International Journal of Managing Projects in Business

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide insights into the importance of human skills in project management success and the apparent emphasis placed on this within the context of university education.

Design/methodology/approach – An investigation into the effectiveness of a British Project Management Professional Development Programme (PMPDP) case study is reported. Using as a benchmark, the core behavioural competencies outlined in the International Project Management Association (IPMA) International Competence Baseline version 3, the paper investigates the extent to which the knowledge gained from the PMPDP effects the behaviours of delegates and graduates. The soft skills of a control group are also explored.

Findings – The results deal with certain improvements in most of the behavioural competencies of delegates and graduates which the control group could not develop in the same way.

Research limitations/implications – The sample is drawn from the PMPDP consortium comprising companies from the UK aerospace, infrastructure, oil and gas, nuclear and information technology sectors. It would not be valid to generalise the effects of the case study programme on other industries (i.e. automobile, health, retail and insurance) without considering the unique character of that particular industry pertaining to the management of projects.

Practical implications – The research, by demonstrating the effectiveness of continuing professional development programmes, has significant implications for the UK organisations which are eagerly interested to know how their investments into project management education are benefiting the companies.

Originality/value – The link between education, competence development and corporate performance seems tenuous. This research, by spitting out the soft benefits of CPD programmes, reasonably contributes in providing businesses a case to justify training and education investments.