IPMA Elects Ed Naughton to Prestigious Education and Training Board

2013 saw the commencement of a new regime at the world’s first professional project management organisation. A new executive board took up the office with an impressive line-up of high profile personnel elected at the council of delegates meeting in Baku in September 2012.

In keeping with the organisation's name - International Project Management Association - this is a truly international board comprised of individuals from Croatia, the UK, Spain, Germany, Portugal,  Australia, the USA, and Roberto Mori from Italy.

The keenly fought elections, not only for the mainboard but also for the sub-boards, is a true reflection of the appetite within the 57 country organisation to promote and expand the IPMA approach to developing the project and programme management discipline.

Dr John-Paris Pantouvakisfrom Greece chairs the powerful IPMA Education Training Board. It is made up of three University professors and three private sectors individuals with vast experience of operating at the highest level of business.

John states that “as chair, I have the privilege to liaise and coordinate with the IPMA E&T Board, a panel of experts from seven different countries.  Together, our ambition is to bring Education & Training closer to the PM professional and our Member Associations and to bring new friends and more visibility to the area."

This level of international exposure ensures that the very best and latest in terms of practice and thinking is designed into the IPMA Education & Training outputs. “So much of what one does now crosses borders and involves interacting with other cultures and other economies. Working with such diverse international board members offers the opportunities to improve greater understanding and embrace the state of the art concepts,” says John-Paris Pantouvakis, who was also the project director for the 2012 IPMA World Congress in Greece.

The board chair has requested submissions from each member identifying their top priority projects for consideration in the forthcoming two-year plan.

Among the targeted projects to be considered will be the expansion of the Education & Training awards programme, greater liaison with third level institutions and business schools, consideration of approved undergraduate project management degree programmes,  expansion of the REG programme and the creation of a greater awareness across the training providers of the IPMA brand and its inherent benefits.

Having the right skills and talent base will be a key driver of recovery in domestic and global economies. However, there is a growing concern that project management is seen as an “execution” support only. The next generation of project managers will need to align this execution capability with much sharper business acumen.

Part of the Education & Training Board's work is to help inform its member associations on the required alignment of programmes to meet such emerging needs, thereby enabling individuals to make an informed decision around employment opportunities and career choices in the discipline.

The board looks forward to addressing the many challenges facing the project management Education & Training sector and has set itself ambitious targets to be achieved during its two-year term of office.