The RINA Australian Division Council is considering the implications of the Project Manager Certification Framework (PMCF) currently being implemented by the Defence Materiel Organisation (DMO) of the Australian Department of Defence. This initiative includes publication of a Competency Standard for Complex Project Managers, and the establishment of a new professional College of Complex Project Managers.
The initiative to professionalise Complex Project Management represents one element of the ongoing DMO reform agenda that includes six themes: professionalise, reprioritise, standardise, benchmark, improve industry relationships, and lead reform in defence.
Project Management has long been regarded as a necessary competency for professional engineers and naval architects engaged, either directly or indirectly, in the management of large and/or complex projects, typical of those in the Defence environment. Project management has not been taught as an undergraduate course at university, and so the options for professional development have been via on-the-job-training, combined with short courses or longer post-graduate courses, such as the Master of Project Management degree courses offered by tertiary Institutions including the University of South Australia, the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), or others. DMO conducts a Project Managers Development Program that offers a structured learning program that, if completed successfully, leads to the award of a Master of Project Management degree from the University of South Australia.
DMO's initiative to establish Complex Project Management as an independent profession is recognised, and could be regarded as long overdue. The DMO has sought to involve similar Defence-related agencies in other countries, particularly the Defence Procurement Agency in the UK and the National Defense University in the USA. There is domestic and international support for the initiative and the new Competency Standard, that is expected to result in the establishment of a new College of Complex Project Managers. Membership of the College of Complex Project Managers is expected to be by peer review.
A draft Competency Standard for Complex Project Management has been developed by the DMO in consultation with Industry via the Defence and Industry Advisory Council, and the Australian Institute of Project Management (AIPM).
The draft Competency Standard for Complex Project Management comprises nine 'competency views and special attributes':
View 1 - Strategy and Project Management
View 2 - Business Planning, Lifecycle Management, Reporting and Performance Measurement
View 3 - Change and Journey
View 4 - Innovation, Creativity and Working Smarter
View 5 - Organisational Architecture
View 6 - Systems Thinking and Integration
View 7 - Leadership
View 8 - Culture and Being Human
View 9 - Probity and Governance
Special Attributes
View 6 - 'Systems Thinking and Integration' does not mention the discipline of engineering, or any domain-specific competency such as systems engineering, aeronautical engineering, naval architecture or software engineering, even though the project concerned might be a complex engineering or software development project.
The issue for naval architects who aspire to lead and manage complex maritime programs, such as major naval ship construction or upgrade projects, is that they must now consider what qualifications and work experience they need in order to demonstrate competence as a complex project manager, and be considered eligible for membership of the College of Complex Project Managers. Some related factors may well influence these career decisions.
Naval architects would do well to reflect on the strategic directions embodied in the 'Kinnaird Review of Defence Procurement' conducted in 2003, together with government policy on 'competition'. Knowledge and practical experience in applying competitive procurement strategies consistent with the Commonwealth Procurement Guidelines is essential for project work in a government environment.
So what's different from the past? Not a great deal, but the competency standards formalise a trend that promotes the 'generalist' approach to senior management, rather than the 'domain specialist'. Engineers and Naval architects who choose a second career in (complex project) management will need to pursue business studies, and do so earlier in their career (typically late twenties, early thirties). More importantly, engineers and naval architects will need to seek positions that are classified as 'project management', with responsibility for managing cost, schedule, and the quality, safety and environmental compliance of project deliverables. A position that provides 'engineering management' or 'naval architectural support' to a project may not be recognised as a suitable career path for entry into the discipline of complex project management.
If RINA Australian Division Council supports the above analysis of professional developments, then it may consider providing advice and assistance in identifying suitable post-graduate qualifications and job-training opportunities that support career migration into complex project management tailored to maritime projects in the Defence and civilian environments.
| 
