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68 December 2013 ■ Project Management Journal ■ DOI: 10.1002/pmj

INTRODUCTION ■

Within the Colombian academic and entrepreneurial media, spe-cial importance is granted to education and training in the fields of project development and project management as a conse-quence of the clear recognition of their relevance to the coun-

try’s human, economic, and social development as well as the influence of those fields in successful project execution. Currently, 76 universities and institutions in Colombia offer 229 graduate programs in project development and project management, of which 179 are offered by universities and 50 by other institutions (SNIES, 2013).

Several studies have highlighted the vital importance of the project man-ager’s competency to achieve project success (Goodwin, 1993; Frank, 2002; Pant & Baroudi, 2007; Ahadzie, 2007; Madter et al., 2012; Hwang & Ng, 2013). According to Ahadzie (2007) and Hwang and Ng (2013), there is a growing awareness in organizations in the construction industry of the relationship between project manager competencies and project success, which have focused on ensuring that the project manager acquires the core competencies or skills necessary to adequately fulfill his or her role. Madter et al. (2012) emphasizes the importance of the project manager role, pointing out that “targeting and developing the right individuals for more strategic roles, thus increases the likelihood of project success and increased organizational per-formance.” Additionally, Goodwin (1993) recognizes that “the fundamental concept on which project management is based, is that a single individual, the project manager, is accountable for the success of the project.”

Consequently, increasing and correlated attention is being directed to identifying and analyzing key characteristics and attributes exhibited by proj-ect managers in terms of education, knowledge, experience, and performance by specific research projects aimed at detecting the strengths, problems, weaknesses, and constraints of their management roles. This effort can be seen as a response to the actual global economy, where “employers insist on a better prepared workforce that is more adaptable, responsible and teachable to help meet the competitive realities.” (Tierney, 1998; Pant & Baroudi, 2007)

Within this context, in 2012, the Colombian School of Engineering autho-rized a research project entitled, “Project Manager Profile Characterization in the Construction Sector in Bogotá, Colombia,” which aimed to describe and analyze some identifiable peculiarities attached to the project manager role in

ABSTRACT ■

This study aims to describe and evaluate the

characteristics (educational background,

training, skills, and experience) that make up

the project manager profile in the construc-

tion sector in Bogotá, Colombia. This study is

based on a project management literature

review, expert interviews and surveys with a

group of project managers in the construc-

tion sector, and comparisons between them.

This evaluation aims to contribute to the

development of a clearer definition of the

project manager profile in the Colombian

context. The identified project manager pro-

file satisfies the essential desired characteris-

tics with some particular weaknesses related

to education and training in project manage-

ment.

KEYWORDS: project manager; profile;

competencies; construction; Colombia

Project Manager Profile Characterization in the Construction Sector in Bogotá, ColombiaGermán Eduardo Giraldo González, Escuela Colombiana de Ingeniería Julio Garavito (Colombian School of Engineering Julio Garavito), Bogotá,ColombiaGabriel Humberto Pulido Casas, Escuela Colombiana de Ingeniería Julio Garavito (Colombian School of Engineering Julio Garavito), Bogotá,ColombiaCésar Augusto Leal Coronado, Escuela Colombiana de Ingeniería Julio Garavito (Colombian School of Engineering Julio Garavito), Bogotá,Colombia

Project Management Journal, Vol. 44, No. 6, 68–93

© 2013 by the Project Management Institute

Published online in Wiley Online Library

(wileyonlinelibrary.com). DOI: 10.1002/pmj.21381 P

AP

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December 2013 ■ Project Management Journal ■ DOI: 10.1002/pmj 69

terms of specific surveyed factors, such as education, training and experience, as well as perceptions of the skills, attitudes, and appreciations relevant to the funda-mental issues of project management.

This project responds to alignments proposed by the Colombian School of Engineering in the framework of its research projects, mainly related to educa-tion and training programs assigned to the Center and graduate programs in project development and project management.

Several factors have supported this initiative and the priority and resources allocated to this research exercise, par-ticularly in relation to the project man-ager’s role, skills, and competences:• The paramount importance inherent

to an integral and rigorous handling of the processes related to project devel-opment and project management as a prerequisite to achieving the expected effective project contribution.

• The country’s consensus regarding the absence or weakness of project culture and project management culture, as well as its profound and negative implications and impacts on project performance and the achievement of project goals and efficiency in resource allocation.

• The international recognition of the relevance and preeminence of project management as a profession and disci-pline that are keys to successful project managers and successful projects.

• The recognition, in national and inter-national contexts, that projects fail in scope, time, cost, quality, and goal achievement in a significant number of cases and the consequent recognition that a convenient and effective way to achieving successful results is by apply-ing modern project management using appropriate standards, practices, and tools with proven effectiveness.

• The recognition that the construction sector, jointly with its activities, invest-ments and human, social, and eco-nomic impacts, has the high potential to generate employment and resource mobilization from other economic sec-tors and constitutes a key driving force of the Colombian economy.

• The high magnitude of the construc-tion sector share and its contribution to the development of Bogotá and the nation as a whole.

This research project intends to achieve the following:• Describe and analyze an appropriate

approach and some characteristic traits relevant to project managers or persons with analogous roles in the construction sector in Bogotá.

• Characterize the project manager pro-file in this specific sector.

• Contrast some of the main profile find-ings with pertinent modern project management literature on this issue.

• Identify key and selective topics to be addressed in future analogous research.

The characterization is treated using the “profile” concept, within which a survey is applied to analyze the aspects and factors widely recognized as funda-mental to the project manager role, such as undergraduate and graduate educa-tion, profession, experience in project development and project management, wages and fringe benefits, organization type and size, and perceptions of man-agement abilities, and characteristics assumed to be essential for a successful managerial performance.

Once the characterization is defined, an attempt is made to compare and contrast the “positive” project manage-ment observed in the construction sec-tor and the paradigm of “normative” project management in terms of the standard and best practices generally accepted and recommended by modern project management approaches and international specialized institutions, such as the Project Management Institute (PMI), International Project Management Association (IPMA), and Australian Institute of Project Management (AIPM). In this sense, Weyer (2011) states: “While normative project management theory is based on engineering science and applied mathematics as a tool to be used during the planning, control, and evaluation phases of the project, the more postmodern view of project management

theory is based in part on sociology and psychology (Andersen, 2006) in order to explain courses of action. Thus, the role of the individual within the tempo-rary organization and in particular that of the project manager is of interest.”

An attempt is also made in terms of some selected results, conclusions, and recommendations related to the following:• Project manager achievements or

strengths in the construction sector.• Project manager weaknesses or gaps in

the construction sector.• Education and training needs for proj-

ect development and project manage-ment in Colombia (emphasis on the construction sector).

