Projects, as a work method, are increasingly taking over in private and public companies and organizations. Now, both competence and certification is demanded of those want the job as Project Manager.  “Project management has become an extremely important field,” says Halvard S. Kilde, the Managing Director of Metier Academy.

A lot to save on well-run projects

There are billions to be saved through improving the way projects are handled, both in the private and public sectors, in Norway.  According to the Simula Center, around 60 billion NOK goes to IT development in the private and public sectors each year.  A total of 2.6 billion of this sum represents over expenditures in relation to planned budgets.  It is not difficult to understand that improving project handling will lead to greater profits.

“Currently, there is a lot happening in the field of project management,” tells Halvard S. Kilde.  He is the managing director at Metier Academy.  Their primary focus is:  projects and project management; and they have been active in this field since 1982.  Today, they have nearly 80 employees who function, among other things, as quality controllers for the Ministry of Finance’s largest project investments.

Certifying project managers

One important trend Kilde emphasizes is the recognition of project management as its own discipline.  Increasingly, consultants and others who manage projects don't just need experience, but a certification that documents their competence.

Metier has their own “academy” for project managers, and over the last two years, has trained over 6000 people through their programs.  Metier is a Scandinavian company that has international ambitions in the project management field.  They are already established in Uppsala and Copenhagen, and are in the process of establishing themselves in the Benelux countries, Great Britain, and Germany.

Projects are taking over more and more for traditional work methods.  And projects are used to a greater extent than before to improve efficiency in organizations.

Kilde believes that, in Norway, project methodology is mature, and we have the right premises to be leaders in the field.  Some of this is the result of the simple fact that we have, traditionally, had a much flatter organizational structure than in many other countries; and that is why it is easier to implement project-based work as an important work method.

Is project management right for you?

Not everyone is suited to be a Project Manager.  It is an extremely demanding job, and you need a good backbone and a strong stomach.

“You need to have a talent for this kind of role.  In addition, it is also extremely important to have formal competence and practical experience,” says Kilde. Kilde points out that a good project manager is, among other things, “a person who makes difficult phone calls immediately, and checks out uncertainty factors almost before they arise.  People that avoid conflict, or difficult situations, are not suited for this kind of job.”

“In that respect, we can say that a good project manager, in fact, sleeps well at night because inconsistencies, ambiguities, and uncertainties are cleared up immediately,” says Kilde.

Challenging IT projects

IT projects are, in many instances, more challenging and complex than other projects.  One of the reasons for this is that IT projects are difficult to visualize, and it is hard to see their development as they progress.

“If I am a Project Manager for a large construction project, I can see with my own eyes how the project is developing.  The building grows and progress or lack thereof, is easy to see.  When an IT project is, for example, 60% implemented, it is not possible to visualize it in the same way.  This makes it even more important that project managers and organizations involved in IT projects have good competence and follow-through.  Project managers in IT, often have to have even more competence and skill than in other types of projects.

Kilde points out that it can be easy to see IT and IT projects as a goal in themselves, but they are really just a tool to achieve other goals.

“It is important that both Management and the project organization have a good overview of the real objectives for an IT project.  What gains are expected, and which processes will be improved.  In addition, collaboration between the customer and supplier is even more important, if that's possible, when we are talking about an IT project,” says Kilde.

10 good tips

As a Project Manager, you should:

1. Anchor objectives and plans with important interested parties
2. Define and limit goals and acceptance criteria
3. Define deliveries and milestones
4. Focus on realizing gains
5. Use the contract as a management tool
6. Focus particularly on addressing changes 
7. Clearly define project organization and rolls
8. Focus on promoting a well-defined collaboration between customer and supplier
9. Ensure that you include appropriate competence in the project
10. Handle uncertainty as it arises and have continuous quality control, preferably through a “third eye”.

(Source: Metier AS)