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68 December 2013 ■ Project Management Journal ■ DOI: 10.1002/pmj
INTRODUCTION ■
Within the Colombian academic and entrepreneurial media, spe-cial importance is granted to education and training in the fields of project development and project management as a conse-quence of the clear recognition of their relevance to the coun-
try’s human, economic, and social development as well as the influence of those fields in successful project execution. Currently, 76 universities and institutions in Colombia offer 229 graduate programs in project development and project management, of which 179 are offered by universities and 50 by other institutions (SNIES, 2013).
Several studies have highlighted the vital importance of the project man-ager’s competency to achieve project success (Goodwin, 1993; Frank, 2002; Pant & Baroudi, 2007; Ahadzie, 2007; Madter et al., 2012; Hwang & Ng, 2013). According to Ahadzie (2007) and Hwang and Ng (2013), there is a growing awareness in organizations in the construction industry of the relationship between project manager competencies and project success, which have focused on ensuring that the project manager acquires the core competencies or skills necessary to adequately fulfill his or her role. Madter et al. (2012) emphasizes the importance of the project manager role, pointing out that “targeting and developing the right individuals for more strategic roles, thus increases the likelihood of project success and increased organizational per-formance.” Additionally, Goodwin (1993) recognizes that “the fundamental concept on which project management is based, is that a single individual, the project manager, is accountable for the success of the project.”
Consequently, increasing and correlated attention is being directed to identifying and analyzing key characteristics and attributes exhibited by proj-ect managers in terms of education, knowledge, experience, and performance by specific research projects aimed at detecting the strengths, problems, weaknesses, and constraints of their management roles. This effort can be seen as a response to the actual global economy, where “employers insist on a better prepared workforce that is more adaptable, responsible and teachable to help meet the competitive realities.” (Tierney, 1998; Pant & Baroudi, 2007)
Within this context, in 2012, the Colombian School of Engineering autho-rized a research project entitled, “Project Manager Profile Characterization in the Construction Sector in Bogotá, Colombia,” which aimed to describe and analyze some identifiable peculiarities attached to the project manager role in
ABSTRACT ■
This study aims to describe and evaluate the
characteristics (educational background,
training, skills, and experience) that make up
the project manager profile in the construc-
tion sector in Bogotá, Colombia. This study is
based on a project management literature
review, expert interviews and surveys with a
group of project managers in the construc-
tion sector, and comparisons between them.
This evaluation aims to contribute to the
development of a clearer definition of the
project manager profile in the Colombian
context. The identified project manager pro-
file satisfies the essential desired characteris-
tics with some particular weaknesses related
to education and training in project manage-
ment.
KEYWORDS: project manager; profile;
competencies; construction; Colombia
Project Manager Profile Characterization in the Construction Sector in Bogotá, ColombiaGermán Eduardo Giraldo González, Escuela Colombiana de Ingeniería Julio Garavito (Colombian School of Engineering Julio Garavito), Bogotá,ColombiaGabriel Humberto Pulido Casas, Escuela Colombiana de Ingeniería Julio Garavito (Colombian School of Engineering Julio Garavito), Bogotá,ColombiaCésar Augusto Leal Coronado, Escuela Colombiana de Ingeniería Julio Garavito (Colombian School of Engineering Julio Garavito), Bogotá,Colombia
Project Management Journal, Vol. 44, No. 6, 68–93
© 2013 by the Project Management Institute
Published online in Wiley Online Library
(wileyonlinelibrary.com). DOI: 10.1002/pmj.21381 P
AP
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December 2013 ■ Project Management Journal ■ DOI: 10.1002/pmj 69
terms of specific surveyed factors, such as education, training and experience, as well as perceptions of the skills, attitudes, and appreciations relevant to the funda-mental issues of project management.
This project responds to alignments proposed by the Colombian School of Engineering in the framework of its research projects, mainly related to educa-tion and training programs assigned to the Center and graduate programs in project development and project management.
Several factors have supported this initiative and the priority and resources allocated to this research exercise, par-ticularly in relation to the project man-ager’s role, skills, and competences:• The paramount importance inherent
to an integral and rigorous handling of the processes related to project devel-opment and project management as a prerequisite to achieving the expected effective project contribution.
• The country’s consensus regarding the absence or weakness of project culture and project management culture, as well as its profound and negative implications and impacts on project performance and the achievement of project goals and efficiency in resource allocation.
• The international recognition of the relevance and preeminence of project management as a profession and disci-pline that are keys to successful project managers and successful projects.
• The recognition, in national and inter-national contexts, that projects fail in scope, time, cost, quality, and goal achievement in a significant number of cases and the consequent recognition that a convenient and effective way to achieving successful results is by apply-ing modern project management using appropriate standards, practices, and tools with proven effectiveness.
• The recognition that the construction sector, jointly with its activities, invest-ments and human, social, and eco-nomic impacts, has the high potential to generate employment and resource mobilization from other economic sec-tors and constitutes a key driving force of the Colombian economy.
• The high magnitude of the construc-tion sector share and its contribution to the development of Bogotá and the nation as a whole.
This research project intends to achieve the following:• Describe and analyze an appropriate
approach and some characteristic traits relevant to project managers or persons with analogous roles in the construction sector in Bogotá.
• Characterize the project manager pro-file in this specific sector.
• Contrast some of the main profile find-ings with pertinent modern project management literature on this issue.
• Identify key and selective topics to be addressed in future analogous research.
The characterization is treated using the “profile” concept, within which a survey is applied to analyze the aspects and factors widely recognized as funda-mental to the project manager role, such as undergraduate and graduate educa-tion, profession, experience in project development and project management, wages and fringe benefits, organization type and size, and perceptions of man-agement abilities, and characteristics assumed to be essential for a successful managerial performance.
Once the characterization is defined, an attempt is made to compare and contrast the “positive” project manage-ment observed in the construction sec-tor and the paradigm of “normative” project management in terms of the standard and best practices generally accepted and recommended by modern project management approaches and international specialized institutions, such as the Project Management Institute (PMI), International Project Management Association (IPMA), and Australian Institute of Project Management (AIPM). In this sense, Weyer (2011) states: “While normative project management theory is based on engineering science and applied mathematics as a tool to be used during the planning, control, and evaluation phases of the project, the more postmodern view of project management
theory is based in part on sociology and psychology (Andersen, 2006) in order to explain courses of action. Thus, the role of the individual within the tempo-rary organization and in particular that of the project manager is of interest.”
An attempt is also made in terms of some selected results, conclusions, and recommendations related to the following:• Project manager achievements or
strengths in the construction sector.• Project manager weaknesses or gaps in
the construction sector.• Education and training needs for proj-
ect development and project manage-ment in Colombia (emphasis on the construction sector).
• Preliminary proposals and indications on in-depth and diversified future research projects of this nature in Colombia.
This study is organized as follows. The second section explains the high importance of the construction sector in Colombia in general and Bogotá in particular. The third section presents a literature review concerning the profile characteristics of project managers in the Colombian and international con-texts. The fourth section presents the conceptual and methodology frame-work used in this research; the fifth sec-tion reports the specific results. The sixth and seventh sections present the conclusions and future work pros-pects, respectively.
The Construction Sector in Colombia and the Project Manager RoleThere is a national consensus about the importance of the construction sector in the Colombian economy, which is based on three main factors. First, it contributes significantly to the increase in the gross domestic product. Second, it interacts with other industries, foster-ing economic activity. Third, it uses unskilled labor intensively, providing a positive effect on employment rates (Petrovic-Lazarevic, 2008). The average contribution to the gross domestic
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product (GDP) for this sector between 2001 and 2011 was 5.7%. It has been esti-mated that between 2001 and 2011, the GDP in the construction sector increased significantly from US$7,222 million to US$15,000 million (13 billion to 27 bil-lion Colombian pesos at a representative exchange rate of COP$1,800 = US$1), and its contribution to the GDP increased from 4.5% in 2001 to 6.1% in 2011 (CAMACOL & SENA, 2012). Further-more, Colombia expects significant growth in the construction sector due to specific government policies in this area. Although the goal for the years 2006–2010 was to build 560,300 homes, this goal has increased by 80% for the period of 2010–2014, with a target of one million new homes built (National Development Plan, 2010–2014). The construction sector in Colombia is char-acterized as “labor-intensive.” In March 2011, the number of people working in the construction sector in Colombia was 6.2% (1.26 million) of the total employed persons in Colombia (20.1 million) (CAMACOL & SENA, 2012).
The GDP of Bogotá, Colombia’s cap-ital, represents 24.5% of the total GDP of Colombia, exceeding that of any other region or city (DANE, 2011), making it the most important city in the country for the construction sector. The building construction sector in Bogotá faces dif-ficulties regarding human resources, which are scarce, highly informal, and lacking technically skilled labor. The most qualified and professional human resources, despite having technical skills, often lack management skills. In addition, regarding business practices in the market, there is little formaliza-tion of organizations, segmentation, and lack of specialization. Study of the construction sector demonstrates a lack of long-term planning and poor use of technological resources in the produc-tion process (CAMACOL & Private Competitiveness Council, 2009; CAMACOL & SENA, 2012). The sector is characterized by a large number of organizations and strong supply-and-demand fluctuations, which creates
strong competition among those organi-zations. The sector is framed by the influence of aggressive competition and recessionary periods, where employers recognize that business is cyclical and volatile, causing instability in their workers (Botero, 2009). There are busi-ness groups with such overwhelming market power that they could be charac-terized as monopolies or oligopolies (CAMACOL & SENA, 2012). To stay on top or compete with large organiza-tions, today’s construction organiza-tions need to run their projects within scope, time, and cost in the midst of crises and uncertainty to achieve their strategic objectives and vision. To accomplish these goals, the project manager must make fast and accurate decisions based not only on his or her technical skills but also personal (human) skills and other characteristics developed over the years. Project man-agement is a key determinant for project success, which is why project managers are urgently needed today. Successful project managers require a certain set of skills, academic background, and expe-rience to allow better and faster deci-sion making within the changing and challenging Colombian environment.