• Preliminary proposals and indications on in-depth and diversified future research projects of this nature in Colombia.

This study is organized as follows. The second section explains the high importance of the construction sector in Colombia in general and Bogotá in particular. The third section presents a literature review concerning the profile characteristics of project managers in the Colombian and international con-texts. The fourth section presents the conceptual and methodology frame-work used in this research; the fifth sec-tion reports the specific results. The sixth and seventh sections present the conclusions and future work pros-pects, respectively.

The Construction Sector in Colombia and the Project Manager RoleThere is a national consensus about the importance of the construction sector in the Colombian economy, which is based on three main factors. First, it contributes significantly to the increase in the gross domestic product. Second, it interacts with other industries, foster-ing economic activity. Third, it uses unskilled labor intensively, providing a positive effect on employment rates (Petrovic-Lazarevic, 2008). The average contribution to the gross domestic

Project Manager Profile Characterization in the Construction Sector

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product (GDP) for this sector between 2001 and 2011 was 5.7%. It has been esti-mated that between 2001 and 2011, the GDP in the construction sector increased significantly from US$7,222 million to US$15,000 million (13 billion to 27 bil-lion Colombian pesos at a representative exchange rate of COP$1,800 = US$1), and its contribution to the GDP increased from 4.5% in 2001 to 6.1% in 2011 (CAMACOL & SENA, 2012). Further-more, Colombia expects significant growth in the construction sector due to specific government policies in this area. Although the goal for the years 2006–2010 was to build 560,300 homes, this goal has increased by 80% for the period of 2010–2014, with a target of one million new homes built (National Development Plan, 2010–2014). The construction sector in Colombia is char-acterized as “labor-intensive.” In March 2011, the number of people working in the construction sector in Colombia was 6.2% (1.26 million) of the total employed persons in Colombia (20.1 million) (CAMACOL & SENA, 2012).

The GDP of Bogotá, Colombia’s cap-ital, represents 24.5% of the total GDP of Colombia, exceeding that of any other region or city (DANE, 2011), making it the most important city in the country for the construction sector. The building construction sector in Bogotá faces dif-ficulties regarding human resources, which are scarce, highly informal, and lacking technically skilled labor. The most qualified and professional human resources, despite having technical skills, often lack management skills. In addition, regarding business practices in the market, there is little formaliza-tion of organizations, segmentation, and lack of specialization. Study of the construction sector demonstrates a lack of long-term planning and poor use of technological resources in the produc-tion process (CAMACOL & Private Competitiveness Council, 2009; CAMACOL & SENA, 2012). The sector is characterized by a large number of organizations and strong supply-and-demand fluctuations, which creates

strong competition among those organi-zations. The sector is framed by the influence of aggressive competition and recessionary periods, where employers recognize that business is cyclical and volatile, causing instability in their workers (Botero, 2009). There are busi-ness groups with such overwhelming market power that they could be charac-terized as monopolies or oligopolies (CAMACOL & SENA, 2012). To stay on top or compete with large organiza-tions, today’s construction organiza-tions need to run their projects within scope, time, and cost in the midst of crises and uncertainty to achieve their strategic objectives and vision. To accomplish these goals, the project manager must make fast and accurate decisions based not only on his or her technical skills but also personal (human) skills and other characteristics developed over the years. Project man-agement is a key determinant for project success, which is why project managers are urgently needed today. Successful project managers require a certain set of skills, academic background, and expe-rience to allow better and faster deci-sion making within the changing and challenging Colombian environment.

The project manager is a demanding and complex specialized position and role, which requires juggling several issues concurrently (Pant & Baroudi, 2007). To manage several issues at the same time, a set of characteristics (pro-file) is required to facilitate the achieve-ment of the objectives and goals. In the past few years, many authors have focused more attention on the set of characteris-tics and skills that make up a successful project manager than on degree-specific or technical knowledge. This group of attributes configures the desired profile (educational background, training, skills, and experience) (ISO 9001: 2008) to achieve project management success.

There is a growing demand for mod-ern project management practices as a consequence of projectization tenden-cies within organizations. In addition, project management is starting to be

recognized as a new form of general management (Pant & Baroudi, 2007).

Nevertheless, the “accidental” project manager is a common practice in the con-struction sector (Pinto & Kharbanda, 1995).

This study describes and evaluates the most important characteristics (edu-cational background, training, skills, and experience) that make up the profile of a successful project manager in the construction sector in Bogotá, Colombia.

Literature Review

Project Management Skills and Characteristics in the LiteratureResearch related to the project manager profile that best facilitates project suc-cess has gained attention over the last few years. In the past, attention was mainly focused on technical skills, but authorized experts and authors have recently placed more importance on specific human characteristics, or “soft” skills, compared with specific educa-tional degrees, technical knowledge, or expertise. In the world of management today, the focus is primarily on human rather than technical or technological aspects (Tohidi & Jabbari, 2012).

Successful project management in an organization requires a specific set of technical and human skills, which includes interpersonal abilities, techni-cal competencies and cognitive apti-tudes (Pant & Baroudi, 2007). These skills can be categorized in different ways. Many authors present different classifications and prioritizations of this skill set and include many other impor-tant characteristics. One important classification is comprised of three com-ponents: human, conceptual and orga-nizational, and technical skills.

Human skill is the project manager’s ability to work effectively as a group member and build a cooperative effort within the team he or she leads (El-Sabaa, 2001). This is the skill used to work efficiently with stakeholders, mainly with superiors, equals, and sub-ordinates. There are many skills in this group, such as sensitivity, communica-tion, teamwork, understanding others,


handling expectations, and motivating people.

Conceptual and organizational skill is the project manager’s ability to envi-sion the project as a whole (El-Sabaa, 2001). Conceptual skill is related to understanding relationships, formulat-ing ideas, and solving problems, where-as organizational skill includes setting priorities, planning, and managing time during the project. A disorganized per-son may become confused as a result of juggling many projects or activities at the same time. A project manager must be able to plan the steps of the project, create focused and flexible plans, and make adjustments when necessary as the project progresses.

Lastly, technical skill involves pro-cesses, procedures, methods, tech-niques, tools or specific knowledge, and the ability to use them properly and in the appropriate situation or environ-ment. A successful project manager should have the required experience or knowledge of the area in which the project is developed.

Different studies have described or classified the characteristics required of a successful project manager in both the international and Colombian con-texts. In the following subsections, the most pertinent and important aspects of representative studies are summarized.

