“Project management is like juggling three balls - time, cost and quality.” G. Reiss
FHE understands that Project Managers are in demand in South Af rica and that they are crucial contributors to productivity in key sectors such as manufacturing and construction, finance and insurance, information services and publishing, management and professional services, utilities and oil and gas.
The good news is that the Council of Higher Education (CHE) has accredited FHE with the Higher Certificate in Project Management (NQF Level 5) recently. This accreditation provides the institution with the tools to use this programme to empower students, the self-employed and professionals to learn the art of managing the products and its deliverables that will directly impact on the success of the company that they are either employed in or own.
Once the South Af rican Qualifications Authority (SAQA) provides the identity number for the qualification and the Department of Higher Education’s (DHET) approval is received, FHE will roll out applications for the project management programme in June 2021. The minimum entry requirements for the project management programme is a Grade 12 National Senior Certificate or an equivalent.
Why is project management important?
According to McManus Consulting (2020), “The project management profession has all the necessary tools, techniques, checks and balances to ensure projects are aligned to strategy, correctly planned, optimally staffed, and executed to ensure that budgets are controlled, and quality outputs delivered”.
Furthermore, research findings prove why project management skills are crucial:
a) By 2027, employers will need nearly 88 million individuals in project management-oriented roles. China and India will represent more than 75 percent of the total project management-oriented employment.
b) Nearly 70% of South Af rican organizations have a career path for those engaged in project management training.
c) Organizations that invest in proven project management practices waste 28 times less money because more of their strategic initiatives are completed successfully.
d) The main driver behind the application of project management in government is to improve State institutions' ability to deliver efficient, effective and high-quality services.
e) Organizations that undervalue project management report an average of 50% more of their projects failing outright.
f) Individuals with project management qualifications and experience are likely to experience a salary increase by an average of 20%
Convenient, accessible, blended teaching and learning approach
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has inspired FHE to adopt the blended teaching and learning approach which includes online, virtual and contact classes. This methodology of teaching and learning provides students effective control over their time, place, way, and speed of their learning with the guidance of their subject expert lecturers and student support.
A project management qualification is a lifelong career investment
FHE believes that project management is a unique profession that requires you to have a specific skill set that determines the successful implementation of strategy, cost control, continuous quality improvement, risk mitigation and stakeholder’s engagement to achieve goals for the company. Therefore, a project management qualification is a lifelong career investment, that will also help South Af rica to be globally competitive.
“A project is complete when it starts working for you, rather than you working for it.” – Scott Allen
References
1. McManus Consulting 2020 Project Management (online) https://www.mcmanus.co.za/project-management-can-help-south-af rica-prosper [Accessed on 20 December 2020]
2. PMI 2017 Earning Power Project Management Salary Survey 10th pdf Newton Square Pennsylvania USA (online) https://www.pmi.org/-/media/pmi/documents/public/pdf/learning/salary-survey-10th-edition.pdf [Accessed on 20 December 2020]
3. PMI Pulse of the Profession 2018 Success in Disruptive Times: Expanding the Value Delivery Landscape to Address the High Cost of Low Performance pdf Newton Square Pennsylvania USA (online) https://www.pmi.org/learning/thought-leadership/pulse/pulse-of-the-profession-2018 [Accessed on 19 December 2020]
4. Pulse of the Profession 2017 Success Rates Rise: Transforming The High Cost Of Low Performance pdf Project Management Institute, Newton Square Pennsylvania USA (online) https://www.pmi.org/learning/thought-leadership/pulse/pulse-of-the-profession-2017 [Accessed on 27 December 2020]
5. Selepe, M.M The Appropriateness of Project Management Mechanisms Within the South Af rican Public Sector Environment The 4th Annual International Conference on Public Administration and Development Alternatives 03 - 05 July 2019, Southern Sun Hotel, OR Tambo International Airport, Johannesburg, South Af rica http://hdl.handle.net/10386/2702
6. PMI 2017 Project Management Job Growth and Talent Gap 2017–2027 pdf Newton Square Pennsylvania USA (online) https://www.pmi.org/learning/careers/job-growth [Accessed on 28 December 2020]
