Project Management Training Research Articles

Multi-method Simulation Approach for Software Project Management Training in-process Decision Support System: a Conceptual-operative Framework

Software project management (SPM) is a discipline that comprises of different topics, practice and theories. There are two dimensions in the knowledge of SPM, theoretical or concepts of SPM and; practical or experience of SPM. These two dimensions although grow separately but come across at one point that is experiential knowledge of SPM. To present these dimensions through a proper training, a practitioner needs to have a proper view on SPM process. In this paper we present a new framework for practicing SPM through a distinct simulation technique to bring on an in-process decision support system, supporting the proper training approach. The framework developed based on three different methods of simulation technique, discrete event simulation (DES), system dynamics (SD) and partially observable Markov decision process (POMDP).1

Terminology as a source of difficulty in translating international legal discourses: an empirical cross-genre study

Abstract Despite the persistent focus on terminology in legal translation studies, to date, no large-scale research has empirically explored the difficulty of terminology in translating legal genres. Approaches to translation difficulty in translation studies more broadly remain limited in scope. To fill this gap, a study was conducted to measure the difficulty associated with the translation of legal terminology and phraseology, as well as with terminology of other domains, in the LETRINT 1+ corpus, including nine representative genres of three institutional settings (the European Union, the United Nations and the World Trade Organization). For comparative purposes, four levels of translation difficulty were assigned to multiple terminological features by a group of specialized translators through a consensus-building process of annotation based on the cognitive effort estimated for translation decision-making. The difficulty scores obtained confirm the correlation between legal singularity and higher translation difficulty, as well as the connection of more commonly used legal terms and phrasemes, and core economic terms, with lower difficulty levels. The findings also provide evidence of the prominence of non-legal specialized terminology in institutional legal discourses, and the aggregate terminological difficulty levels of each genre examined, which can be particularly useful for informing translation quality assurance, project management and translator training.

Research on the Practice of Innovation and Entrepreneurship of Students Majoring in Automation and Control in Higher Vocational Colleges

Investigate the main links of higher vocational automation and control majors, such as training objectives, curriculum settings, and practical arrangements, in-depth analysis of the status quo of professional students' engineering practice ability, and point out the key issues. The article puts forward the idea of establishing a practical ability training platform with innovation and entrepreneurship as the main driving force. At the same time, the author combines the society’s demand for "innovative and entrepreneurial talents" and the entrepreneurial characteristics of higher vocational automation and control, based on the Java web cloud application design scheme, design a set of higher vocational students’ innovation and entrepreneurship system, which can better support higher vocational students’ innovation "Entrepreneurship" scientific research and training project management, more scientifically guide the smooth development of "innovation and entrepreneurship education" in higher vocational schools.

Project management training for “Indy Soulart Fiberglass” to increase productivity

Business development depends on good management and extensive promotion to customers. In addition, courteous prompt response from customer service can be an advantage to influence customer decisions to order products. This community service program uses interview and observation methods to solve problems in this small fiberglass industry. Interviews and observations were conducted to analyze the situation and determine the solution to the problem. Training for the creative industry of Indy Soulart Fiberglass helps them carry out extensive promotions to reach their customers and have good management. Creating a built web page introduces their profile in product processing. Professionalism and punctuality are also displayed on the website to gain customer trust. In addition, customers are given information about contact persons on the web page to make it easier for them when they want to place an order. A project management system is built to manage orders. Business owners can track product creation progress from design to product ready to ship. This system helps the owner to monitor the running of the business. Thus, the business can gradually operate effectively and efficiently. The improved business situation at Indy Soulart Fiberglass shows that providing information on the internet and owner supervision is necessary to keep the business growing. Complete information shared with customers can influence the customer's decision to order the product. Meanwhile, the project management system helps the owner control the product manufacturing process.

Evaluasi Persepsi Peserta Pada Pelatihan Manajemen Proyek

Project problems such as wasted costs, poor quality, delays in completion time and other impacts that have the potential to cause legal consequences are often experienced. This happens because the implementer ignores the principles of project management in its implementation as a result of a poor understanding of project management. For this reason, the DKI Jakarta Provincial Human Resources Development Agency held a Project Management training which during the Covid-19 pandemic was conducted online. Based on the analysis carried out, from the participant aspect, it was found that the level of satisfaction of the training participants was very high to a very satisfactory level. The increase in participants' knowledge was felt to be higher by participants with a background in social education and humanities compared to participants with a science and technology background. All participants said they would apply the principles of project management because they believe their competence has increased so that they can make a positive contribution to improving the performance of their agencies. Regarding the training aspect, the material was in accordance with what was expected and needed in managing the project. This training can be attended by participants from various educational backgrounds, but the implementation time needs to be considered for participants with social and humanities backgrounds. In order to provide a better understanding, online training needs to be combined with offline in class. The training is felt to be very useful for improving the competence of project managers, so it needs to be continued with modification and development.