International ContextAhadzie (2007) confirms the industry’s growing awareness of the relationship between construction project success and project manager competencies. Frank (2002) states that the project manager has direct influence over 34% to 47% of project success. Mantel et al. (2004) categorizes the skills needed by a project manager into six areas: communication, organizational, team-building, leadership, coping, and tech-nological skills.

Katz (1991) suggests that effective administration rests on three basic skills, which are interrelated and can be devel-oped independently: human, conceptual,

and technical. According to Katz, an effective project manager must (1) recog-nize the feelings and sentiments that he or she brings into a situation; (2) approach his or her own experiences in such a way as to enable him or her to re-evaluate and learn from them; (3) develop the ability to understand what others are trying to communicate to him or her by their actions and words; and (4) develop the ability to successfully communicating his or her ideas and attitudes to others. Katz also states that for a project manager aim-ing to move up in the organizational hier-archy, human and conceptual skills are more important than technical skills.

El-Sabaa (2001) proposes that proj-ect managers’ human skills are more influential and important for their work than technical skills. In his study, the author shows that human skills repre-sent the most essential project manager skill, with a percentile score of 85.3%. The skills included in this category focus the ability to plan, having a strong organization and goal orientation, the ability to see the project as a whole, the ability to visualize the relationship between the individual project, and the industry and the community and a strong problem-solving orientation.

Madter et al. (2012) provide an additional route for competency identi-fication and individualized career development for the UK construction industry by developing a meta-list com-petency model. Fryer (1985) cites social skills, decision-making skills, problem-solving skills, the ability to recognize opportunities, and adaptation to chang-es as key personal attributes that affect project success. Hwang and Ng (2013) identify critical knowledge areas and skills that are necessary to respond to challenges in the green construction industry.

Other studies, such as those by Allen et al. (1980), Allred et al. (1996), Drucker (1986), Ford and McLaughin (1992), Luthans (1988), and Patterson (1991) show the personality traits of ideal managers to define which skills are keys to being an effective manager.

Colombian ContextIn the “Characterization of the Construc-tion Industry” study, the Colombian Chamber of Infrastructure (CAMACOL, 2012) characterizes the construction sector in Colombia and specifies the profile and other characteristics of the project managers in the country’s major cities (Bogotá, Medellin, Cali, Barranquilla, and Bucaramanga). The study identifies the following project manager characteristics:• More than one half (61%) have received

some training in industrial construction.• Most of the workforce is male (93%).• The age distribution of the workers is

as follows: 26 to 30 years of age, 20%; 18 to 25, 29%; 31 to 35, 36 to 40, and 41 to 45 years, 13% each; 51 to 55, 5%; 56 to 60, 3%; and over 60, 2%.

• Regarding housing, more than one half of employees (55%) live in leased hous-es, 39% own property, and 7% live in usufruct (Usufruct is a right of enjoy-ment, enabling a holder to derive profit or benefit from property that either is titled to another person or which is held in common ownership, as long as the property is not damaged or destroyed).

• Of all workers surveyed, only 3% are project managers, whereas 70% are helpers.

• Regarding the monthly income range for the managers surveyed (3% of the workers), 0.7% earn between COP$3 and 4 million, 0.3% earn between COP$4 and 5 million, and the remain-ing 2% earn more than COP$5 million (COP$1 million is approximately US$555 at a representative exchange rate of COP$1,800 = US$1).

• The main requirements for advance-ment to a higher position (career path) are training (42%), experience (29%), learning (11%), meeting goals (10%), contracts (4%), productivity (3%), and other (2%).

• The project managers’ experience in years is distributed as follows: 6 to 10 years, 10%; 11 to 15, 10%; 16 to 20, 7%; 21 to 25 years, 40%; 26 to 30, 19%; and over 30 years, 14%.


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• The highest education levels attained by managers are college education (50%) and graduate education (50%).

The study included a total of 599 responses, 281 of which were obtained in Bogotá (47%). Among all respondents, only 18 were project managers (3%). Unfortunately, the number of project managers surveyed is insufficient to draw valid conclusions and findings. This large, pertinent information gap must be filled to obtain an accurate project man-ager profile characterization for the con-struction sector in the city of Bogotá.

PricewaterhouseCoopers is one of the most important professional servic-es firms in the world. The company provides assurance, tax, and advisory services focused on industry. On 12 October 2011, the first National Survey of Project Management Maturity was performed. The aim of the survey was to measure the level of project manage-ment maturity for different industries in Colombia and it included the participa-tion of 79 Colombian organizations, from which 88 completed surveys were received electronically. The survey con-sisted of 31 questions about generally known elements related to project man-agement practice, which were designed to provide an initial impression of the maturity level of this practice in Colombia (PWC, 2011). The surveyed professionals belong to the following industry groups: technology, informa-tion, communication and entertain-ment (TICE); customer and industrial products and services (CIPS); financial services (FS); government services (GS), and services. The results show that 55% of the organizations utilize a group of project managers, with a tendency to recruit candidates with a Project Management Professional (PMP)® cre-dential, which was less noticeable a few years ago. In fact, 59.1% of the organiza-tions have between 1 and 10 PMP® cre-dential holders (PWC, 2011).

CAMACOL and SENA (2006) illus-trate the organizational structure of construction organizations in Colombia

(Figure 1). A project manager is assigned to the first level, which corresponds to the managerial/professional level, and the remaining workers are assigned to the technical and empirical levels; however, project managers with exten-sive experience but relatively low levels of education can be found.

The Project Management Institute (PMI) and the PMBOK® GuideProject Management Institute (PMI) is one of the world’s largest not-for-profit mem-bership associations for the project man-agement profession, with more than 700,000 members and certification and credential holders in more than 185 coun-tries (PMI, 2012). A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) – Fourth Edition (PMI, 2008) is the PMI global standard for project manage-ment. The standard represents the gener-ally recognized good practices in the profession. The PMBOK® Guide includes an appendix on interpersonal skills con-taining a list of key skills that project man-agers use when managing projects. Other sections in the PMBOK® Guide show some characteristics of the profile but do not define a desired profile for a successful project manager. Table 1 shows the skills and characteristics and the sections of the book in which they can be found.

Some authors, including Pant and Baroudi (2007) and Bourne and Walker

(2004), claim that the PMBOK® Guide is more concerned with hard skills than soft skills and that the two Knowledge Areas related to human aspects—Project Human Resource Management and Project Communications Management—are typically seen as secondary com-pared with the more technically based areas. According to Zwikael and Bar-Yoseph (2004), these other areas are more about processes, tools, and tech-niques than human relations and thought.

