Why skilled project managers are crucial in Tanzania

Dar es Salaam. Tanzania is among countries that implement many development projects aimed at bringing about economic change, but some fail to be completed on time or are below the standard due to what is associated with lack of skilled project managers.

Experts say the lack of skilled project managers, lack of understanding of international standards are among the challenges that contributed to the failure of many projects to be completed.

They say other challenges include delayed payment to contractors and the fact that those who won the tenders believe that they can do everything, little knowing that the management issue requires professionals.

The Controller and Auditor General (CAG) reports for the year 2020/2021 compiled by Wajibu Institute of Public Accountability showed the government incurred the loss amounting to Sh255.61 billion due to poor management and lack citizen engagement. This appeared in both completed and uncompleted projects.

The losses were caused by partly poor management due to lack of skilled project managers and technologies.

According to the Project Management Institute (PMI) Tanzania Chapter, at least 25 million new project professionals are globally needed by 2030.

The institute adds that the lack of skilled managers and technology are some of the reasons that lead to many projects being delayed or implemented below standards.

What should be done?

The PMI is expected to conduct an annual conference next month in Zanzibar whereby the government officials and other stakeholders are expected to participate.

Among the agenda that will be discussed is how projects implementers can embrace the use of skilled project managers to ensure the projects become useful to the community.

“We call for the government and the private sector who implement various projects to put emphasis on employing managers who are certified and not just give them tasks because they are familiar with the certain sector,” said the PMI Tanzania chapter vice president Daniel Materu.

He said the planned Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) plant and others will introduce over 100 projects which locals will be supposed to implement, calling for the project managers to equip themselves with more skills.

“Construction is the biggest industry in the world but has not been performing well, having clocked only one percent annual growth over the past two decades. That’s not all, the sector wasteful expenditures sits at $127 million for every $1 billion spent on projects,” said the PMI’s Sub Saharan Africa managing director George Asamani.

He said as part of impact strategy, the institute is looking at an expanded role in Africa in terms of building knowledge hubs with the government to bring global best practices in infrastructure project management.

“Already we have partnerships in place with academia on the continent to bring best of breed courses and the industry to create professional certifications to help accelerate innovation, enhance ideation and create an ecosystem where we can deliver transformational change through PMI offerings,” he stressed.

“We believe Tanzanians are poised to tap into pan-African markets technologies and best practices and the conference seeks to highlight these opportunities and put project managers in the driving seat for national development,” she stressed

Experts speak

“You find that someone has never managed even a Sh20 million project and then you are given a Sh1 billion project, the possibility of success is very small because the person has no experience with managing projects,” said Dr Avit Mushi from College of Engineering and Technology of the University of Dar es Salaam.

Dr Mushi added that in order to overcome that challenge, those who are given projects must allow professionalism to take place. “We should stop the desire to manage many projects as a result there will be one that will lack management and fail.”

“The biggest challenge is that when contractors get projects, they fail to hire project management experts, believing that because they are experts in that area, they are able to manage themselves as a result, projects fail to finish on time,” he said.

For his part, an economist from University of Dar es Salaam, Dr Jehovaness Aikaeli, said among the reasons were inadequate training background, limited number of projects from which learning by doing could take place.

He also said that the little exposure to the global standards of the projects management practice could be another reason for the number of projects delayed or completed below the standards.

Poultry farmer Justina Hela said a project is anything that at the end of the day has positive results.

“Basically, I have been witnessing many government projects being built at a low level, especially the construction projects due to the promise of offering 10 percent,” she said.

“Things have changed, including technology. When you get a project guarantee, you must have a team that is professional in managing projects, otherwise a lot of government money will be wasted,” she said.

She added that many projects that are stalled due to poor management are those of the government because there is no fairness in offering the tenders, adding that private sector projects always go on time and their standard level is better because their management is 100 percent good.

Construction engineer John Elvis said many projects fail due to poor management and work given to contractors with low standards, as a result the projects are completed below standard.

“There are a number of issues here such as corruption thus lead to project owners failing to properly manage because from the beginning there is already an allocation of funds,” he said.

He pointed out that some clients don’t know what needs to be done, as a result, they offer a small amount, when the contractor arrives at the site and finds a difference and he/she does it below the standard.