2010 Survey of Project Management Practitioners

The 2010 Survey of Project Management Practitioners is the sixth annual report on the Irish Project Management community.

The survey was completed by some 170 respondents and was conducted across four geographical sectors Dublin, Cork, Galway and Limerick between November 2009 and March 2010.

All of the respondents are engaged in a role that is recognised as a project management discipline. This allows the Institute to build a consistent dataset for cross-reference against the data gathered in previous surveys.

Aims of the Survey

The Institute of Project Management and UCC Department of Management and Marketing have been undertaking a benchmarking survey for the last six years with the aim of building a detailed picture of the profiles of project management practitioners. Despite the very difficult economic conditions encountered over the last year, the interest in and demand for project management education and certification continues to out perform other professional development sectors.

In an era where job stability and security is no longer a given, many individuals are seeking to protect and enhance their area of expertise. Project management accreditation is being seen as a bridge to enable transition away from existing functional role or to other industry sectors. The people seeking to bolster their CV by adopting this approach are also becoming much more sophisticated about the type of professional project management accreditation that is available in the marketplace.

With corporate training budgets slashed many individuals have had to resort to self-funding to achieve their objectives. Nothing concentrates the mind like spending one’s own money. Candidates now want to ensure that the quality and programme content as well as the reputation and brand of the programme provider is of the highest standard. Furthermore, internationally recognised accreditation is a key metric. Many are either working for global entities; facing leaving the country to secure employment abroad; or if in indigenous Irish companies want to have credentials that really matter.

One of the aims of the survey is to help us to understand the current situation better. It is not intended to offer solutions, but to provide the analysis as the basis for further discussion. We still need greater efforts to deliver projects successfully on a consistent basis. Some of the means to do this include improved awareness and training, greater involvement of the business in delivering change through project management, improved governance and developing individual and organizational project management competences.

We need to know:

• Is project portfolio management being embraced and deployed?
• Is there a dedicated career path for project managers in the organization?
• Is project management seen in your organisation as an important facet of your organisation’s competitive advantage?
• How do you see potential job opportunities/promotion prospects in project management?

The responses provide powerful insights into how project management is contributing to organisations as they wrestle with the continual need to manage change and become more competitive. The Survey of Project Management Practitioners report is a useful window into the Irish Project Management community.

How to Access the Survey Report?

Copies are available to purchase from the Institute for €25 by contacting 01 6614677 or info@projectmanagement.ie.

If you would like to read more content like this, feel free to take a look at our 2011's Survey of Project Management Practitioners.