Vusumuzi Dube
Judith Phiri, Business Reporter
THE Project Management Institute (PMI) Zimbabwe has called on project management practitioners to embrace various enabling tools, techniques and technologies to strengthen their resilience in executing projects successfully.
A number of successful projects have been witnessed in public infrastructure projects being implemented by the Government, as infrastructure development has been identified as one of the key economic enablers.
In an interview, PMI Zimbabwe Chapter president Engineer Memory Gwena said there was a need to equip and empower all sectors of the Zimbabwe economy that embark on projects of different scales, intentions and strategic goals.
“There is no doubt that the Zimbabwean economy is poised for phenomenal growth propelled by the endowment of diverse natural resources and its strong human capital base. However, there are numerous vulnerabilities, uncertainties and risks that Zimbabwe as a nation has to grapple with to sustain this growth trajectory.
“Challenges of climate change, macroeconomic stability, global pandemics, financial investment, value-addition and beneficiation, trade and energy deficits among others. Nonetheless, some projects of different scales from mega projects to micro-projects have been initiated and completed successfully in some sectors by both public and private players to combat these hurdles,” said Eng Gwena.
She said as some projects have failed to yield the desired results, outputs and impact due to a myriad of reasons, as a developing nation, there was need to embrace various enabling project management tools. In preparations for their 2023 PMI Zimbabwe Chapter Annual Conference to be held in Kariba from 14 and 17 June, Eng Gwena said delegates will be empowered with knowledge exchange in project management and leadership practices that spur economic growth.
“Running under the theme: “Project management, driving the economic growth in Zimbabwe” we will ensure there is benchmarking of project management processes that drive the achievement of strategic goals and business operations. There is need to equip those in the project management sector with professional learning while networking and acquisition of new skills in coping with economic challenges is critical,” she added.
She said the sector should also adopt digital technologies that lessen the burden of some project management challenges as well as craft strategies to cope with the disruptive, volatile, uncertain, complex, ambiguous and diverse (DVUCAD) challenges in the Zimbabwe business environment and beyond.
The guest of honour at the annual conference will be the National Coordinator responsible for programmes and projects in the Office of the President and Cabinet Engineer Amos Marawa. Other lined-up speakers include PMI fellow and founder of the Project Management Professional (PMP) Mr Lee Lambert from the United States of America (USA), Programme Management Consultant Mr Ike Nwankwo from the United Kindom (UK) and Higherlife Foundation head of Global Health Ms Rebecca Mwabvu, among others.
Online Reporter