The project manager is a demanding and complex specialized position and role, which requires juggling several issues concurrently (Pant & Baroudi, 2007). To manage several issues at the same time, a set of characteristics (pro-file) is required to facilitate the achieve-ment of the objectives and goals. In the past few years, many authors have focused more attention on the set of characteris-tics and skills that make up a successful project manager than on degree-specific or technical knowledge. This group of attributes configures the desired profile (educational background, training, skills, and experience) (ISO 9001: 2008) to achieve project management success.
There is a growing demand for mod-ern project management practices as a consequence of projectization tenden-cies within organizations. In addition, project management is starting to be
recognized as a new form of general management (Pant & Baroudi, 2007).
Nevertheless, the “accidental” project manager is a common practice in the con-struction sector (Pinto & Kharbanda, 1995).
This study describes and evaluates the most important characteristics (edu-cational background, training, skills, and experience) that make up the profile of a successful project manager in the construction sector in Bogotá, Colombia.
Literature Review
Project Management Skills and Characteristics in the LiteratureResearch related to the project manager profile that best facilitates project suc-cess has gained attention over the last few years. In the past, attention was mainly focused on technical skills, but authorized experts and authors have recently placed more importance on specific human characteristics, or “soft” skills, compared with specific educa-tional degrees, technical knowledge, or expertise. In the world of management today, the focus is primarily on human rather than technical or technological aspects (Tohidi & Jabbari, 2012).
Successful project management in an organization requires a specific set of technical and human skills, which includes interpersonal abilities, techni-cal competencies and cognitive apti-tudes (Pant & Baroudi, 2007). These skills can be categorized in different ways. Many authors present different classifications and prioritizations of this skill set and include many other impor-tant characteristics. One important classification is comprised of three com-ponents: human, conceptual and orga-nizational, and technical skills.
Human skill is the project manager’s ability to work effectively as a group member and build a cooperative effort within the team he or she leads (El-Sabaa, 2001). This is the skill used to work efficiently with stakeholders, mainly with superiors, equals, and sub-ordinates. There are many skills in this group, such as sensitivity, communica-tion, teamwork, understanding others,
December 2013 ■ Project Management Journal ■ DOI: 10.1002/pmj 71
handling expectations, and motivating people.
Conceptual and organizational skill is the project manager’s ability to envi-sion the project as a whole (El-Sabaa, 2001). Conceptual skill is related to understanding relationships, formulat-ing ideas, and solving problems, where-as organizational skill includes setting priorities, planning, and managing time during the project. A disorganized per-son may become confused as a result of juggling many projects or activities at the same time. A project manager must be able to plan the steps of the project, create focused and flexible plans, and make adjustments when necessary as the project progresses.
Lastly, technical skill involves pro-cesses, procedures, methods, tech-niques, tools or specific knowledge, and the ability to use them properly and in the appropriate situation or environ-ment. A successful project manager should have the required experience or knowledge of the area in which the project is developed.
Different studies have described or classified the characteristics required of a successful project manager in both the international and Colombian con-texts. In the following subsections, the most pertinent and important aspects of representative studies are summarized.
International ContextAhadzie (2007) confirms the industry’s growing awareness of the relationship between construction project success and project manager competencies. Frank (2002) states that the project manager has direct influence over 34% to 47% of project success. Mantel et al. (2004) categorizes the skills needed by a project manager into six areas: communication, organizational, team-building, leadership, coping, and tech-nological skills.
Katz (1991) suggests that effective administration rests on three basic skills, which are interrelated and can be devel-oped independently: human, conceptual,
and technical. According to Katz, an effective project manager must (1) recog-nize the feelings and sentiments that he or she brings into a situation; (2) approach his or her own experiences in such a way as to enable him or her to re-evaluate and learn from them; (3) develop the ability to understand what others are trying to communicate to him or her by their actions and words; and (4) develop the ability to successfully communicating his or her ideas and attitudes to others. Katz also states that for a project manager aim-ing to move up in the organizational hier-archy, human and conceptual skills are more important than technical skills.
El-Sabaa (2001) proposes that proj-ect managers’ human skills are more influential and important for their work than technical skills. In his study, the author shows that human skills repre-sent the most essential project manager skill, with a percentile score of 85.3%. The skills included in this category focus the ability to plan, having a strong organization and goal orientation, the ability to see the project as a whole, the ability to visualize the relationship between the individual project, and the industry and the community and a strong problem-solving orientation.
Madter et al. (2012) provide an additional route for competency identi-fication and individualized career development for the UK construction industry by developing a meta-list com-petency model. Fryer (1985) cites social skills, decision-making skills, problem-solving skills, the ability to recognize opportunities, and adaptation to chang-es as key personal attributes that affect project success. Hwang and Ng (2013) identify critical knowledge areas and skills that are necessary to respond to challenges in the green construction industry.
Other studies, such as those by Allen et al. (1980), Allred et al. (1996), Drucker (1986), Ford and McLaughin (1992), Luthans (1988), and Patterson (1991) show the personality traits of ideal managers to define which skills are keys to being an effective manager.
Colombian ContextIn the “Characterization of the Construc-tion Industry” study, the Colombian Chamber of Infrastructure (CAMACOL, 2012) characterizes the construction sector in Colombia and specifies the profile and other characteristics of the project managers in the country’s major cities (Bogotá, Medellin, Cali, Barranquilla, and Bucaramanga). The study identifies the following project manager characteristics:• More than one half (61%) have received
some training in industrial construction.• Most of the workforce is male (93%).• The age distribution of the workers is
as follows: 26 to 30 years of age, 20%; 18 to 25, 29%; 31 to 35, 36 to 40, and 41 to 45 years, 13% each; 51 to 55, 5%; 56 to 60, 3%; and over 60, 2%.
• Regarding housing, more than one half of employees (55%) live in leased hous-es, 39% own property, and 7% live in usufruct (Usufruct is a right of enjoy-ment, enabling a holder to derive profit or benefit from property that either is titled to another person or which is held in common ownership, as long as the property is not damaged or destroyed).
• Of all workers surveyed, only 3% are project managers, whereas 70% are helpers.
• Regarding the monthly income range for the managers surveyed (3% of the workers), 0.7% earn between COP$3 and 4 million, 0.3% earn between COP$4 and 5 million, and the remain-ing 2% earn more than COP$5 million (COP$1 million is approximately US$555 at a representative exchange rate of COP$1,800 = US$1).
• The main requirements for advance-ment to a higher position (career path) are training (42%), experience (29%), learning (11%), meeting goals (10%), contracts (4%), productivity (3%), and other (2%).
• The project managers’ experience in years is distributed as follows: 6 to 10 years, 10%; 11 to 15, 10%; 16 to 20, 7%; 21 to 25 years, 40%; 26 to 30, 19%; and over 30 years, 14%.
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• The highest education levels attained by managers are college education (50%) and graduate education (50%).
The study included a total of 599 responses, 281 of which were obtained in Bogotá (47%). Among all respondents, only 18 were project managers (3%). Unfortunately, the number of project managers surveyed is insufficient to draw valid conclusions and findings. This large, pertinent information gap must be filled to obtain an accurate project man-ager profile characterization for the con-struction sector in the city of Bogotá.
PricewaterhouseCoopers is one of the most important professional servic-es firms in the world. The company provides assurance, tax, and advisory services focused on industry. On 12 October 2011, the first National Survey of Project Management Maturity was performed. The aim of the survey was to measure the level of project manage-ment maturity for different industries in Colombia and it included the participa-tion of 79 Colombian organizations, from which 88 completed surveys were received electronically. The survey con-sisted of 31 questions about generally known elements related to project man-agement practice, which were designed to provide an initial impression of the maturity level of this practice in Colombia (PWC, 2011). The surveyed professionals belong to the following industry groups: technology, informa-tion, communication and entertain-ment (TICE); customer and industrial products and services (CIPS); financial services (FS); government services (GS), and services. The results show that 55% of the organizations utilize a group of project managers, with a tendency to recruit candidates with a Project Management Professional (PMP)® cre-dential, which was less noticeable a few years ago. In fact, 59.1% of the organiza-tions have between 1 and 10 PMP® cre-dential holders (PWC, 2011).
CAMACOL and SENA (2006) illus-trate the organizational structure of construction organizations in Colombia
(Figure 1). A project manager is assigned to the first level, which corresponds to the managerial/professional level, and the remaining workers are assigned to the technical and empirical levels; however, project managers with exten-sive experience but relatively low levels of education can be found.