Project Manager Competency Development (PMCD) Framework—Second EditionThe PMCD Framework—Second Edition (2007) provides a general context for the definition, assessment, and develop-ment of project manager competency. The framework outlines the key dimen-sions of project management compe-tency and identifies those competencies that are most likely to impact project manager performance. Project manager competency consists of three separate dimensions: knowledge, performance, and personal. The knowledge dimen-sion is what the project manager knows about the application of processes, tools, and techniques for project activi-ties. The performance dimension is how the project manager applies project

Figure 1: The organizational and management structure of Colombian construction projects.

Level 1Managerial/Professional

Level 2Technical

Level 3Empirical

OwnersAdministration

Contractors

Project ManagerSite Supervisor

Supervisors Operators

Officials

WorkersHelpers

Foremen

Subcontractors


management knowledge to meet the project requirements. Lastly, the per-sonal dimension is how the project manager behaves when performing activities within the project environ-ment, including his or her attitudes and his or her core personality characteris-tics (PMI, PM-CDF, 2007). The standard provides a definition and identification of the key competences for project managers that are “most likely” important for project manager performance and directly affect project success. The skills and characteristics are communication, leadership, management, cognitive abili-ties, effectiveness and professionalism, all of which can be found in section 3, pages 23–38, of the standard.

PMI’s Code of Ethics and Professional ConductPMI’s Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct describes, establishes, and limits or prohibits project managers’

conduct and behavior. The development of this standard began in 1981 by the eth-ics committees of PMI and was adopted by the PMI Board of Directors in 1998 (PMI, 2006).

All six pages of this document describe responsibility, respect, fair-ness, and honesty as important values for a project manager.

The International Project Management Association (IPMA) ICB®The International Project Management Association (IPMA) is a world-leading not-for-profit project management association and is the thought leader in project, program, and portfolio perfor-mance competence. As a federation, IPMA serves local needs while collabo-rating, certifying, and recognizing excellence globally, representing over 120,000 members in 55 member asso-ciations across the continents of the world (IPMA, 2012). Founded in 1965,

IPMA is the world’s first project man-agement association. This association focuses mainly on the development and promotion of the project management profession. It provides standards and guidelines for project management practitioners through the IPMA Competence Baseline (ICB®), version 3.0 (2006). The ICB® presents the con-cept of the eye of competence, which describes the combination of three competence elements (technical, behavioral, and contextual), which must be incorporated in the project managers’ assessment of a specific situ-ation and represents clarity and vision. The standard contains the basic terms, tasks, skills, functions, management processes, methods, techniques, and tools used in good project management theory and practices (ICB® 3.0—2006, section 1.2). Table 2 presents the skills and characteristics and the guide sec-tion in which they can be found.

Section of PMBOK® Guide Pages Project Manager Skills and Characteristics

1.6 Role of a Project Manager 13Knowledge, performance and personal (encompasses behavior, attitude,

personality, and leadership)

2.3 Stakeholders 23–26Flexibility, good judgment, strong leadership and negotiating skills, and a solid

knowledge of project management practices

9. Project Human Resource Management 215–216 Influence on the project team and professional and ethical behavior

9.3.2 Develop Project Team: Tools and Techniques.

1. Interpersonal Skills232 Empathy, influence, creativity, and group facilitation


1. Interpersonal Skills232 Training (formal or informal): technical skills


3. Team-Building Activities232

Communication, leadership, problem solving, team building, and conflict

management

9.4 Manage Project Team 236 Communication, conflict management, negotiation, and leadership

9.4.2 Manage Project Team: Tools and Techniques.

5. Interpersonal Skills238–241

Technical, human and conceptual skills, leadership, influence and effective

decision making

10. Project Communications Management 243 Communication skills

10.4.2 Manage Stakeholders Expectations: Tools and

Techniques264

Interpersonal skills: Building trust, resolving conflict, active listening, and

overcoming resistance to change

Management skills: Presentation skills, negotiating, writing skills, and public

speaking

Appendix G Interpersonal Skills 417–421Interpersonal skills: Leadership, team building, motivation, communication,

influence, decision making, political and cultural awareness, and negotiation

Table 1: Skills and characteristics in the PMBOK® Guide.


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Very important competences, such as problem resolution and communica-tion, appear in this standard as techni-cal competences but in other standards as soft skills. Additionally, many other important skills and characteristics are presented in each section as “topics addressed,” including many other inter-personal skills. Given the orientation of the standard, it can be said that all com-petencies that appear (technical, behav-ioral, and contextual) are important project manager competencies.

The Australian Institute of Project Management (AIPM)The Australian Institute of Project Management (AIPM) is the peak body for project management in Australia. Since

1976, AIPM has been instrumental in pro-gressing the project management profes-sion in Australia, with approximately 10,000 members. In 2009, AIPM became an IPMA Member Association (AIPM, 2012). The AIPM has been developing the Professional Competency Standards for Project Management, which is divided into four sections: Introduction (Part A); Certified Practising Project Practitioner (work performed under the direction of a project manager, project director or exec-utive project director) (Part B); (AIPM Standards, Part B—2008); Certified Practising Project Manager (Part C); and Certified Practising Project Director (i.e., Program Manager) (Part D). The Certified Practising Project Manager (CPPM) sec-tion contains nine units, each of which

includes a section called “Underpinning Knowledge and Skills.” Table 3 presents the skills and characteristics and the guide section in which can be found. As noted in Table 3, of the 32 pages of Part C of the CPPM®, 9 pages refer to skills required of the project manager.

Project Manager Skills and Characteristics SummaryThe result of the literature review is a list of the most important characteristics found in the literature, as presented in Table 4.

Conceptual and Methodological FrameworkThe analysis includes a literature review of the relevant papers, standards, and books on project management to extract

Section of ICB® Pages Project Manager Competence Elements

4.2 Behavioral Competence

Elements

83–124 Leadership, engagement and motivation, self-control (or self-management), assertiveness (and

persuasiveness), relaxation, openness, creativity, results orientation, efficiency, consultation,

conflict and crisis (and transparency and integrity), reliability, values appreciation, and ethics

Other Important Competences (That Appear as Technical)

1.08 Problem Resolution 54–55 Problem resolution

1.18 Communication 76–77 Communication

Table 2: Skills and characteristics in the ICB®.

