Project Management Core Competencies

1 Treasury Board of CanadaSecretariatSecr tariat du Conseil du Tr sordu CanadaAn Enhanced Framework for the Managementof Information Technology ProjectsPROJECT Management CORE COMPETENCIESM arch, 1998 Project Management OfficeChief Information Officer BranchTreasury Board of Canada SecretariatCanadaProject Management Core CompetenciesPage 2 Additional copies of this publication are availablefrom the Treasury Board Distribution Centre,(613) 995-2855 or fax (613) 996-0518 Publication number xxxxProject Management Core CompetenciesPage 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS1. INTRODUCTION .. 2 Project Management TARGET GROUPS .. 7 Roles 72. Project Management CORE Competencies .. 93. GENERAL Management .

2 , Integrity, Self-confidence, Flexibility, Initiative, Skills .. Management .. 134. Project Management .. Integration Management .. Scope Management .. Time Management .. Cost Management .. Quality Human Resource Management .. Reporting Risk Management .. Procurement Management .. 305. IT Management .. Management .. and Techniques Management .. REFERENCES .. 39 Project Management Core CompetenciesPage document details the core Competencies , or basic skills, required by a person managing aninformation technology (IT) Project in the Canadian federal section provides an overview of the complete document, outlines the target groups forproject Management professional development and their overall roles, and it illustrates howmanaging an IT Project unites three basic knowledge areas: general Management , projectmanagement and IT 2 details the core Competencies required for general Management .

3 These are skills thatany manager must have and that are required for Project Management as 3 details the core Competencies that any Project manager (PM) must have. They arebased on the nine knowledge areas in the Project Management Body of Knowledge developed bythe Project Management 4 details the core Competencies that is, the unique technical skills required tomanage IT A lists the references used to prepare this Management Core CompetenciesPage Management requires three areas of knowledgeGeneral ManagementTo ensure proper Management ManagementTo ensure quality Project process and ManagementTo create or acquire quality IT , the PM must have skills in general Management .

4 Skills such as leading, negotiating,communicating, team building and so forth are necessary in any Management , the PM must understand generally accepted Project Management skills, such asmanaging Project scope, time, cost, quality, and so , the PM of an IT Project must have the IT Management skills, such as lifecycle phasing,estimating, constructing software, and so Management Core CompetenciesPage 4 General Management Knowledge AreasThe Profile of Public Service Leaders and Managers (reference 1) defines the followingknowledge areas and objectives:KNOWLEDGE AREAOBJECTIVEJ udgment, Integrity,Self-confidence, Flexibility,Initiative, PerseveranceTo act with consideration of issues, ethically,confidently, in a style appropriate to theenvironment, beyond the basic necessities andconsistently with the plan of SkillsTo arrive at accurate conclusions and solutions byvisualizing new potentials, and by identifying,defining and analyzing problems and situations usingrational and intuitive AwarenessTo get results by understanding, building and usingformal and informal systems and contacts in acomplex organizational perform the appropriate activities by usingknowledge of the Public Service environment.

5 Government systems and operational policies, and theprograms and policies of one s own attract and mobilize energies and talents; to worktowards a shared purpose in the best interests of theorganization, the people comprising it and the peopleit RelationsTo advance the work of the organization byinteracting with others in ways that develop respect,mutual understanding and productive shape others understanding in ways that captureinterest, inform and gain ManagementTo achieve expected results through the successfuland timely completion of activities and delivery ofproducts and 2 of this document details the specific skills required for these knowledge Management Core CompetenciesPage 5 Project ManagementProject Management skills are organized around the nine knowledge areas described in theProject Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) published by the Project ManagementInstitute (reference 3).

6 KNOWLEDGE AREAOBJECTIVEP roject Integration ManagementTo co-ordinate the diverse components of theproject by quality Project planning, execution andchange control to achieve required balance of time,cost and Scope ManagementTo create quality product by including only therequired work and to control scope Time ManagementTo ensure timely completion of the Cost ManagementTo ensure that the Project is completed withinallotted Quality ManagementTo ensure that the product will satisfy Human ResourceManagementTo employ quality leadership to achieve Reporting Management (PMBOK Project CommunicationsManagement)To distribute quality Project Risk ManagementTo identify and control Procurement ManagementTo ensure quality service or product 3 of this document details the specific skills required for these knowledge Management Core CompetenciesPage 6IT ManagementIT Management involves those specific skills needed to manage a hardware or software projecttypical in the IT industry.

7 Implied is a constant effort to improve these skills so that the ITsystem development process (maturity) level is as high as possible on the Systems EngineeringCapability Maturity Model scale developed by the Software Engineering Institute (reference 4).KNOWLEDGE AREAOBJECTIVEL ifecycle ManagementTo manage a Project according to a standard processby understanding and using a systems and Techniques ManagementTo optimize specific activities in the development ofa system by selecting and using the best tools, and byperforming the technical activities ManagementTo manage the implementation of systems so thattheir design and components fit into the existing (orfuture) departmental standard infrastructure, softwareand 4 of this document details the specific skills required for these knowledge Management Core CompetenciesPage Management Target GroupsThe Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat defines three roles in the Management of IT projects: Project sponsor, Project leader and Project key officials should be identified for each Project .

8 For small projects, these roles could beassumed by two people or even one person; however, all of the responsibilities for the three rolesare to be specifically assigned. The Treasury Board Project Management policy defines projectleader s and Project manager s roles and responsibilities, while the Auditor Generalrecommended the creation of the Project sponsor role. These responsibilities are summarizedbelow. The Project sponsor is responsible for ensuring that the department understands thevalue and importance of the Project and, ultimately, for realizing the benefits predictedfor the Project . The Project sponsor is typically a senior official in the organizationresponsible for the business function that the Project will support.

9 The Project sponsorshould have a major say in the release of funds after a review. The Project leader has overall responsibility for the Project and is accountable for allexternal and internal aspects of it. The Project leader is typically a senior departmentalofficial. The Project manager has specific accountability for achieving all of the defined projectobjectives within the time and resources allocated. The Project manager performs theday-to-day Management of the Project . One or more assistant Project managers with thesame responsibilities over specific portions of the Project may support the overall projectmanager, without diluting his or her responsibility. Project managers should havedemonstrated knowledge, skills and experience commensurate with the size, complexityand risk of the Project .

10 Since different levels of competency are required for differentlevels of Project Management and Project size, the Project manager role is divided intothree proficiency levels. Depending on the size, complexity and risk of the Project , morethan one level of Project manager may share responsibility for managing the roles are the basis of the following five target groups for whom training must bedeveloped in the federal government: Project sponsor, the Project leader, Project manager master(PM master), Project manager professional (PM professional) and Project manager intern(PM intern). Project Management Core CompetenciesPage 8PM proficiency levelsThe PM master requires a high level of Project Management knowledge and experience, attainedafter managing many projects for a number of years in the federal PM professional requires a moderate level of Project Management knowledge andexperience, attained after managing a few projects for a few years in the federal PM intern requires a basic level of Project Management knowledge and experience, attainedthrough training; no previous Project Management experience may be proficiency level required in a Project depends on the size of the Project .