The Project Management Institute (PMI) and the PMBOK® GuideProject Management Institute (PMI) is one of the world’s largest not-for-profit mem-bership associations for the project man-agement profession, with more than 700,000 members and certification and credential holders in more than 185 coun-tries (PMI, 2012). A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) – Fourth Edition (PMI, 2008) is the PMI global standard for project manage-ment. The standard represents the gener-ally recognized good practices in the profession. The PMBOK® Guide includes an appendix on interpersonal skills con-taining a list of key skills that project man-agers use when managing projects. Other sections in the PMBOK® Guide show some characteristics of the profile but do not define a desired profile for a successful project manager. Table 1 shows the skills and characteristics and the sections of the book in which they can be found.
Some authors, including Pant and Baroudi (2007) and Bourne and Walker
(2004), claim that the PMBOK® Guide is more concerned with hard skills than soft skills and that the two Knowledge Areas related to human aspects—Project Human Resource Management and Project Communications Management—are typically seen as secondary com-pared with the more technically based areas. According to Zwikael and Bar-Yoseph (2004), these other areas are more about processes, tools, and tech-niques than human relations and thought.
Project Manager Competency Development (PMCD) Framework—Second EditionThe PMCD Framework—Second Edition (2007) provides a general context for the definition, assessment, and develop-ment of project manager competency. The framework outlines the key dimen-sions of project management compe-tency and identifies those competencies that are most likely to impact project manager performance. Project manager competency consists of three separate dimensions: knowledge, performance, and personal. The knowledge dimen-sion is what the project manager knows about the application of processes, tools, and techniques for project activi-ties. The performance dimension is how the project manager applies project
Figure 1: The organizational and management structure of Colombian construction projects.
Level 1Managerial/Professional
Level 2Technical
Level 3Empirical
OwnersAdministration
Contractors
Project ManagerSite Supervisor
Supervisors Operators
Officials
WorkersHelpers
Foremen
Subcontractors
December 2013 ■ Project Management Journal ■ DOI: 10.1002/pmj 73
management knowledge to meet the project requirements. Lastly, the per-sonal dimension is how the project manager behaves when performing activities within the project environ-ment, including his or her attitudes and his or her core personality characteris-tics (PMI, PM-CDF, 2007). The standard provides a definition and identification of the key competences for project managers that are “most likely” important for project manager performance and directly affect project success. The skills and characteristics are communication, leadership, management, cognitive abili-ties, effectiveness and professionalism, all of which can be found in section 3, pages 23–38, of the standard.
PMI’s Code of Ethics and Professional ConductPMI’s Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct describes, establishes, and limits or prohibits project managers’
conduct and behavior. The development of this standard began in 1981 by the eth-ics committees of PMI and was adopted by the PMI Board of Directors in 1998 (PMI, 2006).
All six pages of this document describe responsibility, respect, fair-ness, and honesty as important values for a project manager.
The International Project Management Association (IPMA) ICB®The International Project Management Association (IPMA) is a world-leading not-for-profit project management association and is the thought leader in project, program, and portfolio perfor-mance competence. As a federation, IPMA serves local needs while collabo-rating, certifying, and recognizing excellence globally, representing over 120,000 members in 55 member asso-ciations across the continents of the world (IPMA, 2012). Founded in 1965,
IPMA is the world’s first project man-agement association. This association focuses mainly on the development and promotion of the project management profession. It provides standards and guidelines for project management practitioners through the IPMA Competence Baseline (ICB®), version 3.0 (2006). The ICB® presents the con-cept of the eye of competence, which describes the combination of three competence elements (technical, behavioral, and contextual), which must be incorporated in the project managers’ assessment of a specific situ-ation and represents clarity and vision. The standard contains the basic terms, tasks, skills, functions, management processes, methods, techniques, and tools used in good project management theory and practices (ICB® 3.0—2006, section 1.2). Table 2 presents the skills and characteristics and the guide sec-tion in which they can be found.
Section of PMBOK® Guide Pages Project Manager Skills and Characteristics
1.6 Role of a Project Manager 13Knowledge, performance and personal (encompasses behavior, attitude,
personality, and leadership)
2.3 Stakeholders 23–26Flexibility, good judgment, strong leadership and negotiating skills, and a solid
knowledge of project management practices
9. Project Human Resource Management 215–216 Influence on the project team and professional and ethical behavior
9.3.2 Develop Project Team: Tools and Techniques.
1. Interpersonal Skills232 Empathy, influence, creativity, and group facilitation
9.3.2 Develop Project Team: Tools and Techniques.
1. Interpersonal Skills232 Training (formal or informal): technical skills
9.3.2 Develop Project Team: Tools and Techniques.
3. Team-Building Activities232
Communication, leadership, problem solving, team building, and conflict
management
9.4 Manage Project Team 236 Communication, conflict management, negotiation, and leadership
9.4.2 Manage Project Team: Tools and Techniques.
5. Interpersonal Skills238–241
Technical, human and conceptual skills, leadership, influence and effective
decision making
10. Project Communications Management 243 Communication skills
10.4.2 Manage Stakeholders Expectations: Tools and
Techniques264
Interpersonal skills: Building trust, resolving conflict, active listening, and
overcoming resistance to change
Management skills: Presentation skills, negotiating, writing skills, and public
speaking
Appendix G Interpersonal Skills 417–421Interpersonal skills: Leadership, team building, motivation, communication,
influence, decision making, political and cultural awareness, and negotiation
Table 1: Skills and characteristics in the PMBOK® Guide.
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Very important competences, such as problem resolution and communica-tion, appear in this standard as techni-cal competences but in other standards as soft skills. Additionally, many other important skills and characteristics are presented in each section as “topics addressed,” including many other inter-personal skills. Given the orientation of the standard, it can be said that all com-petencies that appear (technical, behav-ioral, and contextual) are important project manager competencies.
The Australian Institute of Project Management (AIPM)The Australian Institute of Project Management (AIPM) is the peak body for project management in Australia. Since
1976, AIPM has been instrumental in pro-gressing the project management profes-sion in Australia, with approximately 10,000 members. In 2009, AIPM became an IPMA Member Association (AIPM, 2012). The AIPM has been developing the Professional Competency Standards for Project Management, which is divided into four sections: Introduction (Part A); Certified Practising Project Practitioner (work performed under the direction of a project manager, project director or exec-utive project director) (Part B); (AIPM Standards, Part B—2008); Certified Practising Project Manager (Part C); and Certified Practising Project Director (i.e., Program Manager) (Part D). The Certified Practising Project Manager (CPPM) sec-tion contains nine units, each of which
includes a section called “Underpinning Knowledge and Skills.” Table 3 presents the skills and characteristics and the guide section in which can be found. As noted in Table 3, of the 32 pages of Part C of the CPPM®, 9 pages refer to skills required of the project manager.
Project Manager Skills and Characteristics SummaryThe result of the literature review is a list of the most important characteristics found in the literature, as presented in Table 4.
Conceptual and Methodological FrameworkThe analysis includes a literature review of the relevant papers, standards, and books on project management to extract
Section of ICB® Pages Project Manager Competence Elements
4.2 Behavioral Competence
Elements
83–124 Leadership, engagement and motivation, self-control (or self-management), assertiveness (and
persuasiveness), relaxation, openness, creativity, results orientation, efficiency, consultation,
conflict and crisis (and transparency and integrity), reliability, values appreciation, and ethics
Other Important Competences (That Appear as Technical)
1.08 Problem Resolution 54–55 Problem resolution
1.18 Communication 76–77 Communication
Table 2: Skills and characteristics in the ICB®.
Section of Part C (CPPM) Pages Project Manager Skills and Characteristics
Unit 1 - Plan, Manage and Review Scope 5 Business literacy, planning and organizing, problem solving, analytical, and negotiation
Unit 2 - Plan, Manage and Review Time 8Literacy, development and interpretation, self-management, organizational, communica-
tion, technological, and analytical
Unit 3 - Plan, Manage and Review Cost 11 Numeracy, budgeting, analytical, technological, and literacy
Unit 4 - Plan, Manage and Review Quality Literacy, communication, and analytical
Unit 5 - Plan, Manage and Review Project
Human Resources17 Planning, communication, leadership, interpersonal, coaching, mentoring, and analytical
Unit 6 - Plan, Manage and Review
Communication21 Literacy, technology, organizational, and analytical
Unit 7 - Plan, Manage and Review Project Risk 24Literacy, communication, problem-solving, lateral thinking, planning, organizational, and
analytical
Unit 8 - Plan, Manage and Review Procurement 27Problem-solving, negotiation, planning, organizational, literacy, numeracy, and
technological
Unit 9 - Plan, Manage and Review Integration 31Literacy, analytical, teamwork, communication, time management, planning, and
organizing
Table 3: Skills and characteristics of CPPM®—Part C.
