Project Management Skills Research Articles

UNDERSTANDING THE RELATIONSHIP OF LEADERSHIP SKILLS IN THE PRE-CONSTRUCTION PHASE WITH THE SUCCESS OF SUSTAINABLE CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS

Since the construction industry has been focused on sustainable construction projects presently, the roles of project manager as a leader have become more complex as they have to balance various stakeholders' interests to create sustainability approach mainly in the pre-construction phase. This study aims to investigate the relationship of leadership skills of project managers in the pre-construction phase with the success of sustainable construction projects. The Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) technique was used to analyse data collected from a questionnaire survey of 153 project managers with experience managing Malaysian sustainable construction projects. The findings imply that communication skills, planning and goal setting skills, team building skills, and conflict management skills in the pre-construction phase have a significant relationship with the success of sustainable construction projects. This study has a theoretical implication that can assist the project manager and construction organisation to understand better that the leadership skills of a project manager in the pre-construction phase can lead towards the success of sustainable construction projects. The findings of this study may be useful for the project manager and construction organisations to deliver a successful sustainable construction project.

Preparing the Future Nutrition Professional: A Summer Internship Case Study Examining Food Systems

ObjectivesEvaluate the effectiveness of a virtual food systems internship to enhance nutrition undergraduate professional skill development and project management skills management skills. MethodsA total of five students participated in a 14-week internship via Zoom with sessions led by academic and industry professionals. Presenters provided an overview of the food system relative to their roles and function within the production of food and processing of ingredients. The virtual format allowed the students to network with experts from across the United States and to learn how to learn together. Students engaged in independent project-work and research culminating in student-led seminars to address barriers and opportunities in the food system. Students evaluated presentation styles to support development of their skills through exposure to agriculture, business, consumer, and regulatory topics. Each week students participated in facilitated dialogue to critique the presenters and communicate research findings and project progress. In addition, students reflected on how the materials and presentation impacted development of their transferable skills in the areas of communication, project management/leadership, interpersonal and intrapersonal skills, and self-management. ResultsStudents were introduced to the pre-farm to consumer food system broadening their understanding of the role of nutrition in food production. Based on a thematic analysis of student reflections, the themes identified include skill development in confidence, communication, working towards collective goals, and appreciation for the flexibility of the virtual format. ConclusionsDespite the impact of COVID-19 on education and training, we found that a successful internship can be conducted virtually such that students gained confidence in their ability to communicate concepts related to industry projects and production. Future work should continue to bridge the university-industry training gap. Funding SourcesNone.

An Anatomy and Physiology Course for Engineers Involving the “Design” of Integrated, Anatomically Unique Creatures

OverviewThis abstract focuses on a distinctive group project in an introductory anatomy and physiology course for upper‐year undergraduate and graduate engineering students.BackgroundEngineering students in the traditional fields of mechanical, chemical and electrical engineering solve problems and analyze systems by drawing upon fundamental knowledge in chemistry or physics, where processes tend to be well‐defined and well‐characterized. In the field of biology, processes may be characterized, but have a greater degree of variance and a nomenclature unfamiliar to many engineers. Learning the fundamentals of anatomy and physiology in the context of systems to understand, characterize, and design, can be helpful to engineers who lack a background in biology. Upper year engineers are also experienced working in groups as many courses require collaboration in design and would benefit from group work as it relates to anatomy and physiology.Objective and hypothesisThe objective of this course, and its core project, was to enable engineers to engage with anatomy and physiology content in a way that promoted their learning of the material, while utilizing their unique analytical approach and leveraging their advanced design and project management skills. We hypothesized that students would gain a deep understanding of anatomy and physiology through the design of a creature – building on their engineering skills and integrating their anatomy knowledge across the 11 human body systems.Project descriptionThe centerpiece of the project involved defining a creature that could survive in an environment of the students’ choosing. Each project group chose a body system, and collaborated with adjacent body systems to create one cohesive, integrated organism over the term. The project was executed in groups of 4‐5 students, including at least one graduate student. Deliverables consisted of a presentation, visual representation, written report, and individual reflection. All design choices needed to be scientifically consistent with anatomical and physiological systems. The visual representation could be a physical object, digital rendering, or drawing – anything that assisted in the understanding of the system and creature.Students were asked to consider the following key questions in order to promote the discovery of needs and requirements by the engineering students (part of the engineering design process). (1) What does the environment that the creature lives in look like? (2) What does a complex living organism with body systems look like in this environment? (3) What adaptations are needed by the creature for the environment that they live in? (4) How do the various body systems interact with each other?Project impactSince the project was one of fantasy, rooted in logical and scientifically sound justification, this allowed the engineers to think beyond the technical constraints that are usually imposed on them. Many groups were inspired by a variety of organisms and engineering systems. In their individual reflections, many students described the project to be creative, humorous, and challenging. They also described that the project enhanced their understanding of body systems and further developed their skills in coordination and communication (owing to coordination between groups when working on the integrated organism). Overall, this project provided an effective learning opportunity for the students and a memorable way to interact with this previously unfamiliar topic.

