The key project managers’ competences for different types of projects

This paper describes a quantitative research approach for identifying key project managers’ competences for different types of projects. By identifying the perceived most valuable project manager competences, as having the most potential for increased contribution to project management (PM) performance, practitioners and organizations can select their priorities when developing their PM practices. The 46 competences (technical, behavioural and contextual) provided by IPMA (International Project Management Association) were surveyed through an online questionnaire. Three dimensions to distinguish project types were used: application area, innovation and complexity. Completed questionnaires were received from 96 project managers from Portugal. The results showed that 13 key competences (20%) were common to the majority of the projects. Most of these are behavioural competences, such as: ethics, reliability, engagement, openness, and leadership. It was also observed a clear correlation between technical competences and project complexity

As competências dos gestores de projetos nos diferentes tipos de projetos

Dissertação de mestrado em Engenharia IndustrialHoje assiste-se a um incrível crescimento da complexidade e incerteza no ambiente dos projetos, o que torna necessária uma reflexão sobre os fatores que influenciam o seu sucesso. O desenvolvimento das competências dos gestores de projetos nas organizações é um fator importante para melhorar a performance da gestão de projetos e consequentemente a performance das organizações. Assim, existem já vários standards que identificam um conjunto de competências com impacto no sucesso dos projetos. O grau desse impacto depende de outros fatores, nomeadamente do tipo de projetos. A ideia de que os projetos são todos parecidos e que se podem utilizar ferramentas semelhantes em todos, é uma falácia. Gerir projetos com esta atitude leva frequentemente ao fracasso do projeto porque as empresas estão a usar técnicas impróprias para muitas das suas atividades. Este estudo pretendeu, em primeiro lugar, identificar um grupo de competências-chave que tem mais influência no sucesso dos projetos. Mas, o principal objetivo desta investigação foi associar competências ou grupos de competências aos diferentes tipos de projetos. Selecionou-se a lista de 46 competências (técnicas, comportamentais e contextuais) fornecidas pela IPMA (International Project Management Association), e três dimensões de distinção dos projetos por tipos: área de aplicação, inovação e complexidade. A recolha de dados foi feita através de um questionário online destinado apenas a gestores de projetos portugueses. Obteve-se uma amostra de 96 gestores de projetos, que identificaram 13 competências-chave para a generalidade dos projetos, na sua maioria competências comportamentais. Encontraram-se também 13 competências mais utilizadas para o sucesso dos projetos, nos diferentes tipos de projetos. Esta amostra apresenta uma clara correlação entre as competências técnicas e a complexidade dos projetos. No final apresentam-se as limitações deste estudo assim como as suas implicações para a prática e para a teoria, incluindo sugestões de trabalhos futuros na área.Nowadays we witness to an incredible growth of complexity and uncertainty in projects environment, which makes it necessary to consider the factors that influence their success. The development of project management competences in organizations is an important factor to enhance the project management performance and consequently the organization performance. So, now we can find some standards that identify a group of competences that have impact in project success. The extent of this impact depends on several factors, including the type of projects. It is a fallacy to consider that all projects are alike and that the same tools can be used to manage them all. Managing projects with this attitude leads often to project failure because companies are using improper techniques for many of their activities. Firstly this study aimed to identify a set of key competencies that have more influence on projects success. But the main objective of this research was to associate competences or groups of competences to different types of projects. The list of 46 competences (technical, behavioral and contextual) provided by IPMA (International Project Management Association) was selected, and three dimensions of distinction of projects by types: application area, innovation and complexity. Data collection was done through an online questionnaire intended only for Portuguese project managers. A sample of 96 project managers was obtained, which identified 13 key competences for the majority of projects, mostly behavioral competences. Other 13 competences were found like the most frequently used to achieve success in the different types of projects. This sample shows a clear correlation between technical competences and project complexity. At the end are presented the limitations of the study as well as their implications for practice and theory, including suggestions for future work in the area

E-Learning for Teachers and Trainers : Innovative Practices, Skills and Competences

Reproduction is authorised provided the source is acknowledged.Final Published versio

Better community engagement: a framework for learning

Because different needs and priorities call for different approaches, the document does not present a single curriculum. Instead it provides a statement of the purpose, elements and competences for community engagement practice that should enable training providers to develop their own curricula to address the needs of practitioners operating in different settings. We hope that this approach can make a significant contribution to establishing a range of learning opportunities that will deliver the best practice needed to deliver on policy commitments and to put communities first

Beyond product architecture: Division of labour and competence accumulation in complex product development