Section of Part C (CPPM) Pages Project Manager Skills and Characteristics

Unit 1 - Plan, Manage and Review Scope 5 Business literacy, planning and organizing, problem solving, analytical, and negotiation

Unit 2 - Plan, Manage and Review Time 8Literacy, development and interpretation, self-management, organizational, communica-

tion, technological, and analytical

Unit 3 - Plan, Manage and Review Cost 11 Numeracy, budgeting, analytical, technological, and literacy

Unit 4 - Plan, Manage and Review Quality Literacy, communication, and analytical

Unit 5 - Plan, Manage and Review Project

Human Resources17 Planning, communication, leadership, interpersonal, coaching, mentoring, and analytical

Unit 6 - Plan, Manage and Review

Communication21 Literacy, technology, organizational, and analytical

Unit 7 - Plan, Manage and Review Project Risk 24Literacy, communication, problem-solving, lateral thinking, planning, organizational, and

analytical

Unit 8 - Plan, Manage and Review Procurement 27Problem-solving, negotiation, planning, organizational, literacy, numeracy, and

technological

Unit 9 - Plan, Manage and Review Integration 31Literacy, analytical, teamwork, communication, time management, planning, and

organizing

Table 3: Skills and characteristics of CPPM®—Part C.

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ndin

g

draw

ings

Tech

nica

l

wri

ting

Del

egat

ion

Team

wor

king

Dra

ftin

g

cont

ract

s

Cha

irin

g

mee

ting

s

Publ

ic

rela

tion

s

Dec

isio

n m

akin

g

Prob

lem

sol

ving

Del

egat

ion

Pres

enta

tion

Rep

ort

wri

ting

Publ

ic s

peak

ing

Publ

ic r

elat

ions

Tech

nica

l sk

ills

Sit

e la

yout

and

mob

ili-

zati

on

Esti

mat

ing

and

tend

erin

g

Des

ign

acti

viti

es a

nd

back

grou

nd

Rea

ding

and

und

er-

stan

ding

dra

win

gs

Tech

nica

l w

riti

ng

Lead

ersh

ip

Dec

isio

n m

akin

g

Prob

lem

sol

ving

Neg

otia

tion

Hum

an b

ehav

ior

Del

egat

ion

Team

wor

k

Str

ess

hand

ling

IT s

kills

Dra

ftin

g co

ntra

cts

Pres

enta

tion

Rep

ort

wri

ting

Publ

ic s

peak

ing

Mar

keti

ng a

nd s

ales

Cha

irin

g m

eeti

ngs

Publ

ic r

elat

ions

Com

mun

icat

ion,

org

aniz

atio

n-

al e

ffec

tive

ness

, le

ader

ship

,

prob

lem

sol

ving

and

dec

isio

n

mak

ing,

tea

m b

uild

ing,

fle

xi-

bilit

y, c

reat

ivit

y, a

nd t

rust

wor

thin

ess

Mob

iliza

tion

Com

mun

icat

ion

Cop

ying

wit

h si

t-

uati

ons

Del

egat

ing

auth

orit

y

Polit

ical

sen

siti

vity

Hig

h se

lf-e

stee

m

Enth

usia

sm

Plan

ning

Org

aniz

ing

Str

ong

goal

ori

en-

tati

on

Abi

lity

to s

ee t

he

proj

ect

as a

who

le

Abi

lity

to v

isua

l-

ize

the

rela

tion

-

ship

bet

wee

n th

e

proj

ect

and

the

indu

stry

and

com

-

mun

ity

Str

ong

prob

lem

orie

ntat

ion

Spe

cial

kno

wl-

edge

reg

ardi

ng

the

use

of t

ools

and

tech

niqu

es

Proj

ect

kno

wl-

edge

Und

erst

andi

ng

met

hods

, pr

o-

cess

es,

and

pro-

cedu

res

Tech

nolo

gy

requ

ired

Com

pute

r sk

ills

Proj

ect

man

ager

Com

pete

ncy

whe

el:

char

acte

r,

back

grou

nd,

and

trai

ts:

hone

sty,

educ

atio

n, e

xper

ienc

e, a

mbi

-

tion

, de

sire

to

lead

, in

telli

-

genc

e, a

nd e

mot

iona

l st

abili

ty

Prof

essi

onal

ism

: go

al a

chie

ve-

men

t sk

ills,

spe

ed,

effi

cien

cy,

effe

ctiv

enes

s, l

eade

rshi

p,

visi

on,

anal

ytic

al,

peop

le s

kills

,

and

envi

ronm

enta

l aw

aren

ess

Proj

ect

skill

s: p

roce

ss,

met

hod-

olog

ies,

doc

umen

tati

on a

nd i

ni-

tiat

ion

and

sele

ctio

n, e

xecu

tion

and

cont

rol,

and

term

inat

ion

Proj

ect

man

ager

cor

e co

mpe

-

tenc

ies:

hon

esty

, go

al f

ocus

,

prof

essi

onal

ism

, an

d an

alyt

ical

P

AP

ER

S

Au

tho

r

Od

usa

mi

(200

2)Lo

o (

2003

)B

ou

rne

an

d

Wa

lke

r (2

004)

Ma

nte

l e

t a

l.

(200

4)A

ha

dzi

e (

2007

)P

an

t a

nd

Ba

rou

di

(200

7)To

hid

i a

nd

J

ab

ba

ri (

2012

)M

ad

ter

et

al.

(20

12)

Hw

an

g a

nd

Ng

(2

013)

Ess

en

tia

l a

nd

De

sire

d C

ha

rac

teri

stic

s o

r S

kil

ls o

f P

roje

ct

Ma

na

ge

rs

Tech

nica

l sk

ills

Lead

ersh

ip

Dec

isio

n m

akin

g

Prob

lem

sol

ving

Neg

otia

tion

Del

egat

ion

Team

wor

k

Str

ess

man

agem

ent

Tech

nica

l (p

lann

ing,

cont

rolli

ng,

and

pro-

cedu

res)

and

peo

ple

com

pete

ncie

s (le

ad-

ersh

ip,

com

mun

ica-

tion

, an

d co

nflic

t

man

agem

ent)

.

Hig

h-ca

liber

pro

ject

team

s, s

take

hold

er

part

icip

atio

n, e

ffec

-

tive

tea

m a

nd e

xter

-

nal

com

mun

icat

ion,

cust

omer

sat

isfa

c-

tion

, co

nflic

t m

an-

agem

ent,

and

sta

ff

man

agem

ent,

and

mot

ivat

ion

Tech

nica

l sk

ills:

pre

-

plan

ning

and

con

tin-

genc

y pl

anni

ng,

orga

-

nizi

ng,

cont

rolli

ng,

cont

ract

man

age-

men

t, s

cope

man

age-

men

t, r

esou

rce

man

-

agem

ent

and

cost

cont

rol,

perf

orm

ance

and

qual

ity

man

age-

men

t, a

nd p

roje

ct

docu

men

tati

on

Suc

cess

cri

teri

a

(pro

ject

man

age-

men

t sk

ills

and

know

ledg

e):

PMB

OK

® G

uide

tool

s an

d te

ch-

niqu

es.