Proposal for Life Course Intervention Researcher Core Competencies.

Proposal for Life Course Intervention Researcher Core Competencies.

Case Study of Multi-Course Project-Based Learning and Online Assessment in Electrical Engineering Courses during COVID-19 Pandemic

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there was an urgent need to move to online teaching and develop innovative teaching techniques to ensure that student learning outcomes (SOs) were fulfilled. This paper tries to answer the important question of whether an established teaching strategy through a multi-course project-based learning (MPL) approach, along with online assessment techniques, helps in the effective achievement of SOs in a senior-level electrical engineering (EE) course. The authors have developed a course project for attaining the objectives of a senior and a capstone course, where students are registered at the same time. In addition, the course conducts assessments online. The paper reports the effect of the two approaches on the attainment of the SOs of the two courses, along with testing the programming and problem-solving abilities of the students. It is known that the MPL approach enhances the critical thinking capacity of students, which is also a major outcome of Sustainable Development Education (ESD). It was ensured that the project that was used to test the fulfillment of a series of SOs were concentrated on soft engineering and project management skills. The difficulty of adopting the MPL method for the senior-level courses is in the scheduling of the course materials to help the student advance to the final project while also aligning the project towards fulfilling the learning outcomes of the individual course. The study also provides the students with feedback on online assessment techniques incorporated within the MPL. Besides this, the effect of the innovative teaching approaches was compared with the same senior course taught using conventional methods in an earlier semester. Based on the feedback from teachers and students from a previously conducted case study, it was concluded that the MPL approach had supported the student learning. The results of the statistical analysis (Chi-square, two-tailed T statistics and hypothesis testing using a z-test) show that an MPL approach and online assessment improved the attainment of the SOs despite the constraints posed by the pandemic.

Students’ feedback literacy in workplace integrated learning: How prepared are they?

ABSTRACT Feedback is powerful for learning in education, and the workplace. Work-integrated learning bridges these two settings, but how prepared students are to use feedback strategies as they enter the workplace remains unknown. This paper documents an exploratory, mixed-methods, study involving final-year occupational therapy students. The students were undertaking work-integrated learning to develop project management skills. The specific research questions addressed were; how feedback literate are final-year students; and, can feedback literacy (FL) education improve FL in preparation for the workplace? Likert scales, open response questions, and assessment rubrics were utilised. Opportunities for FL education were provided. Statistically significant differences between pre- and post-test survey responses were evident. Four qualitative themes were identified; enacting feedback, choice of feedback, emotional impact of feedback and value of the outsider perspective. Some students demonstrated sophisticated feedback capabilities. Others engaged tokenistically with feedback. Tentative support for the effectiveness of one FL intervention was demonstrated.

Evaluation of the efficiency of training on the formation of project management skills in the sphere of health protection through the «factory of processes»

The material presents the results of assessing the effectiveness of the «process factories» for the formation of project management skills in the field of health protection in the development of lean manufacturing technology. In order to assess the efficiency ratio, the process of conducting an initial appointment in the office of a general practitioner and a pediatrician was timed before and 7 months after graduation. It was revealed that the use of the “process factory” in the development of lean production technology allows to increase the labor productivity of specialists at the workplace by an average of 6.2% compared to specialists who have mastered the tools of lean production without fixing them at the “process factory”.

Incorporating Competencies Related to Project Management into the Joint Taskforce Core Competency Framework for Clinical Research Professionals.

In 2014, the Joint Task Force for Clinical Trial Competency (JTF) published its Core Competency Framework. The Framework has been utilized internationally by academic institutions, corporate entities, professional associations, educational and training programs, and regulatory agencies and integrated into their activities. The JTF has continually updated and expanded the scope of the Framework to reflect changes in the scientific understanding and methodology utilized in conducting clinical research. In 2019, representatives from the Drug Information Association Professional Development and Project Management Leadership Communities approached the JTF reflecting the importance of clinical project managers and the project management skill set to the clinical research enterprise. In response, the JTF created a Project Management Competency Task Force to define and document these core competencies with recommendations for their inclusion as a revision to the Framework 3.0. Two new specific competencies with related examples were incorporated into Revision 3.1 and expressed at the Basic, Skilled and Advanced levels. In addition, the wording of several existing competencies was modified, and related examples added to reflect the knowledge, skills, and attitudes of clinical project managers.