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sol
ving
Neg
otia
tion
Del
egat
ion
Tech
nica
l
skill
s
Sit
e la
yout
and
mob
iliza
-
tion
Esti
mat
ing
and
tend
erin
g
Des
ign
acti
vi-
ties
and
bac
k-
grou
nd
Rea
ding
and
unde
rsta
ndin
g
draw
ings
Tech
nica
l
wri
ting
Del
egat
ion
Team
wor
king
Dra
ftin
g
cont
ract
s
Cha
irin
g
mee
ting
s
Publ
ic
rela
tion
s
Dec
isio
n m
akin
g
Prob
lem
sol
ving
Del
egat
ion
Pres
enta
tion
Rep
ort
wri
ting
Publ
ic s
peak
ing
Publ
ic r
elat
ions
Tech
nica
l sk
ills
Sit
e la
yout
and
mob
ili-
zati
on
Esti
mat
ing
and
tend
erin
g
Des
ign
acti
viti
es a
nd
back
grou
nd
Rea
ding
and
und
er-
stan
ding
dra
win
gs
Tech
nica
l w
riti
ng
Lead
ersh
ip
Dec
isio
n m
akin
g
Prob
lem
sol
ving
Neg
otia
tion
Hum
an b
ehav
ior
Del
egat
ion
Team
wor
k
Str
ess
hand
ling
IT s
kills
Dra
ftin
g co
ntra
cts
Pres
enta
tion
Rep
ort
wri
ting
Publ
ic s
peak
ing
Mar
keti
ng a
nd s
ales
Cha
irin
g m
eeti
ngs
Publ
ic r
elat
ions
Com
mun
icat
ion,
org
aniz
atio
n-
al e
ffec
tive
ness
, le
ader
ship
,
prob
lem
sol
ving
and
dec
isio
n
mak
ing,
tea
m b
uild
ing,
fle
xi-
bilit
y, c
reat
ivit
y, a
nd t
rust
wor
thin
ess
Mob
iliza
tion
Com
mun
icat
ion
Cop
ying
wit
h si
t-
uati
ons
Del
egat
ing
auth
orit
y
Polit
ical
sen
siti
vity
Hig
h se
lf-e
stee
m
Enth
usia
sm
Plan
ning
Org
aniz
ing
Str
ong
goal
ori
en-
tati
on
Abi
lity
to s
ee t
he
proj
ect
as a
who
le
Abi
lity
to v
isua
l-
ize
the
rela
tion
-
ship
bet
wee
n th
e
proj
ect
and
the
indu
stry
and
com
-
mun
ity
Str
ong
prob
lem
orie
ntat
ion
Spe
cial
kno
wl-
edge
reg
ardi
ng
the
use
of t
ools
and
tech
niqu
es
Proj
ect
kno
wl-
edge
Und
erst
andi
ng
met
hods
, pr
o-
cess
es,
and
pro-
cedu
res
Tech
nolo
gy
requ
ired
Com
pute
r sk
ills
Proj
ect
man
ager
Com
pete
ncy
whe
el:
char
acte
r,
back
grou
nd,
and
trai
ts:
hone
sty,
educ
atio
n, e
xper
ienc
e, a
mbi
-
tion
, de
sire
to
lead
, in
telli
-
genc
e, a
nd e
mot
iona
l st
abili
ty
Prof
essi
onal
ism
: go
al a
chie
ve-
men
t sk
ills,
spe
ed,
effi
cien
cy,
effe
ctiv
enes
s, l
eade
rshi
p,
visi
on,
anal
ytic
al,
peop
le s
kills
,
and
envi
ronm
enta
l aw
aren
ess
Proj
ect
skill
s: p
roce
ss,
met
hod-
olog
ies,
doc
umen
tati
on a
nd i
ni-
tiat
ion
and
sele
ctio
n, e
xecu
tion
and
cont
rol,
and
term
inat
ion
Proj
ect
man
ager
cor
e co
mpe
-
tenc
ies:
hon
esty
, go
al f
ocus
,
prof
essi
onal
ism
, an
d an
alyt
ical
P
AP
ER
S
Au
tho
r
Od
usa
mi
(200
2)Lo
o (
2003
)B
ou
rne
an
d
Wa
lke
r (2
004)
Ma
nte
l e
t a
l.
(200
4)A
ha
dzi
e (
2007
)P
an
t a
nd
Ba
rou
di
(200
7)To
hid
i a
nd
J
ab
ba
ri (
2012
)M
ad
ter
et
al.
(20
12)
Hw
an
g a
nd
Ng
(2
013)
Ess
en
tia
l a
nd
De
sire
d C
ha
rac
teri
stic
s o
r S
kil
ls o
f P
roje
ct
Ma
na
ge
rs
Tech
nica
l sk
ills
Lead
ersh
ip
Dec
isio
n m
akin
g
Prob
lem
sol
ving
Neg
otia
tion
Del
egat
ion
Team
wor
k
Str
ess
man
agem
ent
Tech
nica
l (p
lann
ing,
cont
rolli
ng,
and
pro-
cedu
res)
and
peo
ple
com
pete
ncie
s (le
ad-
ersh
ip,
com
mun
ica-
tion
, an
d co
nflic
t
man
agem
ent)
.
Hig
h-ca
liber
pro
ject
team
s, s
take
hold
er
part
icip
atio
n, e
ffec
-
tive
tea
m a
nd e
xter
-
nal
com
mun
icat
ion,
cust
omer
sat
isfa
c-
tion
, co
nflic
t m
an-
agem
ent,
and
sta
ff
man
agem
ent,
and
mot
ivat
ion
Tech
nica
l sk
ills:
pre
-
plan
ning
and
con
tin-
genc
y pl
anni
ng,
orga
-
nizi
ng,
cont
rolli
ng,
cont
ract
man
age-
men
t, s
cope
man
age-
men
t, r
esou
rce
man
-
agem
ent
and
cost
cont
rol,
perf
orm
ance
and
qual
ity
man
age-
men
t, a
nd p
roje
ct
docu
men
tati
on
Suc
cess
cri
teri
a
(pro
ject
man
age-
men
t sk
ills
and
know
ledg
e):
PMB
OK
® G
uide
tool
s an
d te
ch-
niqu
es.
A c
ombi
nati
on o
f
craf
t (t
ools
and
tech
niqu
es)
and
art
(exp
erie
nces
,
know
ledg
e, a
nd
lead
ersh
ip s
kills
)
Art
of
nego
tia-
tion
, pr
oble
m
solv
ing,
com
-
bine
d w
ith
proj
-
ect
man
ager
adap
tabi
lity
Com
mun
icat
ion
Org
aniz
atio
n
Team
bui
ldin
g
Lead
ersh
ip
Cop
ing
Tech
nolo
gica
l
skill
s
Job
know
ledg
e in
sit
e
layo
ut t
echn
ique
s fo
r
repe
titi
ve c
onst
ruct
ion
wor
ks;
dedi
cati
on i
n
help
ing
wor
ks c
on-
trac
tors
to
achi
eve
wor
ks p
rogr
am;
job
know
ledg
e of
app
ro-
pria
te t
echn
olog
y
tran
sfer
for
rep
etit
ive
cons
truc
tion
wor
ks
effe
ctiv
e ti
me
man
-
agem
ent
prac
tice
s on
the
hous
e-un
its;
abi
li-
ty t
o pr
ovid
e ef
fect
ive
solu
tion
to
conf
lict
whi
le m
aint
aini
ng
good
rel
atio
nshi
ps;
ease
wit
h w
hich
the
proj
ect
man
ager
is
appr
oach
able
by
wor
ks c
ontr
acto
rs;
and
volu
ntee
ring
to
help
wor
ks c
ontr
ac-
tors
sol
ve p
erso
nal
prob
lem
s
Com
mun
icat
ion
betw
een
team
mem
-
bers
and
the
ent
ire
netw
ork
(sta
ke h
old-
ers)
Inte
rper
sona
l ab
ility
Tech
nica
l co
mpe
ten-
cies
Cog
niti
ve a
ptit
ude
Und
erst
and
the
situ
-
atio
n an
d pe
ople
Lead
ersh
ip
Org
aniz
atio
nal,
team
,
build
ing,
cop
ing,
and
tech
nolo
gica
l sk
ills
Hig
h-ca
liber
pro
ject
team
s, s
take
hold
er
part
icip
atio
n, e
ffec
-
tive
tea
m,
cust
omer
sati
sfac
tion
, co
nflic
t
man
agem
ent
and
staf
f m
anag
emen
t,
and
mot
ivat
ion
Org
aniz
atio
nal
effe
c-
tive
ness
, pr
oble
m
solv
ing
and
deci
sion
mak
ing,
fle
xibi
lity
crea
tivi
ty,
and
trus
t
wor
thin
ess
Proj
ect
team
mot
ivat
ion:
just
ice–
base
d
envi
ronm
ent,
lead
ersh
ip m
eth-
od,
wor
k en
vi-
ronm
ent
cond
i-
tion
s, w
ork
obje
ctiv
ely,
and
empl
oyee
s’
deve
lopm
ent
Info
rmat
ion
seek
ing
Proj
ect
life
cycl
es/
holis
tic
view
Rel
atio
nshi
p m
anag
e-
men
t
Infl
uenc
e
Lead
ersh
ip
Team
wor
k
Dev
elop
ing
othe
rs c
apa-
bilit
ies
Ass
erti
vene
ss
Com
mun
icat
ion
Neg
otia
tion
Inte
rper
sona
l
unde
rsta
ndin
g
Con
flic
t m
anag
emen
t
impl
emen
tati
on o
f
chan
ge
Init
iati
ve/d
ecis
iven
ess
Cus
tom
er s
ervi
ce o
rien
-
tati
on
Org
aniz
atio
nal
com
mit
-
men
t
Proj
ect
owne
rshi
p
See
ks o
ppor
tuni
ties
to
impr
ove
Valu
e m
anag
emen
t
Cri
tica
l m
anag
e-
men
t sk
ills:
del
-
egat
ion,
lea
der-
ship
, de
cisi
on
mak
ing,
pro
blem
solv
ing,
tea
m
wor
king
, an
alyt
i-
cal,
pres
enta
-
tion
, hu
man
beha
vior
, ne
goti
-
atio
n an
d ch
air-
ing
mee
ting
s
Tab
le 4
: Ess
entia
l and
des
ired
proj
ect
man
ager
ski
lls a
nd c
hara
cter
istic
s.
