In a highly dynamic environment, development project managers are expected to do more with less, project managers have to deal with the numerous requests from different stakeholders. Despite these various challenges, project managers are still expected to complete projects on schedule and within tight budgets. Accurately assessing an organization's project management training and skill gaps enables managers to identify areas for improvement, create targeted development plans, and measure development effectiveness against a well-defined set of metrics and goals.
Competence is a standardized requirement for an individual to properly perform a specific job. It encompasses a combination of knowledge, skills and behavior utilized to improve performance. As such, project managers must possess a set of critical competence in order to perform their role successfully.
A competency model outlines the key dimensions of project management competency and identifies those competencies that are most likely to impact project manager performance. A Development Project Management Competency Model is made up of five project management competency categories:
- Strategic - Critical skills that enable project managers to link any given project to the relationships, resources, and mission of their organization.
- Managerial - Application skills and knowledge of project management processes, tools and techniques in project activities
- Technical - Knowledge of the principles and methods of development projects
- Leadership - How the project manager is able to influence, motivate, and challenge others, and how to adapt leadership styles to a variety of situations
- Personal - Characteristics that underlie a person’s ability to successfully manage a project
These five categories combine the art, science, and craft of project management. Development Organizations that combine these competencies into best practices can significantly improve their project success rates. Competency management is the foundation for nearly all workforce development initiatives.
Defining competency models, assessing skill levels through skill assessments and then analyzing gaps, provides the essential information for strategic planning for training, staffing, performance management, and succession planning.
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