Study on Performance Factors of Public Building Construction Project in Assosa Zone

Construction industry is highly competitive and a job creator for a different groups of expertise such as owners, consultants, contractors and other shareholders. General objectives is to assess the effects of issues determining the presentation of public building construction project in Assosa Zone. The research was used quantitative design; the data was collected from owners, consultants, and contractors using questionnaires and interviews. The performance problems of which the respondents were asked to rank each according to the five-point Likert scale. The results of this research identified 74 factors influencing the performance of public building construction project. From among factors escalation of material prices, unavailability of resources as planned through project duration, sequencing of work according to schedule, differentiation of currency prices, leadership skills of project manager, are the top five significant factors in Assosa zone. To accomplish the public building construction project without delay the clients should hire a specialized engineer and the consultant should give training for the project organization. The contractors should be using the qualified employees with good experience to avoid any problems during construction of the project.

Software Sustainability: A Systematic Literature Review and Comprehensive Analysis

Software Engineering is a constantly evolving subject area that faces new challenges every day as it tries to automate newer business processes. One of the key challenges to the success of a software solution is attaining sustainability. The inability of numerous software to sustain for the desired time-length is caused by limited consideration given towards sustainability during the stages of software development. This review aims to present a detailed and inclusive study covering both the technical and non-technical challenges and approaches of software sustainability. A systematic and comprehensive literature review was conducted based on 107 relevant studies that were selected using the Evidence-Based Software Engineering (EBSE) technique. The study showed that sustainability can be achieved by conducting specific activities at the technical and non-technical levels. The technical level consists of software design, coding, and user experience attributes. The non-technical level consists of documentation, sustainability manifestos, training of software engineers, funding software projects, and leadership skills of project managers to achieve sustainability. This paper groups the existing research efforts based on the above aspects. Next, how those aspects affect open and closed source software is tabulated. Based on the findings of this review, it is seen that both technical and non-technical sustainability aspects are equally important, taking one into contention and ignoring the other will threaten the sustenance of software products.

Project Management Roles and Task for Interior Designer During Design Phase

The interior design process begins with identifying and solving a problem. Good interior design solutions have the power to positively influence people. The process to turn an empty interior into a functionally effective and aesthetically pleasing environment requires a few tasks. The continued misunderstanding of these respective disciplines enables the general public to assume that anyone who creates and furnishes a space with finishes and artworks without a clear understanding of the structural drawings and schematics of that particular space is an interior designer. It is important to ensure that the roles and tasks of an interior designer are not equated to interior decorators and/or interior architects. The aim of the analysis is to validate the importance of project management knowledge in managing interior projects with relation to the professional provision that will improve in Interior design industry needs and expectation from the interior designer towards the knowledge and skills of project management. The objective was to investigate the importance level of interior design professional practices on the Interior design’s task and duties. The quantitative approach was applied in this research to validate the roles and task of interior design project manager in design process of the project. This analysis will demonstrate the significance of a project manager's project management task in an interior design project.

Project Management Skills in Malaysian Economic Sectors

Objective of this conceptual study is to investigate the demand for project management skills in Malaysian economic sectors and to develop strategies on narrowing down the project management talent gap to enable the nation in leveraging on project management talents to implement strategic initiatives, driving change, and delivering innovation to Malaysia whilst contributing to nation’s productivity and standard of living. Previous studies on project management skills demand in Malaysian economic sector is limited, mostly related to non-Malaysian economies and other areas of skills. Demand and supply theory based on Graduate Tracer Study is used as basis to understand and close the gap in project management skills demand and project management talent shortages and, in consideration of potential job mismatch due to traits of workers and the impact of curriculum design on employability competence. This study on project management skills in Malaysia will serve as basis to identify the project management skills gap in Malaysian economic sectors. Proposed model of strategies expected to be developed in this study is aimed to provide granular level insights for government in adopting more targeted approach in meeting the demand for project management skills and narrowing down project management talent shortages.

