Project Management Institute

I recently wrote two pieces for the Project Management Institute that focused on infrastructure project opportunities in emerging markets outside the BRICs – Chile, Vietnam, Nigeria, Poland, Turkey, Costa Rica and Kenya were the countries that made it into the final edit. I also did research on Argentina and I’d like to publish that here because the country is fascinating and José D. Esterkin and Ana Maria Rodríguez had interesting insights.

The Argentinian economy deflated with the global recession, and its current president, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, has had a rough couple of years. But if you look at where the project management demand is you can see which sectors will lead Argentina out of its slump (and which sectors you may consider investing in).

One is information technology. “The industry is growing rapidly because fees are lower than in other places of the world and professional level is very high,” says Ana Maria Rodríguez, PMP, executive manager, ERA Project Management, Rosario, Argentina.

Petrochemical, cereal (biodiesal plants), steel, and food companies are also requesting project management at global standards.

According to José D. Esterkin, PMI Buenos Aires, Argentina Chapter Esterkin awareness of project management in Argentina has grown exponentially over the past five years as companies focus on project management methodology to have predictability in their plans. This is especially true when dealing with an economy in flux, and changing regulations. “The challenge is to develop successful projects in spite of government measures,” says Ms. Rodriguez.

Technical skills are very high in Argentina. The need now is to combine the hard skills with soft skills like negotiation, leadership and communications. Ms. Rodriguez adds companies will need specialized training in certain areas of PM such as Program and Portfolio Management and Risk Management.

“We don’t have many project managers who are certified, we need to make project manager as a profession like lawyers”, posits Mr. Esterkin.

I have become history obsessed of late. I am writing a piece for a trade organization, The Project Management Institute, and came across this interesting factoid which I though I’d share. It is about the Port of Mombasa in Kenya which is a transport and trade hub for East Africa “The port traces its history back many centuries to a time when dhows (traditional Arab sailing vessel) called at the Old Port on the north side of Mombasa Island. The Old Port is next to Fort Jesus,which was built by the Portuguese navigator Vasco da Gama. This was during the famous spice trade between the Arabian Gulf,the east coast of Africa,the Indian subcontinent and the Far East when navigators were looking for a new route to the Far East.” It’s not usually how we think of Kenya with its recent turbulence, but it’s good to remember.

As we close the business of green month, I want to give a shout out to the New York Aquarium. I was recently there on a school trip with my daughter and was really impressed with the exhibits, and with the seal show. Throughout all they sent the message of saving the environment, an important message children should hear from early on.

Finally, I read an interesting piece in the New Yorker, “Go West” by Peter Hessler. I originally thought it would be a cowboy story, but it turned out to be a look at America’s culture of “I” (in which by writing this blog I am unabashedly participating) – how most people like to tell the story of themselves and the contrast to the culture in China where no one talks about “I”. Is there something we can learn from holding back?

Podcast Host, Professor, Writer

Tag: Project Management Institute

Building Argentina

Table Talk – Mombasa; seals; the culture of “I”