International Collaboration in the Field of Educational Research: A Delphi Study

(International) research collaboration (IRC) is considered one of the most important aspects of academic careers and, although it is often linked to co-authorship, investigations of academic perceptions and practices are rare. Reflections on factors affecting IRC, as well as effective technology for use in IRC are also now particularly vital, due to the outbreak of COVID-19. The aim of this three-round Delphi study, conducted prior to the pandemic, was to explore why and how academics conduct IRC in the field of Education. The results indicate that the benefits of IRC are more relevant than the barriers, and that networking with and learning from others are two of the most important reasons for conducting IRC. Four stages of IRC were identified, alongside a range of influencing factors, which could inform future project management training. Suggestions for institutional IRC policy are provided, as well as considerations for early career researchers.

Enabling construction project managers through a management game

PurposeThis paper aims to design and develop a management game in the field of construction project management so that by playing the game, the required level of knowledge, skills, capabilities and overall project management competencies in individuals will be promoted. Also, player’s competencies can be measured.Design/methodology/approachThis study, in terms of application, is applied research. The construction project management simulation game (CPMSG) was played by 18 university students. To evaluate the level of the players’ project management knowledge and quality of the game, questionnaires were used.FindingsThe game improves the players’ project management knowledge by 158%, and the educational program that was formulated in the game has also achieved the first three levels of bloom’s taxonomy of educational objectives. In the field of game quality, analysis of players’ results of responses and scores show that the game has a good quality level.Originality/valueThe CPMS game provides a useful tool for project management training, especially in the field of construction projects. It helps in addition to improving the quality of teaching theoretical topics, making students acquainted with the risks and uncertainties of such projects, and provides a simulated experience. In the field of common behavior analysis and player’s selection, the results indicated that the majority of groups used high-quality materials during the games to perform activities related to the appearance of the building (such as finishing and building facade activities) and used medium quality materials in implementing infrastructural activities such as brickwork and floor construction that are not visible in the appearance of work.

Formation of Professional Competences and Soft Skills of Public Administration Employees for Sustainable Professional Development

(1) Background: The current situation is bringing about changes manifested in the digitalisation of management processes, the aspects of knowledge management, and the transmission of global risks. Demands in the area of soft skills are increasing. Therefore, this study aims to identify the requirements for competences necessary for the effective performance of job positions in public administration in the Czech Republic, including the mapping of interest in further training. (2) Methods: The data were collected in 2020 via questionnaires from 245 employees in relevant positions. The data were analysed using the correlation analysis method for establishing relationships between variables applying the Pearson correlation coefficient. Gender differences and differences between rank-and-file and executive employees were subjected to the Mann–Whitney U-test. (3) Results: The more competence is required by the employer, the more frequently it is used by employees and the more favourably the workers assess themselves in this competence. At the same time, they have a greater need and are willing to train this particular competence. A significant trend has been identified in the case of executives. Soft skills are used most frequently and the employees would like to further train them. The least interest is shown in project management training. As to professional competences, digital systems are the most frequently used and required. (4) Conclusions: The research suggests trends in the development of modern technologies, digitalisation, and information systems that will contribute to effective work in public administration. Soft skill development in rank-and-file and executive employees will also be needed.

Enterprise Resource Planning System Selection with Multi-Criteria Decision Making Techniques

Today, businesses need to consider many parameters such as cost, quality, efficiency and being able to predict the changing business conditions in order to keep up with the competitive environment. Enterprise resource planning systems (ERP) connect daily business requirements such as accounting, procurement, project management, R&D (Research and Development), foreign trade operations with the necessary information. Although ERP systems have the feature of combining every data from all points of view of an enterprise, many companies cannot achieve the success they desire in these software that they purchase by bearing high costs. Accordingly, the aim of the study is to select the most suitable system for a company that decides to use an enterprise resource planning system, by using TOPSIS, one of the multi-criteria decision making methods. When the literature and qualitative study results were evaluated together in the study, the criteria such as system competence, system flexibility, cost, training, after-sales support and efficient project management criteria were determined to be the main ones. In order to determine the significance level of the criteria, a process of criteria weighting was executed with the senior managers of the company. At the end of the study, the most important criterion was determined as “cost” and “ERP 3” was selected as the ERP system with the highest score among the existing enterprise resource planning systems