INVESTMENTS IN EDUCATION: PROBLEMS AND WAYS OF THEIR SOLUTION

With the rapid development of scientific and technological progress and the formation of new directions of development and optimization of the economy, the education sector needs a particularly rapid response to economic and social changes. Changes in society entail the need for a rapid change in approaches to education management and the effective involvement and use of tangible assets. The Covid-19 pandemic has revealed the low readiness of most educational institutions to use modern technical means in the educational process. The outdated approach to the management of educational institutions, in particular their financial component, is the cause of inefficient use of funds and, as a consequence, hinders the development of the education sector and society in particular. The article considers the problem of high-quality material and technical support of institutions and establishments of the education system of Ukraine, the problem of legislative regulation of the functioning of the education sector in the conditions of technical progress and the Covid-19 pandemic. The current state of the network of institutions and establishments of the education system, in particular preschool, general secondary, vocational and higher education, is characterized. The structure and nature of education expenditures in the context of the last three years are described. The article describes the current state of investment in science, technology and innovation. Since the education sector is non-profit in nature and completely dependent on external funding, the issue of logistics of education depends entirely on the public mood and skills of educational managers. In the process of analyzing the current state of the education sector, the problems of legislative regulation of out-of-school education, including distance education, were revealed. The need to reform approaches to training and retraining of management staff of the education system, in order to form the latest skills of financial and project management. The need to optimize the network of educational institutions and change approaches to training managers in the education system, and the need to reform approaches to financing education and science and technology, as factors that directly affect the rate of economic growth and development of society as a whole.

ФОРМУВАННЯ SOFT SKILLS ЯК ОСНОВНОГО СКЛАДНИКА КОНКУРЕНТОСПРОМОЖНОГО ФАХІВЦЯ

A competitive specialist in any field must have both professional skills and «soft skills»: the ability to think creatively and manage time, communication skills, networking, project management, effective teamwork, personal effectiveness, management and strategic skills. There is also the concept of emotional intelligence, the ability to negotiate and be convincing (self-confident). Attention is paid to systematic thinking and assessment of risks and consequences of one's own actions, service orientation, etc. The concept of «soft skills» is quite new and little studied in Ukraine, but it is given a lot of attention by employers. The purpose of the article is to review and organize the formed views on creativity; substantiation of the ratio of soft, innovative and communicative skills and the development of the future specialist; it has been proven that creativity is a concept that develops throughout life, but function best in childhood (a period when non-standard thinking thrives). It is established that creativity (as a kind of soft skills) in combination with innovative and communicative technologies create an innovation that allows to educate a highly qualified competent specialist, ready for decisive action. It is analyzed and substantiated that the use of innovative tools (3D pen modeling) promotes the development of creativity from an early age, opens up to the person the widest possible opportunities and prospects. The process, basic rules, mistakes during modeling, intersectoral connections, as well as the need for 3D modeling for different professions are covered. 3D pen modeling becomes the basis for understanding and using 3D printing both for everyday life and for the global needs of mankind. The acquired skills and knowledge allow to become a developer on the border of different industries, both related and non-related. Therefore, intersectoral communication and understanding of different technologies come to the fore. Key words: soft skills, creativity, innovation, information and communication technologies, 3d modeling, 3d pen.

Working collaboratively to create a legacy: the development of The Critical Incident Resource

ABSTRACT Critical incidents (CIs) are sudden, unexpected events that have a significant impact upon children and young people. In response to the Manchester Arena bombing in May 2017, the Association of Regional Educational Psychology Services (EPSs) created face-to-face training materials to support schools with CI response. In order to embed the legacy of this cross-service training initiative, the aim of this research was to explore how these materials could be developed into an online resource through a process of action research. Supported by an IT expert, one trainee educational psychologist (TEP) and five EPs from different EPSs across the region formed a ‘task-and-finish’ group and followed a seven-phase process, including a pre- and post-phase. 'The Critical Incident Resource’ (TCIR) website was created, to support EPs in their support for school CI response. The online resource development highlighted key project management skills for EPs including conceptual, human, negotiation and technical abilities.

Project Management Training in Schools and Programs of Public Health in the United States

Background. Little is known about the use of project management in public health research and practice in the U.S. Research from other countries supports the use of project management (PM) principles to successfully manage public health programs and research, prevent delays, and reduce costs. However, knowledge of PM training in public health schools and programs is limited. This study sought to (1) determine the extent to which PM training is offered to public health students in schools and programs in the U.S. accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH), (2) examine why project management courses are not offered, and (3) identify the challenges faced in offering PM courses. Methods. In May 2019, an online survey was distributed to 178 CEPH-accredited schools and programs in public health in the U.S. Thirty-seven percent of schools/programs completed the survey. Results. About 75% of CEPH-accredited schools and programs that responded do not offer PM training. However, respondents deemed PM skills and training critical for the success of students. Primary challenges included lack of qualified instructors, course cost, lack of school/program interest, perceived lack of student interest, and unfamiliarity of the benefits of PM to public health. Discussion. Opportunities abound for administrators to familiarize themselves with the evidence that PM training helps prepare students for the public health workforce. Identifying qualified faculty and funding to support curriculum development, the implementation of PM competencies by CEPH, and additional research are needed to encourage the adoption of PM in schools/programs of public health.

