COMPANIES are beginning to realise that having workers who are engineers, Information Technology professionals, accountants or architects does not guarantee them successful project implementation – not without such workers having an understanding of the principles, tools and techniques of project management.

There are organisations that are littered with projects that have surpassed their initial budget, while others have no end date in sight and still others that have had to be terminated mid-stream. Many such projects were started with the best minds within the organisation, but some of whom did not understand the discipline of project management. Their projects suffered as a result.

There are also some government projects, infrastructure projects in particular, that have gone on for several years, cutting across political administrations and exceeding their initial budgetary estimates and scope for which they were conceived, and for the very same reason.

On the other hand, many projects have been successfully implemented by professionals who have never had formal project management training, but who, through their years of experience, have developed the knowledge and aptitude to implement successful projects. But with today’s diverse project environment and increasing complexity of project integration, significant experience alone may not be adequate. Formal project management training would be the best safeguard for a project to be completed within the triple constraints of time, cost and scope.

The project management profession has received significant prominence in recent years, both in the private and public sectors, and many companies are demanding employees with project management training. A number of educational institutions advertise project management courses throughout the year, and the local chapter of the Project Management Institute, the Doctor Bird Chapter, hosts an annual Project Management Day that coincides with other chapters around the world.

Meanwhile, many people confuse the project management profession with proficiency in using the software Microsoft Projects, believing this to be the only tool you need to know to become a project manager. It is common practice in companies to assign someone to manage a project, ask the IT department to load Microsoft Projects on their computer and then require them to deliver the project successfully. The person chosen usually does not understand project management and the result of their project can always be expected – a cost or schedule overrun.

Traditionally, project management training was only considered important to architects or civil engineers who built houses or undertook infrastructure projects. As such, other disciplines were slow in accepting the value of project management to their professions. Presently, the Information Technology profession accounts for the largest number of project management professionals internationally. This resulted from the exponential growth in this industry over the last decade and the critical nature of having successful software implementation, and the need to avoid the devastating impact of poor implementation on an organisation. Other professionals such as lawyers, marketing executives, public relations professionals and a host of others have now embraced project management knowledge as a critical part of their operations.

But what difference does project management training offer to individuals and organisations? Project management training in Jamaica is primarily aligned to the Project Management Institute (PMI), an institution based in the USA that develops the standards, accreditations and guides the overall profession. The most prominent PMI designation is the Project Management Professional (PMP), which identifies a person as having the knowledge, experience and professionalism to lead and manage projects. There are other designations from the PMI that indicate different areas of specialty within the profession.

With formal project management training, individuals are taught to understand and apply nine project management knowledge areas in executing a project. These knowledge areas include processes that serve as a guide when managing your project’s integration – scope, cost, time, quality, human resources, communication, risk and procurement. With a thorough understanding of the processes that are executed, project managers are more likely to make better estimates, more accurate projections and identify and plan for project risks before they occur.

In addition to the knowledge areas, the project management methodology outlines a structured sequence in which the knowledge area processes are executed. The processes are done under process groups and these are referred to as the initiation, planning, execution, monitoring and control and closure process groups. They provide a good guideline to project managers as to what should be done as the project progresses from being chartered to creating a project management plan through its execution and to closure.

The importance and benefits of project management is real and tangible. Formal training in project management will increase the likelihood of completing your projects within the triple constraints. However, even with the best training, experience and knowledge projects can still fail, but the best option is to have your project managers equipped to guarantee success than being unable to prevent failure.

Keith Whyte is a project management professional. He may be contacted at klwhyte@yahoo.com