shortage of project managers, experienced practitioners are delivering services worldwide, primarily to countries in the same time zone. “SA’s project managers are
well regarded with a good work ethic. Their ability to work with diverse groups of people locally stands them in good stead internationally. Once they have completed a project management course they find they are more likely to be promoted,” he says. While the profession has traditionally attracted primarily men, there are a growing number of women entering the
project management space. “While the senior project manager gender split remains about 60:40 men to women, at a training level we’re seeing a smaller split,” says Oosthuizen. Steyn says women often tend to bring more emotional intelligence and better communication skills to projects. Men, on the other hand, often tend to adopt a more vertical leadership style.
88
million people globally will be working in project management by 2027, says a Harvard Business Review article
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Growing need for project managers globally 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
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Erasmus says most projects stalled in the past two or three years. However, as confidence in the economy returns, 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
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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.
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PROJECT MANAGEMENT MORE RELEVANT THAN EVER
2022
The global economy will need 25-million new project professionals by 2030, estimates the Project Management Institute. 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
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