Development and implementation of project management skills in vocational institutions

The purpose of the article is to analyze the experience of developing and implementing project management skills in the process of preparing students. From the methodological field, the dynamics of students' participation in project activities and the main ways of developing the project management skill are revealed. The participants of the study were teachers and students of higher educational institutions in the age category from 19 to 24 years. The results determined that the development and implementation of the skill of managing educational projects is one of the most significant areas of the development of educational activities since this soft skill allows students to adapt to professional activities most quickly and maintain competitiveness.

Business Process Outsourcing and Firm Performance of Selected Real Estate Firms in Nairobi City County, Kenya

Today’s ever-increasing competitive environment requires firms to seek for better ways to create value. In the organization era, firms continue to face tougher competition in the business environment and business process outsourcing is a critical strategy that improves a firm’s competitive capabilities by delivering value to customers. Business process outsourcing has emerged as a widely adopted strategy among firms in various sectors. The general objective of the study was to establish the effect of business process outsourcing on organizational performance of real estate firms in Nairobi City County. The specific objectives of the study were to determine the effect of Information Technology Outsourcing, Knowledge Process Outsourcing, Administration Support Systems and Project Management Skills Outsourcing on performance of selected real estate firms in Nairobi City County. The study was founded on Transaction Cost Economics, Resource-Based View and Contingency Theory. The population of interest in this study comprised of 245 real estate firms in Nairobi City County registered in accordance with the Estate Agents Act while the respondents of the study comprised of the real estate manager. The study used primary data that was obtained using questionnaires administered to real estate firm managers. Statistical Package for the Social Sciences will be used qualitative and quantitative data analyses. The findings of the study showed that real estate firms in Nairobi City County outsource information technology outsourcing, knowledge process outsourcing, administrative support systems outsourcing and project management skills to a great extent. The study concluded that Information Technology Outsourcing, Knowledge Process Outsourcing, Administration Support Systems and Project Management Skills Outsourcing positively and significantly influence performance of selected real estate firms in Nairobi City County. The study recommended that in order for real estate firms in Nairobi City County to improve their performance, there is need to outsource information communications and technology (ICT) infrastructure such as IT support services, software applications, computer network infrastructure, IT security infrastructure and IT training consultancy. The study also recommended real estate firms to outsource knowledge processes including managing performance and legal obligations, contract management and law, business and market research, building and research as well as research and development.

Ограничения в использовании методов анализа социальных сетей в управлении маркетинговым проектом

One of the trends of the labor market is project management skills. In such conditions, the professional education of a project manager becomes especially relevant since it is often impossible to completely replace it with work experience.
 One of the most vital areas for project success is communication management. Nevertheless, in this area, unlike many others, tools that allow objectively analyzing the quality of communications are not used. Relatively recently, a method of social network analysis (SNA) has appeared, which enables, among other things, analyzing communications in projects. Researchers wrote about the applicability of this methodology in project management. This article will identify some of the limitations in the use of SNA in project management.

Building institutional capacities for students as partners in the design of COVID classrooms

The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 posed several challenges to post-secondary institutions, including the move to online learning in a short amount of time. In June 2020, Bishop’s University hired 23 students as online learning and technology consultants (OLTCs) to help faculty prepare for Fall 2020. They underwent training about Students-as-Partners literature, empathetic design, pandemic pedagogy, high-impact practices, and authentic learning design. After their training—which included online modules, simulations, faculty mentorship, and technology training—the program launched in July 2020. In this case study, we deploy SaP literature to solve pedagogical challenges posed by the pandemic, analyze the data collected in the program’s developmental assessment, and share the program’s impact on students, faculty, and the institution more broadly. This program is a key intervention in building institutional capacities for SaP work in a post-COVID higher education context. The outcomes of this case study demonstrate that working with students as partners in the design of COVID classrooms increases students’ social and emotional intelligence, technical and digital literacy skills, critical thinking, project management skills, and other significant learning gains.