Author: Eng. Washington Chimuzu, PMP®
Nairobi, Kenya is generally a very busy city and this week has been no less as it hosted the 2023 Project Management Institute (PMI) Africa Conference under the theme, “The Africa We Want: Together We Can.” The Conference has highlighted, among other things, on the importance and role of project management as a key competency in attaining the fullest potential of the continent and its people. Driving change therefore means that no one should be left behind.
The PMI Conference has come barely days after the commemoration of African Union day. Over the years, the African Union has developed a number of initiatives including the Agenda 2063, aimed at fostering greater integration, collaboration, and development of the continent. The Agenda 2063 has got 15 flagship projects which if well implemented will surely bring about much transformation.
Despite Africa being endowed with vast natural resources and a youthful population, it lags behind other continents in so many ways. When one considers the state of affairs on the continent, it is clear that a lot has been achieved but more work is needed even in expediting the afore-mentioned flagship projects. Converting potential ideas, energy and initiatives into tangible results is a complex process of change management.
The theme of the PMI Africa Conference is therefore a befitting one as it recognizes collaboration as a key tool in achieving the vision of a common desired future state of affairs for the continent. These two elements are unique in their own right and yet symbiotic in nature and therefore each must be well managed in consideration of the other.
Collaboration is a proven way of working in projects. It allows for collective input, joint processing of decisions and shared ownership of results. For it to work successfully however takes time, trust and strong leadership. It also calls for high levels of cultural intelligence in addition to emotional intelligence. The former is needed more now thanks to globalization coupled with continental integration whereas the latter is a useful asset in managing dynamic human interactions.
A quick look at the African Union’s flagship projects shows that some have encountered challenges such as slow implementation, delayed benefits realization, limited funding and lack of full buy-in by stakeholders, to mention a few issues. As such, they will need work-around strategies including possible change of scope, so as to still deliver their intended value. This is true of many projects on the continent, not sparing the Eastern and Central African countries.
Not all projects are executed exactly as designed and planned. Many projects undergo changes at one or more points in their lifecycle due to internal and external factors including natural events such cyclones and earthquakes. Larger and longer projects certainly feature highly in terms of exposure. An appreciation of the value of change including it’s associated effects such as change in project costs, is urgently needed.
A rigid approach to execution, even in the pretext of discipline, without considering change or adjustments as may be needed is sure recipe for disaster in projects. Is planning overrated? Absolutely not! To the contrary, a good project management plan will have a defined and systematic way of accommodating changes aimed at optimizing value.
Just as projects bring about change in the way individuals, societies and organizations live, work and interact, it is equally important that project teams get end users or beneficiaries fully on board so as to keep the change and ensure they enjoy all the benefits fully.
About HEBO Consult
The mission of HEBO Consult, a project management training company, is to upskill project professionals through certification and training in accordance with international standards. HEBO facilitates a variety of programmes to professionals at all career levels, from Fundamental Courses, Certification Programmes to Tertiary Programmes like Masters Degrees. HEBO is the leading training provider in Sub-Saharan Africa, with key strategic partnerships with global market leaders such as Project Management Institute (PMI®), CertiProf and Westford University.
