Scheme to ensure good project managers

The Society of Project Managers (SPM) yesterday launched an Accreditation of Project Managers (APM) scheme, with the aim of standardising what it means to be a project manager in the built environment industry.

This is in response to more people claiming to be project managers, without having sufficient experience or education, to the detriment of those who hire them, said SPM.

APM committee chairman Yip Kim Seng said in a statement that projects managed by these self-proclaimed project managers have run into cost overruns, delays and other problems.

The Straits Times understands, however, that there are no statistics for this occurrence. SPM said individuals who want to be accredited must apply for the scheme. A board of assessors will assess their application using a scoring system and will interview candidates.

The credentials considered include qualification from accredited universities, managing five recent projects of at least $10 million each and being in the project-management field for at least six years.

The application will cost $300 and candidates will need to pay $180 yearly to remain as an accredited project manager.

In a speech, SPM president Ting Seng Kiong said that the scheme will set the benchmark for those aspiring to be project managers.

Speaking to The Straits Times, he said that after a few years, when there are enough project managers recognised under this scheme, the aim is to have a government registry of accredited built industry project managers. There are also plans to expand this scheme beyond the built environment industry, such as in the shipbuilding and aeroplane construction sectors.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on June 07, 2017, with the headline Scheme to ensure good project managers. Subscribe