This paper considers the trade-off between leveraging external sources of innovation by outsourcing design and engineering activities and the ability to develop internal product development competences. The trade-off arises because the division of labor within and across firms' boundaries has a crucial role in shaping competence development processes, especially because the division of labor also influences opportunities for learning by doing. In new product development projects, learning by doing appears to be both a key determinant of competence development and a difficult-to-substitute form of learning. While the division of development tasks is often considered as guided by product architecture, we show that by decoupling the decisions concerning the product architecture and the allocation of development tasks, firms can realize the benefits of outsourcing such tasks while developing new internal competences. Drawing on a longitudinal case study in the automotive industry, we also identify a new organizational lever for shaping competence development paths and for designing firm boundaries. This lever consists in alternating different task allocation schemes over time for different types of development projects. We show why this is a novel solution, what its underlying logic is, and how it enables alleviating the trade-off between the benefits of leveraging external sources of innovation and the opportunities for competence development provided by in-house design and engineering. We discuss implications for theories of organizational boundary design and innovation management.innovation management; organizational boundaries; outsourcing; product architecture; modularity; new product development; template process; automotive industry; Fiat

Competencies of Polish Scientists as a Contribution to the Success of Innovation Research and Development Projects

The states which top the list of the number of conducted research and development activities put substantial emphasis on a scientist’s competencies. Today, experts are able to determine the competencies that will decide on the success of projects in the next decade. They include, among others, leadership skills, team work, entrepreneurship as well as international and cross-sector mobility. What is the place of Polish scientists in relation to these competencies? What are their strongest and weakest points? How do the competencies of Polish scientists translate into the success of projects conducted in our country? These questions were to find their answers thanks to the research conducted in 2011 commissioned by the National Information Processing Institute. This article presents some of the results. It includes, amongst others, the differences between scientists from science departments and companies as well as between project managers and members of research teams.Preparation and printing funded by the National Agency for Research and Development under project “Kreator Innowacyjności – wparcie dla Przedsiębiorczości akademickiej

THE DYNAMICS OF THE MATRICS STRUCTURE

The relationships organization-suppliers-customers have recently known major changes in the structure of services and have made the organization develop its managerial and professional competencies in order to do projects. The qualified organization is the most trust-worthy in the process of doing a project. The participation of an organization in doing projects depends on a multitude of factors. Out of these factors, the structural organization comes forth, as it represents the variable with the most important impact on a project’s quality, costs and lead time. From the organizational point of view, the matrix structure is frequently chosen for projects. The matrix structure generally coexists with the line structure. The two structures are contrastive. The line structure is based on the unity of command principle and is not open to cooperation and dialogue. The matrix structure encourages cooperation and communication, favours conflict, which is considered here a healthy and essential process. The matrix structure and the line structure claim their right to initiative. Conflict and the multidimensional integration of multiple hierarchies can be negotiated through the concept charisma – mediation, sustained by the matrix structurequalified organization, matrix structure, mono-affiliation/multi-affiliantion, projects-professions, charisma-mediation

Building dynamic capabilities in product development: the role of knowledge management

This paper contributes to the clarification of the connections between knowledge management and dynamic capabilities in the context of product development to see how they explain product development competences. Building on the knowledge management and dynamic capabilities literatures, the paper argues that the social side of knowledge management has a role to play as enabler of dynamic capabilities in the context of product development. Further, dynamic capabilities shape product development competences. Empirical evidence is provided by performing survey research with data collected from 80 product development projects developed in Spain.Capabilities , Knowledge management, Organizational knowledge

Inter-organisational projects in french innovation clusters: the construction of collaboration

Having received considerable attention from central government and local authorities, French innovation clusters (the so-called ‘pôles de compétitivité') are beginning to be studied by academic researchers and evaluated by consultants. The core of their activity consists of collaborative projects, which are characterised by specific management and HR practices located at the junction of different cultures and employment statuses. Almost four years after they were launched, what can we say about the dynamic of these collaborative projects? What is the reality of such collaboration when it involves multiple partnerships bringing together employees from different occupational cultures and HRM systems? The aim of this longitudinal research, which is based on observation of two collaborative projects in one of the most largest clusters in France,is to discuss management and HR issues in such a setting. A literature review highlights the need to open up the ‘black box' of collaboration within projects and encourages examination of both manager's coordination efforts and the actors' motivation to cooperate, as well as the role played by HRM practices. Thus observation of the conduct of the projects over two years reveals that collaboration, far from being a given within these projects, is the product of a process of social construction that might be fostered by better managerial support.innovation cluster ; collaborative project ; coordination ; cooperation ; learning ; competences

An Ontological-based Model for Competences in Sustainable Development Projects: a Case Study for Project’s Commercial Activities

The paper presents a project management competencies model, using an ontological approach. The ontology, named PMCatalog, was developed in the framework of the project CONTO, financed by Romanian through the grant 91-037/2007. PMCatalog is consistent with the competence definition and PM competence elements included in the International Competence Baseline, the competency standard of the International Project Management Association. The main PMCatalog’s use cases for commercial activities in sustainable development projects are described. Ontology was developed using the Protégé editor.competence, project management, sustainable development, commercial activities