New UCT course offers advanced project management skills

The programme, called Advanced Project Management, is based on the premise that business leaders today must be powerful agents that convert business strategy into reality.

According to Dennis Comninos, Director of the programme, today's business leaders are under increasing pressure to perform and deliver on commitments to boards, shareholders and customers.

"In today's turbulent and complex environment, the ability to manage and achieve significant organisational goals has become a core skill for senior managers," he said.

He added, however, that research shows that many organisations are experiencing benefit losses in projects despite their best intentions.

He cites the latest KPMG Global IT Project Management Survey, which showed that eighty-six percent of the more than 600 organisations surveyed lost up to 25 percent of target benefits across their entire project portfolio.

"The KPMG study confirms that senior leaders today need to be taking a more hands on role with projects. These leaders are often involved in selecting and approving projects, but rarely involved in delivering them. Organisations need to get to grips with project leadership - which involves providing strategic direction, motivation and inspiration," said Comninos.

"Through more active involvement via project leadership, senior management will also be in a better position to conduct an ongoing assessment of benefits, including how they unfold over time, as well as ensure all initiatives are clearly aligned with the business strategy," he added.

The UCT GSB programme, running from 16 - 20 October, therefore takes a fresh look at project management, developing a model for these senior managers to drive value from the execution of strategy through strategic projects.

The five-day programme will see a wealth of expertise on offer to the South African business community. Comninos has 29 years of Project Management experience locally and internationally and has spent some 20 years lecturing the subject. He is also a project management consultant to the United Nations (UNDP) and the World Bank.

He will be joined in delivering the new advanced programme by business partner Enzo Frigenti from New Zealand and Chris van der Hoven of Cranfield University. Comninos and Frigenti are co-authors of the best selling book The Practice of Project Management - A Business Approach, and their second book in the series has been awarded the Association of MBAs seal of approval.

The course has been developed in response to market demand, and builds on the success that the UCT GSB has had with the introductory course run by Comninos, called Project Management - A Business Approach.

For more information on Advanced Project Management, contact Tracy Kimberley on (021) 406 1346 or .