While projects are now recognized as a means to achieve competitive advantage in Africa, project management still remains a Cinderella field. On average, 8 out of 10 project managers are accidental or have an inadequate project management (PM) knowledge base; PM training is falling short of some fundamental knowledge areas; and organizations which are supposed to be centered on programs and portfolios are, in practice, project-oriented organizations by default. These challenges are referred to in this paper as “PM trilogy challenges.” Results of five research projects are used in this paper to identify and discuss these issues. Finally, recommendations are made.
AlamM., GaleA., BrownM., & KiddC. (2007). The development and delivery of an industry led project management professional development programme: A case study in project management education and success management. International Journal of Project Management, 26(3), 223–237.
2.
Association for Project Management. (2006). Body of knowledge (5th ed.). High Wycombe, England: Author.
3.
BaldwinT. T., & FordJ. K. (1988). Transfer of training: A review and direction of future research. Personnel Psychology, 41(1), 63–105.
4.
Charted Institute of Building (CIOB). (2002). Code of practice for project management–For construction and development (3rd ed.). Oxford, England: Blackwell.
5.
CrawfordL. (2005). Senior management perceptions of project management competence. International Journal of Project Management, 23(1), 7–16.
6.
DinsmoreP. C. (1999). Winning with enterprise project management.New York, NY: AMACOM.
7.
FlyvbjergB. (2003). Megaprojects and risk: An anatomy of ambition.Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press.
8.
GadekenO. C. (1994). Project managers as leaders: Competencies of top performers.Proceedings of Internet '94, World Congress of Project Management, Oslo, Norway.
9.
GardinerP. D. (2005). Project management: A strategic planning approach.New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan.
10.
GrahamR. J., & EnglundR. L. (2004). Creating environment for successful projects.San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
11.
International Project Management Association. (2007). International competence baseline, Ver. 3.Nijkerk, The Netherlands: Author.
12.
KotterJ. P. (2000). Leading change: Why transformation efforts fail. Harvard Business Review, 44(6), 59–67.
13.
LegumM. (2002). It doesn't have to be like this–A new economy for South Africa and the world.Cape Town, South Africa: Ampersand Press.
14.
LouwT., & RwelamilaP. D. (2010, September). Project management training at South African universities—Are we missing the plot?Proceedings of Project Management South Africa 6th Biennial National Project Management Conference, Johannesburg, South Africa. Pretoria, South Africa: Project Management South Africa.
15.
MorrisP. W. G., JamiesonA., & ShepherdM. M. (2006). Research updating the APM body of knowledge (4th ed.). International Journal of Project Management, 24(6), 461–473.
16.
NicksonD., & SiddonsS. (2006). Project management disasters and how to survive them.Philadelphia, PA: Kogan Page.
17.
PintoJ., & PrescottJ. (1988). Variations in critical success factors over the stages in the project lifecycle. Journal of Management, 14(1), 5–18.
18.
PintoJ. K., & KharbandaO. P. (1995). Lessons for an accidental profession. Bus Horizons, 38(2), 41–51.
19.
PintoJ. K., & SlevinD. P. (1987). Critical factors in successful project implementation. IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management, 34(1), 22–27.
20.
PintoJ. K., & SlevinD. P. (1988). Critical success factors across the project life cycle. Project Management Journal, 19(3), 67–75.
21.
Project Management Institute. (1996). A guide to the project management body of knowledge (PMBOK® guide). Newtown Square, PA: Project Management Institute.
22.
Project Management Institute. (2000). A guide to the project management body of knowledge (PMBOK® guide) (2nd ed.). Newtown Square, PA: Project Management Institute.
23.
Project Management Institute. (2004). A guide to the project management body of knowledge (PMBOK® guide) (3rd ed.). Newtown Square, PA: Project Management Institute.
24.
Project Management Institute. (2008). A guide to the project management body of knowledge (PMBOK® guide) (4th ed.). Newtown Square, PA: Project Management Institute.
