Project management research celebrated at special event

A special event at the University of Leeds celebrated the importance of research on the past, present and future of projects and project management.

APM’s 50th Anniversary Celebratory research event brought together noted academics, and leading project and programme professionals to mark the importance of project-related research. The event, which formed part of the wider celebrations around APM’s 50^th anniversary, looked at the evolution of research in this field and its future direction.

In addition to showcasing APM’s contribution to research, the event also featured panel discussions that examined various aspects of project theory and practice. Three sessions took place, looking at the past, present and future of project research respectively.

The past

Professor Rodney Turner (University of Leeds) and Professor Andrew Edkins (University College London), discussed how project management came to be, and the key milestones in turning project management from a functional activity to a Chartered profession. 

Prof Turner explained: “The reason why project management came about is quite simple really. People were doing projects.

"In the early 20^th century, the field of operational research started. People started using things like critical path analysis to improve what they were doing. Then the Americans started to manage things like the Polaris project and the Manhattan project in a very specific way.

"There has long been a focus in project management that anything that doesn’t finish on time and on budget has failed. But that’s project management success, not project success. For a project to succeed, it has to produce value."

Prof Edkins said: "Academia was quite late to the project management party. The knowledge was mostly established by practitioners.

"The academics came in quite late, but they were important because they brought their legitimacy to all the knowledge that practitioners had established. The professional organisations emerged out of the collaboration between academics and those practitioners."

When asked what had held project research back, Prof Edkins replied: "For too long, academics who studied project management were seen as lightweight. ‘It’s just common sense’ was the popular perception. It took some great academics to make the point that if it was so easy, why couldn’t practitioners nail down certain aspects of it?"

The present

Dr Christine Unterhitzenberger (University of Leeds, pictured) and Dr Efrosyni Konstantinou (University College London) shared their views on what project management looks like today, how the profession is developing, and current issues, threats and opportunities.

One of the questions asked was whether project management has gone beyond the iron triangle of time, cost and quality. Dr Unterhitzenberger answered: "I don’t think so. It [the iron triangle] is still very present in practice and research. Should we move beyond it? Yes, I think so. Other areas like value are getting more prominence. Also considerations around sustainability and benefits in projects as well. We have to achieve a more holistic picture of project success rather than just time, cost and quality."

Dr Konstantinou added: "Organisations I engage with are very focused on the UN sustainability objectives. I see also in my students glimpses of hope for the future. Many students now are looking into social inequality and injustice. They want to find meaning and purpose in their work and make a contribution to society.

"I would give a vote in favour of the iron triangle. We still need to ensure the efficient use of resources. But it isn’t only efficiency; it’s the purpose and what society we create."

The future

In the final session, Professor Martina Huemann (Vienna Business School), Dr Jo Jolly (Infrastructure and Projects Authority) and Professor Graham Winch (University of Manchester), reflected on what project management will look like in the future, how the profession is developing, and the emerging themes that are likely to affect projects in the future.

Replying to a question about the role project management will play in the future, Dr Jolly replied: "For me, the future is the next two years. When we talk about climate change, you can forget about 2050. The year 2025 is when greenhouse gasses need to peak.

"I can’t think of anything more systemic than project management. Everything is a project. Imagine if we could galvanise the entire project profession towards the UN sustainable development goals. What we deliver matters, but also how we deliver it."

When asked what future trend or development will have the biggest impact on the profession, Prof Huemann and Prof Winch focused on digitalisation.

Prof Huemann said: "Digitalisation will transform not only projects but our entire lives. Everything that can be automated will be automated. That means we fundamentally have to re-think how we deliver projects and what is the role of project management."

Prof Winch added: "We no longer build bridges and tunnels. We build systems. These days, you don’t just build, say, Crossrail. You build a digital twin of Crossrail.

"If you consider things like AI and blockchain, we’re only starting to have conversations about how those are going to change the profession. It will be an important role for APM to assist that integration."

APM’s research programme advances the project profession’s collective knowledge by sharing the findings of new, innovative research. Discover more about APM’s research.