ПІДГОТОВКА ФАХІВЦІВ ЗІ СТРАТЕГІЧНИХ КОМУНІКАЦІЙ ДЛЯ МІНІСТЕРСТВА ОБОРОНИ УКРАЇНИ

<p><em>The article is a study of the current state of information danger in a «hybrid war», which has led to the increased attention to the training of specialists in strategic communications in the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine. The aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, especially in terms of information aggression, led to the search for possible mechanisms for a holistic response to such a challenge by national security experts. One of the mechanisms of such a response is the development of a system of strategic communications. </em></p><p><strong><em>The purpose</em></strong><em> of the study is to analyze the features of training specialists in strategic communications for the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine. </em></p><p><strong><em>Research methodology.</em></strong><em> The methods used in the article are the following: search of the available methodological and scientific literature with analysis of the found material, elucidation of causal relationships, systematization, and analysis of documentation and results of researchers on the problem of the study. A big block of problems related to the formation of an effective system of strategic communications in Ukraine includes a clear understanding of its components and effective coordination of strategic communications in multilevel systems with their own hierarchy, decision-making system, traditions and even goals.</em><em> </em><em>The method of content analysis is used to understand the practices of training relevant professionals in the materials of the media.</em><em></em></p><p><strong><em>Results.</em></strong><em> The content of strategic cooperation between Ukraine and NATO in the field of strategic communications is considered. To implement the Plan, the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, within the framework of the package of Partnership Goals between Ukraine and NATO, launched a new program of Partnership Goal C0021 «Strategic Communications», which provided a set of systemic measures in this area, which must be implemented by the end of 2018. The activity of the higher educational institutions within the educational program and with the involvement of other educational institutions in the field of improving the level of training of specialists in strategic communications is characterized. The National University of Defense is creating an appropriate training base, a comprehensive model of strategic communications with the involvement of relevant units at all levels. Since 2018, NANGU has been training applicants for higher education in the specialization «Linguistic support of troops and strategic communications» at the bachelor and master’s levels. </em></p><p><strong><em>Novelty.</em></strong><em> The main emphasis in the training of specialists should be on the training of professional project managers and analysts to work in a dynamic and unpredictable communicative environment, where strategic communications are formed and the market of new information tools is rapidly developing.</em></p><p><strong><em>Practical </em></strong><strong><em>significance</em></strong><strong><em>.</em></strong><em> The research results will be useful in the educational process of universities.</em></p><p><strong><em>Key words: </em></strong><em>strategic communications, cadet, professional training, hybrid war, principle, counteraction, mechanism.</em></p>

Finding the roots: experimentation in innovation project management

PurposeProject management practices have been losing its central place in innovation processes within the companies due to its excessive control-oriented phased approach. Hence, the purpose of this paper is to propose and examine the project management practitioners' experiences on the systematic use of an experimentation framework to manage innovation projects.Design/methodology/approachThree case studies were carried out in three different Brazilian companies for a ten month period. The authors have chosen these companies for the following reasons: they were all in an innovation context; they have never carried out a project based on experimentation and they had previous experience with project management traditional tools.FindingsThe findings have shown that our framework can contribute to the project management available toolkit; once the rigid experimentation process, the authors’ proposed made it easier for project management practitioners to adapt to more flexible approaches. Nonetheless, stakeholders' involvement has shown to be a key success factor on the deployment of the framework.Practical implicationsManagers still need to add expertise in flexible methods into their managerial skills, so they are able to deal with innovation just as they deal with traditional processes they were trained to. This suggestion can also be extended to the business schools.Originality/valueThe case studies have shown that traditional project management practices can also be applied in innovation projects. So despite of generally being the opposite of an experimentation process, those practices are relevant in project management discipline, which means that formal project management training is still a good ally to project management practitioners.

ПРОБЛЕМАТИКА УПРАВЛЕНИЯ ПРОЕКТАМИ КАК СОЦИАЛЬНО-ЭКОНОМИЧЕСКИМИ СИСТЕМАМИ

In the article, the author considers project management as a socio-economic system, which has characteristics that are different from other projects. The definition of project management and its essence as a socio-economic system are revealed. The main problems that arise in project management are highlighted, and solutions are proposed that will effectively implement this process. The article provides an overview of the role of educational programs in the development of the competence of professionals in the field of project management. The problems facing project management training and possible solutions are considered, and current trends in project management training are considered.