25.
RwelamilaP. D. (2000). Project delivery systems and contractual arrangements. Unpublished report, Department of Construction Economics and Management, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
26.
RwelamilaP. D. (2007a, October). Construction project management education programmes in South Africa: Addressing the gap. In de RidderH.A.J., & WamelinkJ.W.F. (Eds.), Proceedings of the Second International Conference on World of Construction Project Management, Delft, Netherlands.
27.
RwelamilaP. D. (2007b). Project management competence in public sector infrastructure organizations. Construction Management & Economics, 25(1), 55–66.
28.
RwelamilaP. D. (2008, July). Training current and future construction project managers—Perpetuating “the half baked expert syndrome”? In HauptT. (Ed.), Proceedings of the Third Built Environment Conference (pp. 20–30). Cape Town, South Africa: Cape Peninsula University of Technology.
29.
RwelamilaP. D. (2010a). Impact of procurement on stakeholder management. In ChinyioE., & OlomolaiyeP. (Eds.), Construction stakeholder management (pp. 193–215). Chichester, England: Wiley-Blackwell.
30.
RwelamilaP. D. (2010b, May). Implementing built environment research findings in developing countries—The case of Africa. In BarrettP., AmaratungaD., HaighR., KaraminiyageK., & PathirageC. (Eds.), Proceedings of the CIB Congress–Building a better world (Paper No. 1270). Manchester, England: University of Salford.
31.
RwelamilaP. D., & AsalanR. (2010, September). Understanding of project management good practices by construction project managers: The case of ABCD. In EgbuC. (Ed.), Proceedings of 26th Annual ARCOM Conference (pp. 1189–1198). Leeds, England: Association of Researchers in Construction Management.
32.
RwelamilaP. D., & GovenderT. E. (2008, May). Corporate governance on capital projects in African petrochemical industries: A case study from South Africa. In SigueS. (Ed.), Global and local dynamics in African business and development.Proceedings of the International Academy of African Business and Development (IAABD) Conference (Contribution No. 151). Edmonton, Canada: Athabasca University.
33.
RwelamilaP. D., & PhungulaM. G. (2009, September). Managing the complexity of public private partnerships initiatives: How mature are South African public institutions? In DaintyA. (Ed.), Proceedings of 25th Annual ARCOM Conference (pp. 445–454). Nottingham, England: Association of Researchers in Construction Management.
34.
SarnaD. (1994, June). The Institute for Project Management Development. Unpublished paper presented at the Project Leadership Conference, Chicago, IL.
35.
SpencerL. M., & SpencerS. M. (1993). Competence at work.New York, NY: Wiley.
36.
SsegawaJ. K., & NgowiA. B. (2009). Challenges in delivering public construction projects: A case of Botswana.Dudweiler Landstr, Saarbrücken, Germany: Lambert Academic Publishing.
37.
SsegawaJ. K., & RwelamilaP. D. (2009, September). Gaps in construction project management education programmes within SADC: Lessons for educators. In DaintyA. (Ed.), Proceedings of 25th Annual ARCOM Conference (pp. 533–542). Nottingham, England: Association of Researchers in Construction Management.
38.
TaylorP. J., O'DriscollM. P., & BinningJ. F. (1994). An integrative training needs analysis model. Human Resource Management Journal, 8(2), 29–50.
39.
TemboE., & RwelamilaP. D. (2008, November). Project management maturity in public sector organizations: The case of Botswana. In CarterK., OgunlanaS., & KakaA. (Eds.), Transformation Through Construction. Proceedings of the CIB W55/W65 Joint Symposium (Contribution No. 151). Dubai, United Arab Emirates: Heriott Watt University.
40.
WardJ. L. (1999). What does the growth in project management training organizations mean for our profession?Project Management Journal, 30(4), 6–7.
41.
WinchG. M. (2010). Managing construction projects.West Sussex, England: Wiley-Blackwell.