December 2013 ■ Project Management Journal ■ DOI: 10.1002/pmj 77
the most relevant project manager skills and characteristics (summarized in the previous section). The conceptual framework of this research was devel-oped in two stages.
In the first stage, a qualitative anal-ysis is performed. To this end, 11 experts from the construction sector in Bogotá (Colombia) and three from the academic sector were interviewed about key issues regarding project man-ager characteristics and their percep-tions of the skills and characteristics necessary for successful project man-agement. A group of four experts met to identify and compile a list of the most significant and highly recognized items in the literature.
The qualitative analysis in this phase was achieved using semi-structured in-depth interviews, which were conduct-ed in Bogotá in July and August 2012. An open questionnaire containing 21 ques-tions was developed. The questions inquired about the experts’ opinions on the following points of interest:• Organizational structures• Criteria for project manager selection• Issues regarding project manager edu-
cation• Certifications and international project
experience• Personal skills• Successful determinants• Project management difficulties• The relevance of project manager rec-
ognitions and awards• Importance of competence in project
management
Two groups of experts were selected. The first group was consulted to estab-lish the research baseline and is linked to organizations involved in civil con-struction (housing, infrastructure, and roads). These professionals have specif-ic knowledge of the construction sector and are familiar with how these organi-zations operate. A second group of experts was consulted based on their extensive experience in project manage-ment, either as consultants or trainers. A total of 14 experts were interviewed.
In the second stage, a quantitative analysis was performed. A question-naire was developed and sent to a group of graduate students in the field of proj-ect management using Survey Monkey software to judge the nature of the questionnaire. The final adjusted ques-tionnaire was then emailed to selected project managers in the sector.
For both the qualitative and quanti-tative stages, studies from Price-waterhouseCoopers (PWC, 2011) and CAMACOL (2012) helped to comple-ment and define the questions for the interview and survey. Some questions were reviewed, analyzed, and modified for integration into the final interview and survey questions list. Data from PWC’s study were not used as part of this research because they correspond to other sectors.
To select organizations for the quantitative analysis, the list of codes used in the International Standard Industrial Classification (ISIC) Revision 3.1 (adapted for Colombia by the National Administrative Department of Statistics (DANE) and made official by the Colombian National Government by resolution 300 of 13 May 2005) is taken into account, as are the chosen subsets of interest for this purpose.
Table 5 shows section F of the ISIC clas-sification for the construction sector in Colombia. In 2011, as reported by the Superintendence of Organizations of Colombia, the sector was composed of a total of 27,198 organizations. Figure 2 shows the percentage of firms by ISIC code.
As shown in Figure 2, the subsectors with the highest participation, and therefore the most relevant, are the sub-sectors of the construction of residen-tial buildings, other upgrading work, the construction of non-residential buildings and other completion and finishing work, representing a total of 89% of all participating organizations. There are other construction organiza-tions in section K (involved in such activities as the rental of machinery and equipment, research, and develop-ment) that also perform construction activities in the city. For this study, and based on the advice of the Bogotá Chamber of Commerce (BCC), the spe-cific subsectors shown in Table 6 were chosen for analysis.
A specialized database was consult-ed from BCC. The number of organiza-tions reported for the city of Bogotá is shown in Table 7 (BCC, September 2012). In Colombia, companies are
Division 45 Construction Activity
4511 Demolition and site preparation for the construction of buildings
4512 Demolition and site preparation for civil works
4521 Construction of residential buildings
4522 Construction of non-residential buildings
4530 Construction of civil engineering works
4541 Hydraulic systems and related work
4542 Electrical work
4543 Equipment installation work
4549 Other upgrading work
4551 Installation of glass and windows
4552 Painting and finishing of walls and floors
4559 Other work completion and finishing
4560 Rental of construction and demolition equipment with operator
Table 5: ISIC construction sector, section F.
Project Manager Profile Characterization in the Construction Sector
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78 December 2013 ■ Project Management Journal ■ DOI: 10.1002/pmj
classified by size (micro, small, medi-um, and large) based on the total assets of the company in COP divided by the minimum legal monthly wage (in Spanish: Salario Mínimo Mensual Legal Vigente, or SMMLV). This classification is governed by Law 590 of 2000, known as the “MyPyme” Act, and as amended (Act 905 of 2004). The 2012 classification of organizations is shown in Table 8. Because the micro organizations are too small to justify the assignment of a proj-ect manager, they were excluded from the analysis.
The contact information for the project managers of every organization identified in the database of the BCC was obtained with the help of the Call Center of the Colombian School of Engineering Julio Garavito (in Spanish: Escuela Colombiana de Ingeniería Julio Garavito), and the results are shown in Table 9. As shown, 1699 organizations have contact information available for project managers (or persons with anal-ogous roles but different titles).
A survey with 33 specific questions about the real characteristics and opin-ions of project managers was developed. The questionnaire was sent by email using Survey Monkey to 44 graduate students in project management and civil engineering to ensure that all of the questions were adequate and to resolve any difficulties arising when the respon-dents answered the questionnaire. After this test, the final revised questionnaire was emailed to the 1,699 email addresses
Figure 2: Participation of organizations in the construction sector according to the ISIC.
5%3%
3%
5%
9%
18%
57%
Construction of residentialbuildings
Other upgrading work
Construction of non-residentialbuildingsOther work completion andfinishingDemolition and site preparationfor buildings construction
Electrical work
Others
SizeTotal Assets/Minimum Legal Monthly Wagea
Micro Up to 500
Small 501 to 5,000
Medium 5,001 to 30,000
Large Above 30,001
a2012 minimum legal monthly wage = COP-$566,700 (approximately US$314.83 per month and 3,778 per year at a representative market rate of US$1 = COP$1,800).
Table 8: 2012 Colombian organization classification.
Division 45 Construction ActivityNumber of
Organizations Percentage
F452100 Construction of residential buildings 1470 45.36
F452200 Construction of non-residential buildings 159 4.91
F453000 Construction of civil engineering works 1529 47.18
F453001
Construction, alteration, and complete
repair of roads and streets35
1.08
F453005
Construction, maintenance, and com-
plete repair of bridges, canals and docks1
0.03
F453011 Maintenance of roads and meadows 2 0.06
K742105 Civil engineering activities 45 1.39
Small 501 to 5,000 2130 65.72
Medium 5,001 to 30,000 850 26.23
Large Above 30,000 261 8.05
TOTAL 3,241
Table 7: Number of organizations in Bogotá in the selected subsectors for quantitative analysis (BBC).
Division 45 Construction Activity
F452100 Construction of residential buildings
F452200 Construction of non-residential buildings
F453000 Construction of civil engineering works
F453001 Construction, alteration, and complete repair of roads and streets
F453005 Construction, maintenance, and complete repair of bridges, canals, and docks
F453011 Maintenance of roads and meadows
K742105 Civil engineering activities
Table 6: Selected subsectors for quantitative analysis (ISIC).
December 2013 ■ Project Management Journal ■ DOI: 10.1002/pmj 79
of project managers or workers in an analogous role. A total of 153 responses were received (9%). Table 10 summa-rizes the questions asked in the survey.
Lastly, the information gathered in the literature review was compared with the profiles found in the quantita-tive analysis (see section, “Actual Project Manager Profile Versus Expert Opinion”).
ResultsThe following sections present the results of the qualitative and quantita-tive stages of this study, the qualitative analysis results, the quantitative analy-sis results, and a comparative analysis of the actual and desired project man-ager profile for the construction sector in Bogotá.
First Stage: Qualitative AnalysisUsing the interview transcripts as a starting point, a panel of experts was formed. The panel was composed of three Project Management Professional (PMP)® credential holders, professors from the Projects Unit of the Colombian School of Engineering, and one expert in market research. Through the appli-cation of expert judgment, review, and discussion, the panel adopted a list of the most important characteristics and skills that comprise a project manager profile. The results of this discussion and analysis are listed in Table 11.
Second Stage: Quantitative AnalysisThe report includes only the most rele-vant results. Following are the key find-ings related to the project managers surveyed. Table 12 summarizes the project manager profile.
General Information From Organizations• 97.3% of project managers work in
private-sector organizations.• 64.4% develop construction projects
(planning and building) and road infrastructure.
• In 85% of large and 85.2% of medium organizations, respondents report that there is at least one person who is rec-ognized as a project manager, whereas in the small organizations, the percent-age decreases to 68.3%.
• Considering averages of 16 (small), 19 (medium), and 112 (large) employees, the average number of project manag-ers is 1.4 (small), 1.8 (medium), and 2.2 (large). The total average is 1.8 project managers per company.
• In small, medium, and large organiza-tions, the hierarchical level at which there is a project manager corresponds to a managerial level (1 and 2 in the organization).
• The average number of persons that a manager has under his or her com-mand is 11.7 (small), 12 (medium), and 17.2 (large).
• Classification of organizations by size (small, medium, and large) was per-formed according to the level of assets
reported to BCC. Using a classification based on number of employees, some small companies report employing more than 50 employees, whereas some large companies report employ-ing fewer than 10; thus, this parameter does not seem consistent for this sector.
Education• The undergraduate degree held by
most project managers is in civil engi-neering (71.2%), followed by architec-ture (16.2%). The remainder (12.6%) is comprised of other professions, as indicated in Figure 3.
