Tanzania’s engineering and consultancy sub-sectors stand on the brink of a significant metamorphosis. Sparking this transformation is a progressive initiative from the Engineers Registration Board (ERB), partnering with the Ministry of Works and Transport. Their collective goal: to elevate local practitioners’ participation and influence on projects, both nationally and internationally. Central to this strategy is the enhancement of project management skills.
As the world evolves beyond the realm where technical competence suffices for success, the ERB plans to enforce economic regulations for engineering consulting firms. These regulations aim to address business planning and corporate governance and a key focus in enhancing project management capabilities.
This focus on project management skills aligns with the global shift recognizing these competencies’ value across diverse industries. ERB’s strategic approach acknowledges that an effective project manager navigates beyond the technical sphere, demonstrating proficiency in people management and strategic business thinking.
The successful project manager needs to grasp ‘soft skills,’ including team leadership, conflict resolution, effective negotiation, and ensuring clear communication among stakeholders. Strategic business management skills entail aligning projects with organizational strategic objectives, implementing risk management, and optimizing resources.
By embedding these critical skills in engineering consultants, the ERB and Ministry of Works and Transport aim to propel an era of innovation and growth within Tanzania’s engineering and consultancy sectors. Firms armed with advanced project management skills can better tackle modern projects’ complexities, ensuring quality and efficiency from inception to completion.
The CEO and Registrar of ERB said, “The engineering sector does not need to re-invent the wheel but rather adopt best practices from a global context. This will substantially support in resolving pertinent issues that are hindering the growth of the engineering and consultancy subsector. Issues including lack of corporate governance and succession planning, poor compliance, lack of business plans that include trajectory of growth, gender disparity and soft skills”. ERB plans to reinforce skills tied to project management, safety, health, and environmental management. As sustainability becomes integral to development projects worldwide, these proficiencies will enhance Tanzanian engineering firms’ competitive edge and contribute to sustainable development locally and globally.
Including these prerequisites for the registration of consulting engineers and firms, the ERB demonstrates its commitment to foster a robust, resilient engineering sector prepared for the challenges of the future.
Tanzania’s engineering and consultancy sub-sectors, on the cusp of this strategic transformation, stand to gain multiple benefits – increased efficiency, enhanced risk management, improved stakeholder communication, and amplified global competitiveness.
Ultimately, the ERB’s joint initiative with the Ministry of Works and Transport doesn’t merely change the game for Tanzania’s engineering and consultancy sectors. It symbolizes a broader shift towards a future where project management skills transition from being an asset to a necessity. The evolution it triggers promises to inaugurate a new era of growth and international competitiveness for Tanzania’s engineering and consultancy sub-sectors.
About HEBO Consult
HEBO Consult is a project management training firm dedicated to upskilling project professionals through PMI-approved training programs. As the first and only Tanzania-owned Authorized Training Partner certified by PMI, HEBO Consult delivers standardized project management training to professionals across Africa