PMS-Sim: o simulador educacional em gestão de projetos

O relato técnico tem como objetivo explicar a trajetória do desenvolvimento um simulador educacional (PMS-Sim), para tanto, foi contextualizado o projeto e seus componentes: o programa educacional (PVGP), a vivência gerencial (Jogo de gestão de projetos) e o simulador (PMS-Sim) e os atores envolvidos no seu desenvolvimento e aplicação por um processo longitudinal (seis anos) de análise em ambientes e níveis acadêmico-profissionais distintos. Dessa forma, a abordagem orientadora para o desenvolvimento analítico da solução ocorreu em três estágios e com triangulação multimétodo. Os estágios foram: (1) levantamento de opinião com análise quantitativa, (2) procedimentos mistos na adaptação acadêmica, e (3) levantamento de opinião e pesquisa qualitativa com participantes de incubadoras de empresas. Os resultados de cada um dos estágios permitem indicar o auxílio do sistema para a capacitação em gerenciamento de projetos, pois profissionais da área num ambiente organizacional relevaram a contribuição em vivenciar de forma segura as fases de um projeto, já em ambientes acadêmicos, alunos e docentes evidenciaram avanços do conhecimento em gestão de projetos. Para ambientes de inovação permitiu-se que o participante praticasse elementos de gestão de projetos dentro de uma empresa incubada.

SUCCESS FACTORS ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF CERTIFICATION FOR GREEN PROJECT MANAGER (GPM) IN MALAYSIA

The paper aims to establish the success factors in promoting certified Green Project Managers (GPM) in Malaysia’s construction projects. A set of self-administered questionnaires through snowball sampling method was used to retrieve information among 30 respondents within various backgrounds which include project directors, general managers and project managers. Based on the analysis using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), this research has discovered that the main reason GPMs are highly needed in Malaysia’s construction industry is to ensure a successful delivery of green development goals. Nevertheless, this research found a number of challenges in promoting certified GPM, which include limited training for project managers that incorporates sustainability elements. This research found that training is significant to equip them with the necessary skills and knowledge towards becoming certified GPM to date, a private sector organization known as Bridget is the sole provider of specific training for GPM in Malaysia. The respondents of this study are limited among project directors, general managers and project managers in the Klang Valley who are currently involved in green building projects. This paper fulfils the recognized need to study the success factors on the implementation of certification for Green Project Managers (GPM) in Malaysia.

In-depth Investigation of Project Planning and Control Software Package Application in the Construction Industry of Iran

Inefficient project planning and control have been identified as the main contributor to the reduced performance of the construction industry in Iran. Meanwhile, improper use of planning and control software packages (PPCSPs) in these projects can be a key factor in this reduced performance. This study investigates different aspects of the PPCSP applications to draw the role of PPCSPs in the planning and control processes of construction projects in the country using a survey-based method. It is found that only 32.5% of the construction companies in Iran highly or very highly use PPCSPs. The low level of skill and the lack of management support are two main contributing factors to this reduced PPCSP application. The quality of the academic and vocational project management training programs and the lack of dependable PPCSP technical support are argued as possible sources of the issue. The identified PPCSP pattern in Iran is compared with the results reported for several developed and in-transition countries. This comparison reveals that Iran and in-transition countries fall deeply behind in employing PPCSPs in their construction projects compared to the developed countries.

Investigation of Cost-Influencing Factors Potentially Controllable by Main Contractors in Construction Projects in Iraq

Cost overrun in construction projects is a common phenomenon in Iraq. This might occur due to diversity of factors. This study aims to identify the factors influencing construction projects cost that are potentially controllable by main contractors. A field study through a questionnaire survey was directed to a sample of related Iraqi professional engineers from general contracting companies at both public and private sectors. Their opinions on the impact and frequency of each factor were investigated. The questionnaire offered (59) factors classified in (8) categories namely; legislations, financial and economic, design, contractual, site management, material, labor and equipment. The factors were ranked according to the highest Relative Importance Index (RII). The study revealed (10) major factors that are potentially controllable by main contractors namely; labor productivity, sub-contractors and suppliers performance, equipment productivity, site organization and distribution of equipment, experience and training of project managers, scheduling and control techniques, planning for materials supply, planning for equipment supply, materials delivery and planning for skilled labor recruitment. Recommendations to aid contractors and owners in early identification of these factors are also included in this study.