• Of the project managers, 50.8% have completed a management specializa-tion course and 9.3% have completed a master’s degree in management; no project manager has a doctoral degree, as illustrated in Figure 4.
Training• Of the sample, 30.3% have completed
at least one specific training course in project management. Twenty-five per-cent of the project managers have a specialist’s degree, 14.5% have a mas-ter’s degree, and 27.6% do not have specific training or have not completed their studies.
• Only 2% of project managers have not received additional training in other areas (other than project manage-ment). The remaining 98% have com-pleted several courses in different areas. The subjects with the highest demand are budgeting (10.2%), finance (10.2%), scheduling (9.7%), and plan-ning (7.9%). The subjects with lower demand are environmental standards (5.1%), human resource management (5.1%), conflict resolution (4.1%), and stress management (2.3%).
• The representation of project manag-ers reporting over 90% fluency in English is as follows: 15.2% in small organizations, 26.7% in medium organizations, and 0% in large organi-zations.
• Other languages: 86.1% of project managers do not know any language other than Spanish or English. Other
Category No. Organizations Percentage
Repeated entry 7 0.2
No data provided 65 2.0
No contact, no answer 592 18.3
Not interested in responding 8 0.2
Incorrect contact info 678 20.9
The company is located in another city or country 10 0.3
Is not a company in the construction sector 182 5.6
Data confirmed 1,699 52.4
Total organizations 3,241
Table 9: Call center contact information results.
Project Manager Profile Characterization in the Construction Sector
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80 December 2013 ■ Project Management Journal ■ DOI: 10.1002/pmj
languages reported include French (8.3%), German (4.2%), and Italian (1.4%).
• The project managers from this sample ascribe moderately high importance to international certification in project management (6.6 on a scale from 1 to 10).
• The project management certifications and credentials cited by project managers
correspond with the following PMI cer-tifications and credentials: the Certi fied Associate in Project Management (CAPM)® certification (16.2%), the Project Management Professional (PMP)® credential (59%), the Program Management Professional (PgMP)® cre-dential (16.2%), the PMI Scheduling Professional (PMI-SP) credential (16%),
and the PMI Risk Management Professional (PMI-RMP)® credential (5.6%). The percentages of project man-agers who have undergone training to obtain those certifications and creden-tials are as follows: the CAPM® certifica-tion (4.1%), the PMP® credential (24.1%), the PgMP® credential (2.7%), and the PMI-RMP® credential (1.4%). The percentages
No. Question or Requirement
1 Company name
2 Type of company (public, private, mixed)
3 Type of work undertaken by the company
4 Number of employees in the company
5 Are there project managers in the company?
6 How many project managers are in the company?
7 Undergraduate studies
8 Level in the organizational hierarchy (with 1 being the highest level)
9 Number of people for whom you are responsible
10 Years of work in the company
11 Years of experience in project management in your current company
12 Years of project management experience in other organizations
13 How many years of professional experience (since finishing undergraduate studies) did you complete before managing your first project?
14 What types of performance-based recognitions or awards have you received (during or after the project)?
15 How important do you consider the use of international standards in project management to your current job performance?
16 Have you worked on international projects?
17 Have you managed international projects?
18 What was the maximum budget that you have managed as a project manager?
19 What are the three greatest difficulties and deficiencies that you have been faced with in the management of projects?
20 Please indicate the type of project management training program implemented, institution, and city.
21 Have you received supplementary training (other than an undergraduate education)?
22 How important do you consider certification in project management to your professional performance in your current position?
23 Please indicate whether you are aware of any certifications in project management.
24 Please indicate whether you have received training in any certifications in project management.
25 Have you obtained a certification in project management?
26 Please indicate the importance of these skills for a project manager.
27 From the following list of skills, choose only five and prioritize them from 1 to 5, where 1 is the most important.
28 What is your age?
29 Please indicate the graduate programs you pursued, along with location and institution.
30 Percentage (%) of English language proficiency
31 Do you speak any other languages?
32 According to your latest utility bill, to which social stratum did your current home belong?
33 What is your monthly income level?
Table 10: Survey questionnaire for the quantitative analysis.
December 2013 ■ Project Management Journal ■ DOI: 10.1002/pmj 81
decision making (6.4; small and large organizations), and analytical skills (small and medium organizations). In general, all skills were rated above 5 (out of 7). Lower scores are assigned to management systems, products,
Skills• The most frequently mentioned and
highly rated (within a range from 1 to 7) skills are ethics (6.4; all three seg-ments), leadership (6.3; especially prev-alent in medium and large organizations),
of project managers who have ob-tained an international certification and/or credentials are as follows: the CAPM certification (1.3%), the PMP credential (5.1%), and the PgMP cre-dential (1.4%).
Aspect Experts’ Opinion
Organizational structures Depending on the organization’s size, between three and six administrative levels are found in the
structure related to project management
Project manager selection criteria Outstanding project management experience in similar projects
Career paths of the organizations in which he or she has worked
Career path in the actual job
Successful project management and business knowledge
Additional knowledge and training that contribute to good performance (e.g., financial, legal,
environmental, and economic)
Salary offered
Educational background
Education and training Undergraduate: civil engineering being the most preferred degree
Graduate study in related technical or project management or construction management, although this
aspect may be substituted for years of experience
English proficiency is important but not indispensable
Additional studies in formal or business finance and administration
Development of soft skills (motivation and leadership)
Graduate study in project management but adapted to national problems
Technical skills Management of budgets and control during execution
Business knowledge (roads, pavements, materials)
Designs knowledge
Clarity in concepts and management of the technology required
Issues to improve Frame of reference for project management and best practices
Development of soft skills or interpersonal skills (communication and negotiation)
Legal and administrative aspects
Continuous, daily familiarization with the latest technological advances
Planning and programming
Management and leadership of teams
Finance and accounting
Certifications Are considered interesting or important, but not essential
Skills Leadership, motivation, ethics, creativity, conflict resolution and problem solving, personnel administration,
teamwork, negotiation, stress management, financial skills, communication skills (stakeholder manage-
ment), decision making, analytical skills, legal (health, safety, environment, hiring, managing public enti-
ties, paperwork), result orientation (objectives and project records), flexibility and change management,
management systems, products, technology and tools, and ability to delegate
Recognition and rewards Mainly economic (bonuses or wage increases)
Promotions
Free days or paid vacations (travel)
Table 11: Qualitative analysis results.
P
AP
ER
S
Org
an
iza
tio
n
Typ
e
Ed
uc
ati
on
(%
)Tr
ain
ing
in
Pro
jec
t M
an
ag
em
en
t (%
)E
xp
eri
en
ce
(ye
ars
)
Mo
st I
mp
ort
an
t S
kil
ls (
imp
ort
an
ce
)U
nd
erg
rad
ua
teG
rad
ua
te
Sm
all
Civ
il en
gine
er
Arc
hite
ct
Roa
ds a
nd
tran
spor
tati
on e
ngin
eer
Oth
er p
rofe
ssio
n
70.8
15.3 1.4
12.5
Tech
nica
l
spec
ializ
atio
n
Man
ager
ial
spec
ializ
atio
n
Tech
nica
l
mas
ter’s
Man
ager
ial
mas
ter’s
26.3
50 7.9
13.5
One
tra
inin
g
cour
se
Two
trai
ning
cour
ses
Dip
lom
a
Spe
cial
izat
ion
Mas
ter
Non
e
29.8
14.9
10.6
25.5
12.8
25.5
In t
he c
ompa
ny a
s a
proj
ect
man
ager
As
a pr
ojec
t m
anag
er i
n an
othe
r or
gani
zati
on
Tota
l ye
ars
of e
xper
ienc
e as
a p
roje
ct m
anag
er
Year
s fr
om g
radu
atio
n un
til
beco
min
g a
proj
ect
man
ager
7.6
4.9
12.5 5.9
Dec
isio
n m
akin
g
Ana
lyti
cal
skill
s
Ethi
cs
Lead
ersh
ip
Team
wor
k
Com
mun
icat
ions
6.4
6.4
6.4
6.2
6.1
6.1
Med
ium
Civ
il en
gine
er
Arc
hite
ct
Oth
er p
rofe
ssio
n
No
unde
rgra
duat
e
stud
ies
66.7
14.3
14.3 4.8
Tech
nica
l
spec
ializ
atio
n
Man
ager
ial
spec
ializ
atio
n
Tech
nica
l
mas
ter’s
Man
ager
ial
mas
ter’s
45.5
54.6
25 50
One
tra
inin
g
cour
se
Two
trai
ning
cour
ses
Dip
lom
a
Spe
cial
izat
ion
Mas
ter’s
Non
e
27.8 5.6
16.7
11.1
16.7
44.4
In t
he c
ompa
ny a
s a
proj
ect
man
ager
As
a pr
ojec
t in
ano
ther
org
aniz
atio
n
Tota
l ye
ars
of e
xper
ienc
e as
a p
roje
ct m
anag
er
Year
s fr
om g
radu
atio
n un
til
beco
min
g a
proj
ect
man
ager
4.7
5.3
10.0 6.8
Ethi
cs
Team
wor
k
Ana
lyti
cal
skill
s
Lead
ersh
ip
Dec
isio
n m
akin
g
Abi
lity
to d
eleg
ate
6.5
6.3
6.3
6.2
6.1
6.1
Larg
eC
ivil
engi
neer
Arc
hite
ct
77.8
22.2
Tech
nica
l
spec
ializ
atio
n
Man
ager
ial
spec
ializ
atio
n
Man
ager
ial
mas
ter’s
12.5
50 22.2
One
tra
inin
g
cour
se
Two
trai
ning
cour
ses
Dip
lom
a
Spe
cial
izat
ion
Mas
ter’s
Non
e
36.4
27.3
18.2
45.5
18.2 9.1
In t
he c
ompa
ny a
s a
proj
ect
man
ager
As
a pr
ojec
t m
anag
er i
n an
othe
r or
gani
zati
on
Tota
l ye
ars
of e
xper
ienc
e as
a p
roje
ct m
anag
er
Year
s fr
om g
radu
atio
n to
bec
omin
g a
proj
ect
man
ager
4.9
5.3
10.2 9.6
Lead
ersh
ip
Dec
isio
n m
akin
g
Ethi
cs
Team
wor
k
Neg
otia
tion
Abi
lity
to d
eleg
ate
6.9
6.8
6.7
6.6
6.6
6.6
Tota
l
(ave
rage
)
Civ
il en
gine
er
Arc
hite
ct
Roa
ds a
nd
tran
spor
tati
on e
ngin
eer
Oth
er p
rofe
ssio
n
No
unde
rgra
duat
e
stud
ies
71.2
16.2
0.9
10.8
0.9
Tech
nica
l
spec
ializ
atio
n
Man
ager
ial
spec
ializ
atio
n
Tech
nica
l
mas
ter’s
Man
ager
ial
mas
ter’s
28.1
50.8
9.3
19.2
One
tra
inin
g
cour
se
Two
trai
ning
cour
ses
Dip
lom
a
Spe
cial
izat
ion
Mas
ter’s
Non
e
30.3
14.5
13.2
25 14.5
27.6
In t
he c
ompa
ny a
s a
proj
ect
man
ager
As
a pr
ojec
t m
anag
er i
n an
othe
r or
gani
zati
on
Tota
l ye
ars
of e
xper
ienc
e as
a p
roje
ct m
anag
er
Year
s fr
om g
radu
atio
n to
bec
omin
g a
proj
ect
man
ager
5.7
5.2
10.9
7.4
Ethi
cs
Dec
isio
n m
akin
g
Ana
lyti
cal
skill
s
Lead
ersh
ip
Team
wor
k
Neg
otia
tion
Com
mun
icat
ions
Abi
lity
to d
eleg
ate
6.4
6.4
6.4
6.3
6.2
6.1
6.1
6.1
Tab
le 1
2: P
roje
ct m
anag
er p
rofil
e in
the
con
stru
ctio
n se
ctor
in B
ogot
á, C
olom
bia.
