Project Management as a Generic Discipline - Are We Ready For It?

  Organizational Project Management   Strategy   Using PMI Standards  

Project Management has developed over the last century first in the area of construction ,engineering and manufacturing and later found applications in diverse fields some examples include health care , financial services ,government, nonprofits and information technology. The question that we can ask ourselves is "Is Project Management a generic discipline ".Over the last fifty years various professional bodies and associations in project management have propounded the idea that the processes are largely generic and can be equally applied to any industry or sector. Of course, it also appreciates that in some instances there are unique processes and practices limited to a particular sector. But is this thought shared by the practitioners and the community at large? The answer is yes to some extent but also no, judging from the divide that has developed between professional in the IT versus the Engineering and Construction sector each perceiving it the other as grossly different. Further,  outside the project management community ,  project management is perceived as of importance only for delivery of products and services and does not share space with the c suite when considering it as a competence to implement an idea or strategy. Granted, this perception is changing but is slow, in some parts and not widespread.

This webinar will review and examine the question of project management being a generic discipline - the perception of the project management community and those outside it. Can we do something about it? In particular the following topics will be covered.

• Historical view of development of Project Management.
• Views of Project Management Associations and their Standards.
• The value proposition of understanding project management as a generic discipline
• Reality Check - The viewpoint of the practitioners and that of the non-project community
• What can we do to make project management a generic discipline - Some thoughts

 

Learning Objectives

• Historical view of project management.
• Is project management a generic discipline?
• How can we develop project management as a generic discipline?

Project Management has developed over the last century first in the area of construction ,engineering and manufacturing and later found applications in diverse fields some examples include health care , financial services ,government, nonprofits and information technology. The question that we can ask ourselves is "Is Project Management a generic discipline ". Over the last fifty years various professional bodies and associations in project management have propounded the idea that the processes are largely generic and can be equally applied to any industry or sector. Of course, it also appreciates that in some instances there are unique processes and practices limited to a particular sector. But is this thought shared by the practitioners and the community at large? The answer is yes to some extent but also no, judging from the divide that has developed between professional in the IT versus the Engineering and Construction sector each perceiving it the other as grossly different. Further, outside the project management community , project management is perceived as of importance only for delivery of products and services and does not share space with the c suite when considering it as a competence to implement an idea or strategy. Granted, this perception is changing but is slow, in some parts and not widespread.