ОСОБЛИВОСТІ КУРСУ «УПРАВЛІННЯ ІТ-ПРОЕКТАМИ» В ЗАКЛАДАХ ВИЩОЇ ОСВІТИ

У сучасних умовах розвитку інформаційної економіки пріоритетним напрямком є розвиток у сфері інформаційних технологій. Розробка програмного забезпечення та програмно-технічних комплексів є досить складним проектом, управляння яким потребує спеціалізованих менеджерів проекту. У зв’язку з цим у середовищі професійних кадрів відчувається гостра нестача навичок з формалізації, підготовки та управління проектами. Отже, виникає нагальна потреба в опануванні світового досвіду розробки, аналізу, впровадження та управління проектами, особливо в сфері розробки інформаційних систем та програмного забезпечення.
 В статті розглянуто особливості навчальної дисципліни «Управління ІТ-проектами» в закладах вищої освіти І-ІІ рівня акредитації. Головну мету навчання дисципліни «Управління проектами» визначено як формування у студентів уявлення про методологію підготовки й реалізації, способи та засоби побудови проектів, залучення ресурсів для реалізації цих проектів і механізмів управління ними. Завдання дисципліни – дати студентам систему теоретичних знань і сформувати практичні навички у сфері планування, оцінки, моніторингу та супроводження проектів в ІТ-сфері.
 Розкрито зміст навчальної дисципліни «Управління ІТ-проектами, яка розроблена для підготовки студентів за спеціальністю «Комп’ютерні науки» всіх форм навчання. Студенти здобувають комплекс знань та навичок, що дозволить розуміти процес управління проектами, практично використовувати засоби планування та реалізацію ІТ-проектів, розробляти вірну структуру плану виконання проектів, оволодіти практичними навиками користування інформаційними системами, в яких відбувається розробка та реалізація етапів реалізації проекту, призначення відповідальних за етапи виконання, писати технічні завдання з використанням регуляторних документів та відповідних ГОСТів.
 Розглянуто деякі методичні аспекти навчання управління проектами як необхідну ланку професійної підготовки фахівців у галузі інформаційних технологій. Наведено короткий огляд найпоширеніших систем управління проектами: MS Project, Open Рlan Рrofessional та Project Expert. Навчання курсу повинне сприяти засвоєнню студентами базових знань, щодо принципів теорії управління проектами з розробки програмного забезпечення і набуття лабораторних навичок планування, контролю та оптимізації процесів розробки програмного забезпечення.
 
 

Addressing power imbalances in global health: Pre-Publication Support Services (PREPSS) for authors in low-income and middle-income countries

The contextual knowledge and local expertise that researchers from low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) contribute to studies in these settings enrich the research process and subsequent publications. However, health researchers...

Project management maturity in Pakistan: An empirical investigation

This research assesses the current level of PMM in Pakistan, evaluates the gaps in the prevalent project management practices and formulates a framework to improve PMM level in Pakistan. 123 Pakistani organizations were assessed for their levels of PMM and project performance using standard project management maturity models. The average PMM level in Pakistan was found to be 2.32 (on the scale of 1 to 5) and only 24% of the projects carried out were found to be successful. This means that the prevalent project management practices are not yet fully institutionalized. Furthermore, project management training, use of project management software and establishment of PMO were also found to be positively influencing project performance and PMM level. The findings of this research can be useful to all stakeholders of projects being carried out in Pakistan especially under foreign direct investments. Global PMM level can be improved, if more similar studies are conducted with customized recommendations to improve the PMM level.

Project Management Maturity and Organizational Reputation: A Case Study of Public Sector Organizations

Reputation of the public sector organizations has been in the limelight of research since the last few years. It is because a positive reputation attracts foreign direct investment, elevates the trust of the general public in their government, increases the net tax collections and in aggregate improves the image and identity of the country. The aim of the present study is to propose and evaluate a research model that includes project management maturity as an antecedent to organizational reputation. The suggested research model is assessed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). Furthermore, the hypotheses generated in the study were examined based on a sample of 425 respondents from the project-based public sector organizations of Pakistan. Moreover, the findings indicate that there is a significant positive relationship between maturity in project management and reputation of public sector organizations. Additionally, it is determined from the findings of the study that different dimensions of project management maturity such as process management, project management training, knowledge management transfer, continuous improvement and the use of project management software positively affect the reputation of the public sector organizations in Pakistan.