A c

ombi

nati

on o

f

craf

t (t

ools

and

tech

niqu

es)

and

art

(exp

erie

nces

,

know

ledg

e, a

nd

lead

ersh

ip s

kills

)

Art

of

nego

tia-

tion

, pr

oble

m

solv

ing,

com

-

bine

d w

ith

proj

-

ect

man

ager

adap

tabi

lity

Com

mun

icat

ion

Org

aniz

atio

n

Team

bui

ldin

g

Lead

ersh

ip

Cop

ing

Tech

nolo

gica

l

skill

s

Job

know

ledg

e in

sit

e

layo

ut t

echn

ique

s fo

r

repe

titi

ve c

onst

ruct

ion

wor

ks;

dedi

cati

on i

n

help

ing

wor

ks c

on-

trac

tors

to

achi

eve

wor

ks p

rogr

am;

job

know

ledg

e of

app

ro-

pria

te t

echn

olog

y

tran

sfer

for

rep

etit

ive

cons

truc

tion

wor

ks

effe

ctiv

e ti

me

man

-

agem

ent

prac

tice

s on

the

hous

e-un

its;

abi

li-

ty t

o pr

ovid

e ef

fect

ive

solu

tion

to

conf

lict

whi

le m

aint

aini

ng

good

rel

atio

nshi

ps;

ease

wit

h w

hich

the

proj

ect

man

ager

is

appr

oach

able

by

wor

ks c

ontr

acto

rs;

and

volu

ntee

ring

to

help

wor

ks c

ontr

ac-

tors

sol

ve p

erso

nal

prob

lem

s

Com

mun

icat

ion

betw

een

team

mem

-

bers

and

the

ent

ire

netw

ork

(sta

ke h

old-

ers)

Inte

rper

sona

l ab

ility

Tech

nica

l co

mpe

ten-

cies

Cog

niti

ve a

ptit

ude

Und

erst

and

the

situ

-

atio

n an

d pe

ople

Lead

ersh

ip

Org

aniz

atio

nal,

team

,

build

ing,

cop

ing,

and

tech

nolo

gica

l sk

ills

Hig

h-ca

liber

pro

ject

team

s, s

take

hold

er

part

icip

atio

n, e

ffec

-

tive

tea

m,

cust

omer

sati

sfac

tion

, co

nflic

t

man

agem

ent

and

staf

f m

anag

emen

t,

and

mot

ivat

ion

Org

aniz

atio

nal

effe

c-

tive

ness

, pr

oble

m

solv

ing

and

deci

sion

mak

ing,

fle

xibi

lity

crea

tivi

ty,

and

trus

t

wor

thin

ess

Proj

ect

team

mot

ivat

ion:

just

ice–

base

d

envi

ronm

ent,

lead

ersh

ip m

eth-

od,

wor

k en

vi-

ronm

ent

cond

i-

tion

s, w

ork

obje

ctiv

ely,

and

empl

oyee

s’

deve

lopm

ent

Info

rmat

ion

seek

ing

Proj

ect

life

cycl

es/

holis

tic

view

Rel

atio

nshi

p m

anag

e-

men

t

Infl

uenc

e

Lead

ersh

ip

Team

wor

k

Dev

elop

ing

othe

rs c

apa-

bilit

ies

Ass

erti

vene

ss

Com

mun

icat

ion

Neg

otia

tion

Inte

rper

sona

l

unde

rsta

ndin

g

Con

flic

t m

anag

emen

t

impl

emen

tati

on o

f

chan

ge

Init

iati

ve/d

ecis

iven

ess

Cus

tom

er s

ervi

ce o

rien

-

tati

on

Org

aniz

atio

nal

com

mit

-

men

t

Proj

ect

owne

rshi

p

See

ks o

ppor

tuni

ties

to

impr

ove

Valu

e m

anag

emen

t

Cri

tica

l m

anag

e-

men

t sk

ills:

del

-

egat

ion,

lea

der-

ship

, de

cisi

on

mak

ing,

pro

blem

solv

ing,

tea

m

wor

king

, an

alyt

i-

cal,

pres

enta

-

tion

, hu

man

beha

vior

, ne

goti

-

atio

n an

d ch

air-

ing

mee

ting

s

Tab

le 4

: Ess

entia

l and

des

ired

proj

ect

man

ager

ski

lls a

nd c

hara

cter

istic

s.


the most relevant project manager skills and characteristics (summarized in the previous section). The conceptual framework of this research was devel-oped in two stages.

In the first stage, a qualitative anal-ysis is performed. To this end, 11 experts from the construction sector in Bogotá (Colombia) and three from the academic sector were interviewed about key issues regarding project man-ager characteristics and their percep-tions of the skills and characteristics necessary for successful project man-agement. A group of four experts met to identify and compile a list of the most significant and highly recognized items in the literature.

The qualitative analysis in this phase was achieved using semi-structured in-depth interviews, which were conduct-ed in Bogotá in July and August 2012. An open questionnaire containing 21 ques-tions was developed. The questions inquired about the experts’ opinions on the following points of interest:• Organizational structures• Criteria for project manager selection• Issues regarding project manager edu-

cation• Certifications and international project

experience• Personal skills• Successful determinants• Project management difficulties• The relevance of project manager rec-

ognitions and awards• Importance of competence in project

management

Two groups of experts were selected. The first group was consulted to estab-lish the research baseline and is linked to organizations involved in civil con-struction (housing, infrastructure, and roads). These professionals have specif-ic knowledge of the construction sector and are familiar with how these organi-zations operate. A second group of experts was consulted based on their extensive experience in project manage-ment, either as consultants or trainers. A total of 14 experts were interviewed.

In the second stage, a quantitative analysis was performed. A question-naire was developed and sent to a group of graduate students in the field of proj-ect management using Survey Monkey software to judge the nature of the questionnaire. The final adjusted ques-tionnaire was then emailed to selected project managers in the sector.

For both the qualitative and quanti-tative stages, studies from Price-waterhouseCoopers (PWC, 2011) and CAMACOL (2012) helped to comple-ment and define the questions for the interview and survey. Some questions were reviewed, analyzed, and modified for integration into the final interview and survey questions list. Data from PWC’s study were not used as part of this research because they correspond to other sectors.

To select organizations for the quantitative analysis, the list of codes used in the International Standard Industrial Classification (ISIC) Revision 3.1 (adapted for Colombia by the National Administrative Department of Statistics (DANE) and made official by the Colombian National Government by resolution 300 of 13 May 2005) is taken into account, as are the chosen subsets of interest for this purpose.