December 2013 ■ Project Management Journal ■ DOI: 10.1002/pmj 83
• To become a project manager, a mini-mum of 5.9 years of experience is required for small organizations, 6.8 years for medium-size organizations, and 9.6 years for large organizations, as shown in Figure 6.
• To move from a small to a medium organization, a project manager needs 45% more experience in terms of time. The corresponding figure for a move from a medium to a large organization is 69%.
• Approximately 28.8% of project man-agers have reported experience in international projects.
• Regarding incentives, 23.6% of the project managers do not report receiv-ing recognitions or rewards, 40.4% receive economic bonuses, 7.5% receive written recognition, and 28.5% receive other recognitions, such as public acknowledgments, promotions, travel or vacations, gifts, and days off, as shown in Figure 7.
• The most common difficulties and defi-ciencies reported by project managers are related to design errors (14%). Other
Experience• The years of project manager experi-
ence for the three types of organiza-tions are 12.5 years (small), 10 years (medium), and 10.2 (large), as shown in Figure 5.
technology and tools, and stress management.
• In all segments, the most important per-ceived skill is leadership (16.2%); other im-portant skills are decision making (11.8%), ethics (10.7%), and teamwork (10.1%).
Figure 3: Project manager undergraduate studies.
0.9%
16.2%10.8%
71.2%
0.9%
Other profession
Civil engineerRoads andtransportation engineer
Architect
No undergraduatestudies
Figure 4: Project manager graduate studies.
120%
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%22.8%
5.3%
TechnicalSpecialization
Course
Management Specialization
Course
National Institutions International Institutions Don’t have graduate studies
Master’s Degree inTechnicalAspects
Master’s Degree inManagement
71.9%
43.1%
7.7%
49.2%
90.7%
80.8%
9.6% 9.6%
100% 100.0%
9.3%
0%Doctor’s Degree inTechnical Aspects
Doctor’s Degree inManagement
0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0%
Project Manager Profile Characterization in the Construction Sector
PA
PE
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84 December 2013 ■ Project Management Journal ■ DOI: 10.1002/pmj
important difficulties and deficiencies (reported by more than 5% of the sam-ple) are contractor failures (10.8%), informality (10.1%), incorrect project budgeting (8.9%), delays in environ-mental and legal procedures (8.1%), incorrect preparation of the project schedule (6.9%), lack of project man-agement methodologies (6.4%), lack of risk management (5.4%), and poor proj-ect scope definition (5.2%).
Demographic characteristics:• Age: Most project managers are
between 30 and 40 years old (34.7%) or between 41 and 50 years old (34.7%). Project managers over 60 and under 30 are the least represented (less than 6%).
• Socio-economic level: 43.1% of project managers are in level 4, 26.4% are in level 6, 22.2% are in level 5, and 8.3% are in level 3 (level 6 being the highest).
• Annual income: 86% of project manag-ers earn more than COP$42 million, 78.9% more than COP$72 million, and 49.1% more than COP$108 million (COP$108 million is approximately US$60,000 per year at a representative market rate of US$1 = COP$1,800).
Relationships Between Variables• Total experience as a project manager
versus annual income: There is no direct correlation between these two variables. Annual income does not nec-essarily increase with number of years of experience. The majority of project
managers (experience, 6 to 10 years, 33.3%) have an average income similar to that of other managers (between COP$42 and COP$108 million. COP$108 million is approximately US$60,000 at a representative market rate of US$1 = COP$1,800). Figure 8 shows the results.
• Total experience as a project manager versus age: 16.7% of project managers have 6 to 10 years of experience and are between 30 and 40 years of age, where-as 15.3% of project managers have 6 to 10 years of experience and are between 41 and 50 years of age. The largest group of project managers (33.3%) is between 30 and 60 years of age and has 6 to 10 years of experience as a project manager. The second largest group (22.2%) has 11 to 15 years of experience. Age does not correspond to experience. Figure 9 shows the results.
• Total experience as project manager versus importance of project manage-ment certifications and credentials: 65% of project managers ascribe a low importance to project management certifications and credentials. This group includes a wide variety of num-ber of years of experience. This finding proves for this sector that it is not important to have a certification and/or credential in project management, regardless of experience. Figure 10 shows the results.
• Technical graduate education versus annual income: 69.5% of projects do not have any technical graduate education. However, in the largest group (30.5%) with some technical graduate education, 30.5% earn more than COP$24 million. In addition, 57.6% of project managers with no graduate education earn more than COP$24 million and 13.6% earn more than COP$144 million (COP$144 million is approximately US$80,000 at a representative market rate of US$1 = COP$1,800). Technical gradu-ate education is not a decisive factor in determining the annual income of a project manager. Figure 11 shows the results.
Figure 5: Total years of experience as a project manager.
1412.5
Small Medium Large
10.0 10.212
10
8
6
2
4
0
Small Medium Large
Figure 6: Years from graduation until becoming a project manager.
14
10
65.9
Small Medium Large
6.8
9.6
8
4
2
0
Small Medium Large
December 2013 ■ Project Management Journal ■ DOI: 10.1002/pmj 85
graduate education earn more than COP$24 million, and 4.6% earn more than COP$144 million (COP$24 mil-lion is approximately US$13,333 at a
largest group (53.8%) with some tech-nical graduate education, 50.8% earn more than COP$24 million. In addi-tion, 41.5% of project managers with no
• Managerial graduate education versus annual income: 46.2% of project man-agers do not have any managerial grad-uate education. However, within the
Figure 7: Project manager recognitions and rewards.
45%
40%
35%
30%
25%23.6%
40.4%
7.5%
Not receiverecognitionor reward
Economicbonus
Writingrecognition
Recognitionat public
event
Promotions Travels orvacations
Gifts Days off Utilities asa partner
Other
5.6%5.6% 5.6%4.3%
2.5% 2.5% 2.5%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
Figure 8: Total experience as project manager versus annual income.
12%
10%
8%
6%
4%
2%1.4%
2.8%
5.6%
1.4% 1.4% 1.4% 1.4%
5.6%
6.9%
9.7% 9.7%
5.6% 5.6%
2.8%
4.2% 4.2%
2.8%2.8%
6.9%
5.6% 5.6%
4.2%
2.8%
0%Less than $24,000.000 Between $24,000.001
and $42,000.000Between $42,000.001
and $72,000.000Between $72,000.001
and $108,000.000Between $108,000.001
and $144,000.000More than $144,000.000
A (1 to 5 years)
B (6 to 10 years)
E (More than 20 years)
D (16 to 20 years)
C (11 to 15 years)
Project Manager Profile Characterization in the Construction Sector
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86 December 2013 ■ Project Management Journal ■ DOI: 10.1002/pmj
Figure 9: Total experience as project manager versus age.
