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3 Opportunities for Skill Development in Projects

Skill development is critical. For governments and bodies like the World Bank, developing skills is critical to reducing un- and underemployment, increasing productivity, and improving standards of living. For businesses, competitive advantage can be attained. For people or project team members, the motivations and benefits of training and ‘up skilling’ can be more intrinsic - for one person it could be the promise of increased remuneration, for another it could be mental stimulation. As Project Managers we need to consider raining and skill development in three dimensions: 

  1. Training / skills that are needed for the Project to be successful. 
  2. Training / skills that are needed for the Project to be successful after implementation, and 
  3. Training opportunities that the project provides for project participants. 

Skills that are needed for the Project to be successful.

During the planning phase of the project, the Project Manager needs to identify the skills and tools available to her, and the additional ones that are needed in order to deliver the project within the given cost, time quality parameters. Some of those skills must be procured by the project in an ‘as ready’ state e.g. a structural engineering capacity when designing and building a bridge. However, others could be developed within the project - especially where projects are conducted in house. For example the development of data analysis and storage tools may be able to be developed in house. Where this is possible, the need, skill set and cost of the investment should be identified in the Project Execution Plan and any other resourcing management plans written for the project. 

Implementation Training

This type of training, or skill development is not for project participants rather, it is caused by the project. It is rare that a project won’t generate a requirement for implementation training or knowledge transfer. For example, even in the case of a new bridge within an existing road network, training needs to be provided around maintenance regimes in order for the bridge to last and perform per project design specifications. The need for this type of training is likely known at the outset of the project, but the details of it will likely be developed over the course of the project. The training requirement for this type of training should be identified where maintenance / testing and commissioning / design cost reviews are considered through the life of the project. 

Skill Development Opportunities

Where the first two categories considered how people can be developed to serve the project, this category operates in reverse, and requires the Project Manager to consider how the project creates opportunities for project participants. These opportunities can present as training grounds for promotion - i.e. training your assistant project manager to be your successor, but they can also be more curated to the individuals in your project. For example, participants who want to broaden their knowledge and skills across the industry, for example an engineer who is motivated to gain sustainability qualifications, or an administrator who wants to understand customer experience. These opportunities require Project Managers to be interested in the people in their project and open to the opportunities that the project present. These objectives and investments should be identified in individual performance development plans. 

 

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