Table 5 shows section F of the ISIC clas-sification for the construction sector in Colombia. In 2011, as reported by the Superintendence of Organizations of Colombia, the sector was composed of a total of 27,198 organizations. Figure 2 shows the percentage of firms by ISIC code.

As shown in Figure 2, the subsectors with the highest participation, and therefore the most relevant, are the sub-sectors of the construction of residen-tial buildings, other upgrading work, the construction of non-residential buildings and other completion and finishing work, representing a total of 89% of all participating organizations. There are other construction organiza-tions in section K (involved in such activities as the rental of machinery and equipment, research, and develop-ment) that also perform construction activities in the city. For this study, and based on the advice of the Bogotá Chamber of Commerce (BCC), the spe-cific subsectors shown in Table 6 were chosen for analysis.

A specialized database was consult-ed from BCC. The number of organiza-tions reported for the city of Bogotá is shown in Table 7 (BCC, September 2012). In Colombia, companies are

Division 45 Construction Activity

4511 Demolition and site preparation for the construction of buildings

4512 Demolition and site preparation for civil works

4521 Construction of residential buildings

4522 Construction of non-residential buildings

4530 Construction of civil engineering works

4541 Hydraulic systems and related work

4542 Electrical work

4543 Equipment installation work

4549 Other upgrading work

4551 Installation of glass and windows

4552 Painting and finishing of walls and floors

4559 Other work completion and finishing

4560 Rental of construction and demolition equipment with operator

Table 5: ISIC construction sector, section F.


PA

PE

RS


classified by size (micro, small, medi-um, and large) based on the total assets of the company in COP divided by the minimum legal monthly wage (in Spanish: Salario Mínimo Mensual Legal Vigente, or SMMLV). This classification is governed by Law 590 of 2000, known as the “MyPyme” Act, and as amended (Act 905 of 2004). The 2012 classification of organizations is shown in Table 8. Because the micro organizations are too small to justify the assignment of a proj-ect manager, they were excluded from the analysis.

The contact information for the project managers of every organization identified in the database of the BCC was obtained with the help of the Call Center of the Colombian School of Engineering Julio Garavito (in Spanish: Escuela Colombiana de Ingeniería Julio Garavito), and the results are shown in Table 9. As shown, 1699 organizations have contact information available for project managers (or persons with anal-ogous roles but different titles).

A survey with 33 specific questions about the real characteristics and opin-ions of project managers was developed. The questionnaire was sent by email using Survey Monkey to 44 graduate students in project management and civil engineering to ensure that all of the questions were adequate and to resolve any difficulties arising when the respon-dents answered the questionnaire. After this test, the final revised questionnaire was emailed to the 1,699 email addresses

Figure 2: Participation of organizations in the construction sector according to the ISIC.

5%3%

3%

5%

9%

18%

57%

Construction of residentialbuildings

Other upgrading work

Construction of non-residentialbuildingsOther work completion andfinishingDemolition and site preparationfor buildings construction

Electrical work

Others

SizeTotal Assets/Minimum Legal Monthly Wagea

Micro Up to 500

Small 501 to 5,000

Medium 5,001 to 30,000

Large Above 30,001

a2012 minimum legal monthly wage = COP-$566,700 (approximately US$314.83 per month and 3,778 per year at a representative market rate of US$1 = COP$1,800).

Table 8: 2012 Colombian organization classification.

Division 45 Construction ActivityNumber of

Organizations Percentage

F452100 Construction of residential buildings 1470 45.36

F452200 Construction of non-residential buildings 159 4.91

F453000 Construction of civil engineering works 1529 47.18

F453001

Construction, alteration, and complete

repair of roads and streets35

1.08

F453005

Construction, maintenance, and com-

plete repair of bridges, canals and docks1

0.03

F453011 Maintenance of roads and meadows 2 0.06

K742105 Civil engineering activities 45 1.39

Small 501 to 5,000 2130 65.72

Medium 5,001 to 30,000 850 26.23

Large Above 30,000 261 8.05

TOTAL 3,241

Table 7: Number of organizations in Bogotá in the selected subsectors for quantitative analysis (BBC).

Division 45 Construction Activity

F452100 Construction of residential buildings

F452200 Construction of non-residential buildings

F453000 Construction of civil engineering works

F453001 Construction, alteration, and complete repair of roads and streets

F453005 Construction, maintenance, and complete repair of bridges, canals, and docks

F453011 Maintenance of roads and meadows

K742105 Civil engineering activities

Table 6: Selected subsectors for quantitative analysis (ISIC).


of project managers or workers in an analogous role. A total of 153 responses were received (9%). Table 10 summa-rizes the questions asked in the survey.

Lastly, the information gathered in the literature review was compared with the profiles found in the quantita-tive analysis (see section, “Actual Project Manager Profile Versus Expert Opinion”).

ResultsThe following sections present the results of the qualitative and quantita-tive stages of this study, the qualitative analysis results, the quantitative analy-sis results, and a comparative analysis of the actual and desired project man-ager profile for the construction sector in Bogotá.

First Stage: Qualitative AnalysisUsing the interview transcripts as a starting point, a panel of experts was formed. The panel was composed of three Project Management Professional (PMP)® credential holders, professors from the Projects Unit of the Colombian School of Engineering, and one expert in market research. Through the appli-cation of expert judgment, review, and discussion, the panel adopted a list of the most important characteristics and skills that comprise a project manager profile. The results of this discussion and analysis are listed in Table 11.

Second Stage: Quantitative AnalysisThe report includes only the most rele-vant results. Following are the key find-ings related to the project managers surveyed. Table 12 summarizes the project manager profile.

General Information From Organizations• 97.3% of project managers work in

private-sector organizations.• 64.4% develop construction projects

(planning and building) and road infrastructure.

• In 85% of large and 85.2% of medium organizations, respondents report that there is at least one person who is rec-ognized as a project manager, whereas in the small organizations, the percent-age decreases to 68.3%.

• Considering averages of 16 (small), 19 (medium), and 112 (large) employees, the average number of project manag-ers is 1.4 (small), 1.8 (medium), and 2.2 (large). The total average is 1.8 project managers per company.

• In small, medium, and large organiza-tions, the hierarchical level at which there is a project manager corresponds to a managerial level (1 and 2 in the organization).

• The average number of persons that a manager has under his or her com-mand is 11.7 (small), 12 (medium), and 17.2 (large).

• Classification of organizations by size (small, medium, and large) was per-formed according to the level of assets

reported to BCC. Using a classification based on number of employees, some small companies report employing more than 50 employees, whereas some large companies report employ-ing fewer than 10; thus, this parameter does not seem consistent for this sector.

