Onesmo France (MBA) is a Certified Procurement and Supplies Professional (CPSP), who started out with no interest in procurement. Not until he enrolled for a diploma in procurement and supply chain management on the onset of his studies. This was the beginning of a journey that he says “fascinates him” but also challenges him.
Having worked in the procurement industry for more than 10 years now, working as a procurement expert at Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) and currently as a Procurement Manager at TRA (Tanzania Revenue Authority), Onesmo has encountered several setbacks that he says are very common amongst procurement professionals.
One of the biggest challenges is managing stakeholders’ interests
“Every stakeholder might have different interests, expertise and skills; thus, it is very challenging to balance every stakeholder’s requirement”
He explained this in an interview with HEBO Consult, a project management training and consulting firm
After enrolling for a 7-day training program with HEBO Consult,
“Every stakeholder might have different interests, expertise and skills; thus, it is very challenging to balance every stakeholder’s requirement”
According to Onesmo, this was the beginning of a newfound passion in project management which eventually motivated him to acquire a PMP Certification that brought a relief in his procurement activity challenges and created a better working environment in his department.
The PMP certification has proved to be a good tool for Onesmo as it has enabled him to properly plan his procurement activities with stakeholders: when to communicate, who to involve and to make sure the procurement activity in terms of scope of schedule and quality are well aligned.
“Every stakeholder might have different interests, expertise and skills; thus, it is very challenging to balance every stakeholder’s requirement”
By taking the PMP course, Onesmo further explained how it has enabled him to create the best approach that suits user requirements. With the project management knowledge, Onesmo is also able to easily identify stakeholders, their needs and successfully establish communication with them.
Being a procurement manager, Onesmo doesn’t also do things alone, He has a team.
“The PMP Training has helped me a lot in managing my team. You can’t do everything alone, you need to know your team, you need to know their strengths and weaknesses. you need to have rules of dos and don’ts, and you need to know what to do when and at what time. These are some of the benefits.”
The lack of project management knowledge and expertise in Onesmo’s work place prevented him from a smooth workflow and created unnecessary tension
“Before, in the office I’d feel like an obstacle” But currently Onesmo is using project management strategies to make sure every stakeholder is aware, informed, and the team meets deadlines.
As much as procurement professionals might have similar challenges, Onesmo advises them to upskill themselves in project management, to increase efficiency and reduce frustrations and ultimately grow in their career.
he says
“The benefits that you achieve through a project management career are many; you will be able to handle situations in a structured way without causing chaos among their stakeholders, creating government officials’ delays, cost overruns, corruptions, stakeholder operations. It’s the lack of skilled project professionals in different areas that is the main cause of what we witness now as poor project management performance”
But all these can be managed by acquiring the right knowledge and skills in project management.
Click this link to learn more about the PMP certification and how it can help you as address challenges in your areas of work and create a better working environment.
And after the assessment, she’d tackle every question that she got wrong. When her trainers shared the correct answers, she would compare what she thought with the correct answer to check her understanding of the concepts she learned.
About HEBO Consult
HEBO Consult is project management consulting firm that helps businesses, organizations, and individuals get the right skills, tools, and frameworks to successfully execute projects. Whether through consulting or training, we are committed to bringing you the right strategies, skillset, and mindset to turn your ideas into the best reality possible.
