Our approach

Our expertise

NCPM provides a forum for addressing national issues and challenges and draws on industry, government and academia to promote best practice and foster improvement in project practice. Participants share a common concern over the understanding and skill levels in project management and seek to improve and build upon current knowledge and capability.

Background to project management

Project management has grown beyond its roots in the construction, engineering and aerospace industries and is increasingly recognised as a key competence in many organisations in both the private and public sectors. The award of Royal Charter to the Association for Project Management (APM), has established a formal recognition of the profession.

This has now been strengthened through the development and release of a revised body of knowledge devised by Professor Darren Dalcher which re-positions the profession as a strategic discipline concerned with delivering value and balancing portfolios of initiatives to deliver beneficial change. While projects are being employed in most sectors, it is now increasingly acknowledged that a large proportion of economic activity is conducted through projects, programmes, portfolios and megaprojects. Yet, many organisations require support, knowledge, expertise and capability development and enhancement in this area.

Project management is clearly becoming a major enterprise. The PMI (Project Management Institute) estimates that over $20 trillion (USD) worth of projects, will be rolled out worldwide throughout the year 2019. The IMF projects that the world economy in 2019 would combine for a total gross world product of around $88 trillion (USD). It appears that project work accounts for a significant proportion of global economic activity. Moreover, governments, charities and industry heavily rely on policy implementation and strategy execution through projects, programmes, portfolios and megaprojects. Indeed, project work offers a framework to help organisations to transform their mainstream operations and service performance through beneficial change. It is viewed as a way of organising for the future. Moreover, in an increasingly busy, stressful, and uncertain world, it has become necessary to manage complex portfolios of initiatives to adapt and sustain success.

The need for capable project managers

Soaring demand and premium rates for project managers are being widely reported by the media. In an attempt to quench this thirst, the National Centre for Project Management is developing a range of programmes. Current worldwide estimates suggest that over 25 million people define themselves as project managers, and many others are heavily involved in project management.

Critical to national prosperity

It is no exaggeration to say that the progress of modern society is totally and irrevocably dependent on the ability to deliver project outcomes as required. Project management is rapidly becoming a key skill that underpins progress and prosperity. The ability to control and manage projects has become a critical national capability that will play a part in defining success and determining sustainability, wellbeing and competitiveness.

Projects raise national issues

The national dependence on projects raises many issues and challenges that must be addressed in a systemic manner. Such issues include understanding the role of projects in the national economy, reducing the national failure rate, ensuring competitiveness in managing projects, meeting public needs for trustworthiness in project outcomes and educating the current and future generations of project managers.

Addressing the national agenda

The NCPM will build on existing strengths and endeavour to provide a forum for addressing key issues. We will draw on industry, government and academia to promote good practice and foster improvement in project management practice. It will create a common focus on enhancing project management knowledge, expertise, insights and research and offer the guidance and thought leadership required to underpin and support local, regional, national and global excellence.