0%Between 25 and 29 years Between 30 and 40 years Between 41 and 50 years Between 51 and 60 years More than 60 years
4.2%
5.6%
11.1%
16.7%15.3%
13.9%
8.3%
2.8% 2.8%
1.4%1.4%1.4%1.4%
8.3%
5.6%
2%
4%
6%
8%
10%
12%
14%
16%
18%
A (1 to 5 years)
B (6 to 10 years)
E (More than 20 years)
D (16 to 20 years)
C (11 to 15 years)
0%A (1 to 5 years)
12.5% 12.5% 12.5%
25.0%
7.5%
2.5% 2.5% 2.5% 2.5% 2.5%
3.8% 5.0% 3.8% 3.8%
1.3%
B (6 to 10 years) C (11 to 15 years) D (16 to 20 years) E (More than 20 years)
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
Low importance (1 to 5)
Average importance (6 to 7)
High importance (8 to 10)
Figure 10: Total experience as project manager versus importance of project management certifications or credentials.
December 2013 ■ Project Management Journal ■ DOI: 10.1002/pmj 87
Figure 11: Technical graduate education versus annual income.
Less than $24,000.000
6.8%
18.6%
16.9%
3.4%
5.1%
6.8%
8.5%
13.6%
1.7% 1.7% 1.7% 1.7%
5.1%
3.4% 3.4%
1.7%
0%
2%
4%
6%
8%
10%
12%
14%
16%
18%
20%
Between $24,000.001and $42,000.000
Between $42,000.001and $72,000.000
Between $72,000.001and $108,000.000
Between $108,000.001and $144,000.000
More than $144,000.000
National Specialization
International Specialization
International master’sNone
Figure 12: Managerial graduate education versus annual income.
Less than $24,000.000
0%
3.1%
4.6%
10.8%
15.4%
12.3%
7.7%
6.2% 6.2%
7.7%
4.6% 4.6%
9.2%
1.5% 1.5%
3.1%
1.5%2%
4%
6%
8%
10%
12%
14%
16%
18%
Between $24,000.001and $42,000.000
Between $42,000.001and $72,000.000
Between $72,000.001and $108,000.000
Between $108,000.001and $144,000.000
More than$144,000.000
National Specialization
International Specialization
National master’s
International master’s
None
Project Manager Profile Characterization in the Construction Sector
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88 December 2013 ■ Project Management Journal ■ DOI: 10.1002/pmj
Figure 13: Total experience as project manager versus education and training in project management.
A (1 to 5 years)
1.7%
3.4% 3.4%
6.8%
5.1% 5.1% 5.1%5.1%5.1% 5.1%
1.7% 1.7%
3.4% 3.4%
0.0%
5.1% 5.1%
8.5%
18.6%
6.8%
B (6 to 10 years) C (11 to 15 years) D (16 to 20 years) E (More than 20 years)
20%
18%
16%
14%
12%
10%
8%
6%
4%
2%
0%
Course
Diploma
Specialization
Master
Figure 14: Importance of project management certifications and credentials versus education and training in project management.
Course
10.2% 10.2%
13.6%
25.4%
3.4% 3.4%
5.1%
8.5%
10.2%
6.8%
3.4%
0.0%0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
Diploma Specialization Master’s
Average importance (6 to 7)
Low importance (1 to 5)
High importance (8 to 10)
December 2013 ■ Project Management Journal ■ DOI: 10.1002/pmj 89
representative market rate of US$1 = COP$1,800). Managerial education does not necessarily generate higher annual income levels for managers. Figure 12 shows the results.
• Total experience as a project manager versus education and training in project management: There is no specific rela-tionship between these two variables. However, within the largest group of project managers (37.3%) with 6 to 10 years of experience, 18.2% have a spe-cialization in project management. Figure 13 shows the results.
• Importance of project management certification versus education and training in project management: 59.3% of project managers who have received education or specific training in project management do not ascribe special importance to certification. Further-more, 24.5% of project managers cite certification as being of high impor-tance. Figure 14 shows the results.
Actual Project Manager Profile Versus Expert OpinionsAs noted in the previous sections, Tables 1 through 4 show the most important project manager skills and characteris-tics found in the literature. Table 11 shows the expert opinions gathered in the qualitative analysis, and Table 12 shows the actual project manager pro-file collected in the quantitative analy-sis. As can be seen in the reviewed profile, experts believe that project managers in the construction sector need an undergraduate degree in civil engineering or a related field, preferably with graduate studies in technical, proj-ect, or construction management and additional education and training in the processes and knowledge areas of tech-nical aspects, as well as in project man-agement. In addition, certifications and credentials in project management are considered important but not essential and do not represent a fundamental selection criterion. Experts (including PMI, IPMA, and AIPM) mainly focus their attention on skills and characteris-tics rather than educational background
or experience; they stated that the most representative skills and characteristics for project managers are in the field of technical skills, with other skills consid-ered as complementary. However, the most representative institutes and pro-fessional organizations in project man-agement ranked soft and interpersonal skills as of the greatest importance. Experts also perceive that project man-agers tend to gain experience in the same types of construction projects and build a career in the same company. Project managers report having under-graduate and graduate degrees in fields that coincide with those recommended by expert opinion. No doctoral degrees were found. Almost one third of project managers do not report having specific training. Project managers in this sector need more training in project manage-ment and related fields to achieve a bet-ter performance and improve their proj-ect success rate. Project management professional organizations and the majority of project managers believe that it is more important to have soft skills than technical skills.
A majority of project managers have extensive experience in project manage-ment and have worked for more than half of their careers, on average, in the same organization; this is in agreement with the opinions of the Colombian experts interviewed. In general, project managers in this sector match the profile proposed by the experts and literature.
Conclusions, Limitations, and Contributions
ConclusionsThis study describes and evaluates the actual and essential characteristics that make up a project manager profile in the construction sector in Bogotá, Colombia. The main conclusions are as follows:
Many authors around the world dis-cuss the essential skills and characteris-tics required to being a successful or effective project manager (as demonstrat-ed earlier). However, of the profile com-ponents, the literature does not specifi-cally refer to the experience, education, or
training required (or desired) to be a suc-cessful project manager within a particu-lar context. No literature was found explicitly related to the project manager profile in the construction sector.
In general, organizations explicitly recognize the project management pro-fession and roles within their structures. Project managers are generally consid-ered to be within the managerial levels of the company and to have a strong influence on the organization’s decision-making process.
Concerning education, almost all project managers have an undergradu-ate degree (mainly civil engineering and architecture). The project manager undergraduate standard is high com-pared with what is found for other posi-tions in the same organization. Many project managers have completed grad-uate studies, primarily focused on man-agerial rather than technical issues. They prefer specializations in Colombia and primarily choose master’s degrees in international institutions. Doctoral degrees are not attractive to project managers in this sector. Project manag-ers have a relatively low level of gradu-ate education, which restricts the innovation and development of new techniques.
A minority of professionals have not received specific training in project management to perform their duties. The majority of this group received additional or complementary training in technical and administrative topics but not in project management. Continuing education programs (cours-es and diplomas) are attractive to proj-ect managers in this sector. English pro-ficiency is generally low among project managers, and most do not know anoth-er language (other than Spanish). International certifications and creden-tials are not perceived as a priority for a project manager’s professional develop-ment. The most recognized credential among professionals is the PMP creden-tial. A minority received training toward certification, and a few have obtained the credential.
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preliminary approach to critical issues in the field of project development and project management in Colombia. This first step, focused on the construction sector in Bogotá, confirms the percep-tions of the serious problems and gaps affecting this sector and consequently justifies continuing complementary research efforts in terms of new phases and sectors.
Project manager education and training should be enhanced and re fined, particularly in the processes and knowl-edge areas of project management. Higher levels of education (doctoral and master’s degrees) should support the innovation and continuous improve-ment urgently needed by this sector in the framework of its contribution and relevance to Colombia’s economic, social, and human development.
AcknowledgmentsThe authors would like to thank Escuela Colombiana de Ingeniería Julio Garavito for financial support of this research and Javier Ramirez, Natalia Acero, and Cristhian Verdugo for their valuable input and discussions regard-ing the qualitative and quantitative analyses presented in this study. ■
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Project managers are members of a high socio-economic level and are com-pensated with a relatively high annual income. Most project managers are rewarded through economic bonuses and are typically over 30 years of age.
LimitationsThis research is limited to Colombia and, more specifically, to the construc-tion sector in Bogotá.
The focus of this study was mainly the following subsectors: the construc-tion of residential buildings, construction of non-residential buildings and con-struction of civil engineering works (housing, infrastructure, and roads).
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Leadership is the most important skill and characteristic recognized by the project managers interviewed, fol-lowed by ethics, decision making, ana-lytical skills, and teamwork.
The literature review conducted in this work, particularly focusing on doc-uments produced by such associations as PMI, IPMA, and AIPM, indicates a wide range of competence elements considered as key project manager attributes. However, there is no global consensus regarding the hierarchy or priority of these elements. Authorized experts and authors ascribe more importance to specific human charac-teristics or “soft” skills than to specific educational degrees, technical knowl-edge, or expertise.
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project planning and control, and a member of the Project Management Institute (PMI). He is a current professor of the Escuela Colombiana de Ingeniería Julio Garavito (Colombian School of Engineering Julio Garavito) and director of the Center of Studies in Development and Integral Management of Projects.
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