Canadian Government Executive - Volume 26 - Issue 03

28 / Canadian Government Executive // May/June 2020 project management But we can do even more to deepen project management expertise in Canada – especially now. There is no doubt that COVID-19 is driving all organizations to work and collaborate in new ways. Or- ganizations across sectors and industries coming out of COVID are undergoing massive disruption and economic pres- sure to transform their business with few- er resources and more efficiency. The only way to enable change is through projects and that is a catalyst for a project-based or “projectified” world and what we call, “The Project Economy.” So, the project management skillset is more instrumen- tal than ever before. We’ve reached out to federal govern- ment leaders amid the COVID-19 crisis to help them navigate this disruption, of- fering practical steps for how the govern- ment’s response measures can best suc- ceed by setting priorities and focusing on a clear-cut execution plan. There’s always risk to the normally prudent approach to government expenditure when projects and programs are launched as quickly as possible. There are time-proven means of minimizing those risks, however. That’s what our expertise offers; project manage- ment is our raison d’etre. Our research underlines the value of hav- ing a trained cadre of professional project managers. PMI’s 2020 Pulse of the Profes- sion® survey found that an average of 11.4 per cent of every dollar invested on projects and programs -- that’s public and private sector, in Canada and globally -- is wasted due to poor performance. But if organiza- tions work more strategically and build internal capacity -- with a clear strategy, detailed and tested methodology, and cer- tified project managers -- the chances that a project will be successful double. And that includes ensuring project managers have the technical, strategic, and business man- agement, digital, and “power skills” – like effective communication, emotional intel- ligence, and empathy – to navigate change and drive success. What does that look like in action? Beyond delivering projects on time and on budget, it is about delivering value. It is about ensuring a project meets the objectives it set out to accomplish. In this context, we’re encouraged by the reference in the mandate letter of the President of the Treasury Board that he works with his cabinet colleagues to “im- prove project management capabilities so that all major projects in government are led by a certified professional with at least five years of experience.” In 2016, President Barack Obama, in one of the last acts of his administration, signed bipartisan legislation -- the Program Man- agement Improvement and Accountability Act (PMIAA) -- to formalize many of the principles in the United States federal gov- ernment that we advocate: requirements for project management certification for individual managers and project man- agement standards for U.S. government departments and agencies; inter-govern- mental coordination and alignment on suc- cessful approaches; and recognition that executive leadership must focus on project management excellence. In recent years, we have placed a par- ticular priority on the advantages of tech- nological applications. A 2017 study by the World Economic Forum found that Can- ada stood 68th globally in using govern- ment procurement of advanced technolo- gies to spark innovation, while the United States stood second. Canada’s approach to improved project management has evolved rapidly, and the government’s recent Directive on the Management of Projects and Programmes is a tremendous step forward. In particu- lar, the federal government will likely see great dividends from a new requirement mandating that all projects with a total cost of more than $25-million submit base- line information to the Office of the Con- troller General on scope, schedule, costs, and risks. Further measures can ensure greater progress, such as the codification of the kind of whole-of-government strat- egy set out in PMIAA. We can begin by prioritizing critical ex- pertise and training at every step in the project lifecycle from start-up to close- out. This includes the planning that must take place before implementation even begins, including detailed project require- ments, constraints and assumptions, risk assessment and management, as well as detailed scope management, cost manage- ment, project scheduling, and much more. As the saying goes: “Measure twice, cut once...” PMI stands ready to help the federal government with its project management expertise as the “real-time” roll-out of CO- VID-19 programs accelerates. But, equally, we stand ready to do so when this emer- gency turns to recovery. As the world re- bounds from this challenging period, the path forward will be through projects and programs. And the project management community will play a pivotal and lead- ing role in helping with this rebuild. As we have seen time and again, project manage- ment expertise never goes out of fashion. Sunil Prashara is President and Chief Executive Officer of the Project Management Institute. Canada’s approach to improved project management has evolved rapidly, and the government’s recent Directive on the Management of Projects and Programmes is a tremendous step forward.