Project Management Network for Excellence in Learning & Teaching

Competence – challenges for teaching

Miles Shepherd

Senior Research Fellow

The Bartlett, UCL

Project Management Network for Excellence in Learning & Teaching

Competence

The quality or extent of being competent. A person’s subconscious knowledge of the rules governing speech in their first language. Often contrasted with performance.

Concise Oxford English Dictionary (11th Edn)

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Competence

Having the necessary ability or knowledge to do something successfully

Having legal authority to deal with a particular matter

Concise Oxford English Dictionary (11th Edn)

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A Short Story …

TC 236 Project ManagementFast track BS 6079 Part 1 Working draft ANSI basedDiscussion on competence

Some recognise output based measuresSome recognise input based measuresSome don’t recognise competence as relevant toPM

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ContrastsUK approach Job oriented Adequate performance Expressed as :

RolesDutiesTasks

US approach Person oriented Superior performance Expressed as:

SkillsBehaviourPersonal characteristics

After Cheng, Dainty and Moore 2002

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Art or Science?

Science Objective measures Direct observation Improvement

Art Creativity Emotion Intuition

Viewing management as a creative activity precludes the use of prior objective criteria for its performance

(Henderson 1993)

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ImplicationsUK approach: Involves micro level

competences Ignores human role to

one of actors rather than reflective practitioners

Reduces assessment to comparison of past performance

US approach: Assumes superior

performance is always valid

Focuses on individual manager’s characteristics

Does not define competence in organisational context

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Professional Assessment Project Management Institute

Single level assessment based on knowledge International Project Management Association

4 levels, based on knowledge and behaviour Australian Institute for Project Management

3 levels, based on output measures Project Management Professionals Certification Centre

3 levels based on knowledge and behaviour

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Assessment CoveragePMI Based on PMBoK©

3 competence dimensions Knowledge Personal Performance

Personal Achievement & action Helping & human service Impact & influence Managerial & Cognitive Personal effectiveness

IPMA Based on ICB©

3 Competence dimensionContextualTechnicalBehavioural

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Assessment Coverage

AIPM Based on PMBoK©

Competence areas as PMI

PMCC• Based on P2M Guidebook

• 3 competence dimensions

– Positional

– Responsibilities

– Experience

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Gadeken’s Behaviours

1. Are strongly committed to a clear mission2. Have a long term and big picture perspective3. Are both systematic and innovative thinkers4. Find and empower the best people for their teams5. Are selective in their involvement in project issues6. Focus on external stakeholders7. Thrive on relationships and influence8. Proactively gather information and insist on results

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Gadeken’s Conclusions

“However, an emerging view of the project management profession is that while technical and managerial expertise are important, the primary role of project managers is to provide the leadership focus on their projects.”

“This includes carefully structuring processes for selection, assessment and development of project managers …”

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Kotter’s Behaviours

1. Agenda setting

2. Network building

3. Execution: getting networks to implement agendas.

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Kotter’s Deductions

Role of Project Manager:

“Figuring out what to do despite uncertainty, great diversity, and an enormous amount of potentially relevant information.”

“Getting things done through a large and diverse set of people despite having little control over most of them.”

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Weaknesses

• Task oriented job analysis defines narrow competences

• Outcome based assessment leads to ‘adequate’ performance

• Knowing how to do a job does not necessarily lead to effective performance

• No guarantee of transferability of experience

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Implications for Education

• Existing certification frameworks no guarantee of success

• Emulation of traditional professions educational framework approaches

• Practice orientation• Professional body requirements• Practitioner requirements

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Discussion Points?

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Competence

The quality of extent of being competent. A person’s subconscious knowledge of the rules governing speech in their first language. Often contrasted with performance.

Alternatively

An income large enough to live on!

Concise Oxford English Dictionary (11th Edn)