Live Webinar October 16th, 2013 – 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm EDT
Duration: 1 hour webinar Credits: 1 PDU Category A – Free PDU
Sponsored by: PMI International Development CoP (REP #S034)

This webinar discusses International Development (ID) projects and project management problems within ID.

First …. while many reasons may explain the poor showing of ID projects, this webinar suggests that project management problems in ID fall into three main categories:

1. Structural/contextual problems;
2. Institutional/sustainability problems, and
3. Managerial/organizational problems.

Thus, it illustrates why two World Bank funded projects – the Chad-Cameroon pipeline project (US $ 4 billion) and the South Africa Medupi Coal Plant Project (US $3 billion) – fail and the three categories of problem they faced.

Second ….. the webinar goes on to submit that ID projects are too complex and the task ahead too challenging to address all of these problems together.

Consequently, it argues, pragmatically, that there are project management traps that deserve the attention of ID project decision makers and practitioners and that breaking free of these traps would help ID succeed.

Thus, ID projects may fall into one or more of four main traps:

• The “one-size-fits-all” technical trap;
• The accountability-for-results trap;
• The lack-of- project management capacity trap; and
• The cultural trap.

These four traps have received little attention in project management in the ID industry sector.

Third and lastly …. the webinar looks at how to address each of the four traps and thus suggests moving away from the prevailing one-size-fits-all project management approach in ID; refocusing project management for ID on managing objectives for long-term development results; increasing aid agencies’ supervision efforts notably in failing countries; and tailoring project management to indigenous cultures.

Note: You do have to be a PMI® member to register for this opportunity.

Presenter: Lavagnon Ika (LinkedIn profile) is Assistant Professor of Project Management at the Telfer School of Management of the University of Ottawa. He holds a M.Sc. in Project Management from UQO and a PhD in business administration with specialization in International Development.

Click to register for Why Do Development Projects Fail? Zeroing In 4 Traps And Fixes