Education• The undergraduate degree held by

most project managers is in civil engi-neering (71.2%), followed by architec-ture (16.2%). The remainder (12.6%) is comprised of other professions, as indicated in Figure 3.

• Of the project managers, 50.8% have completed a management specializa-tion course and 9.3% have completed a master’s degree in management; no project manager has a doctoral degree, as illustrated in Figure 4.

Training• Of the sample, 30.3% have completed

at least one specific training course in project management. Twenty-five per-cent of the project managers have a specialist’s degree, 14.5% have a mas-ter’s degree, and 27.6% do not have specific training or have not completed their studies.

• Only 2% of project managers have not received additional training in other areas (other than project manage-ment). The remaining 98% have com-pleted several courses in different areas. The subjects with the highest demand are budgeting (10.2%), finance (10.2%), scheduling (9.7%), and plan-ning (7.9%). The subjects with lower demand are environmental standards (5.1%), human resource management (5.1%), conflict resolution (4.1%), and stress management (2.3%).

• The representation of project manag-ers reporting over 90% fluency in English is as follows: 15.2% in small organizations, 26.7% in medium organizations, and 0% in large organi-zations.

• Other languages: 86.1% of project managers do not know any language other than Spanish or English. Other

Category No. Organizations Percentage

Repeated entry 7 0.2

No data provided 65 2.0

No contact, no answer 592 18.3

Not interested in responding 8 0.2

Incorrect contact info 678 20.9

The company is located in another city or country 10 0.3

Is not a company in the construction sector 182 5.6

Data confirmed 1,699 52.4

Total organizations 3,241

Table 9: Call center contact information results.


PA

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languages reported include French (8.3%), German (4.2%), and Italian (1.4%).

• The project managers from this sample ascribe moderately high importance to international certification in project management (6.6 on a scale from 1 to 10).

• The project management certifications and credentials cited by project managers

correspond with the following PMI cer-tifications and credentials: the Certi fied Associate in Project Management (CAPM)® certification (16.2%), the Project Management Professional (PMP)® credential (59%), the Program Management Professional (PgMP)® cre-dential (16.2%), the PMI Scheduling Professional (PMI-SP) credential (16%),

and the PMI Risk Management Professional (PMI-RMP)® credential (5.6%). The percentages of project man-agers who have undergone training to obtain those certifications and creden-tials are as follows: the CAPM® certifica-tion (4.1%), the PMP® credential (24.1%), the PgMP® credential (2.7%), and the PMI-RMP® credential (1.4%). The percentages

No. Question or Requirement

1 Company name

2 Type of company (public, private, mixed)

3 Type of work undertaken by the company

4 Number of employees in the company

5 Are there project managers in the company?

6 How many project managers are in the company?

7 Undergraduate studies

8 Level in the organizational hierarchy (with 1 being the highest level)

9 Number of people for whom you are responsible

10 Years of work in the company

11 Years of experience in project management in your current company

12 Years of project management experience in other organizations

13 How many years of professional experience (since finishing undergraduate studies) did you complete before managing your first project?

14 What types of performance-based recognitions or awards have you received (during or after the project)?

15 How important do you consider the use of international standards in project management to your current job performance?

16 Have you worked on international projects?

17 Have you managed international projects?

18 What was the maximum budget that you have managed as a project manager?

19 What are the three greatest difficulties and deficiencies that you have been faced with in the management of projects?

20 Please indicate the type of project management training program implemented, institution, and city.

21 Have you received supplementary training (other than an undergraduate education)?

22 How important do you consider certification in project management to your professional performance in your current position?

23 Please indicate whether you are aware of any certifications in project management.

24 Please indicate whether you have received training in any certifications in project management.

25 Have you obtained a certification in project management?

26 Please indicate the importance of these skills for a project manager.

27 From the following list of skills, choose only five and prioritize them from 1 to 5, where 1 is the most important.

28 What is your age?

29 Please indicate the graduate programs you pursued, along with location and institution.

30 Percentage (%) of English language proficiency

31 Do you speak any other languages?

32 According to your latest utility bill, to which social stratum did your current home belong?

33 What is your monthly income level?

Table 10: Survey questionnaire for the quantitative analysis.


decision making (6.4; small and large organizations), and analytical skills (small and medium organizations). In general, all skills were rated above 5 (out of 7). Lower scores are assigned to management systems, products,

Skills• The most frequently mentioned and

highly rated (within a range from 1 to 7) skills are ethics (6.4; all three seg-ments), leadership (6.3; especially prev-alent in medium and large organizations),

of project managers who have ob-tained an international certification and/or credentials are as follows: the CAPM certification (1.3%), the PMP credential (5.1%), and the PgMP cre-dential (1.4%).

Aspect Experts’ Opinion

Organizational structures Depending on the organization’s size, between three and six administrative levels are found in the

structure related to project management

Project manager selection criteria Outstanding project management experience in similar projects

Career paths of the organizations in which he or she has worked

Career path in the actual job

Successful project management and business knowledge

Additional knowledge and training that contribute to good performance (e.g., financial, legal,

environmental, and economic)

Salary offered

Educational background

Education and training Undergraduate: civil engineering being the most preferred degree

Graduate study in related technical or project management or construction management, although this

aspect may be substituted for years of experience

English proficiency is important but not indispensable

Additional studies in formal or business finance and administration

Development of soft skills (motivation and leadership)

Graduate study in project management but adapted to national problems

Technical skills Management of budgets and control during execution

Business knowledge (roads, pavements, materials)

Designs knowledge

Clarity in concepts and management of the technology required

Issues to improve Frame of reference for project management and best practices

Development of soft skills or interpersonal skills (communication and negotiation)

Legal and administrative aspects

Continuous, daily familiarization with the latest technological advances

Planning and programming

Management and leadership of teams

Finance and accounting

Certifications Are considered interesting or important, but not essential

Skills Leadership, motivation, ethics, creativity, conflict resolution and problem solving, personnel administration,

teamwork, negotiation, stress management, financial skills, communication skills (stakeholder manage-

ment), decision making, analytical skills, legal (health, safety, environment, hiring, managing public enti-

ties, paperwork), result orientation (objectives and project records), flexibility and change management,

management systems, products, technology and tools, and ability to delegate

Recognition and rewards Mainly economic (bonuses or wage increases)

Promotions

Free days or paid vacations (travel)

Table 11: Qualitative analysis results.

P

AP

ER

S

Org

an

iza

tio

n

Typ

e

Ed

uc

ati

on

(%

)Tr

ain

ing

in

Pro

jec

t M

an

ag

em

en

t (%

)E

xp

eri

en

ce

(ye

ars

)

Mo

st I

mp

ort

an

t S

kil

ls (

imp

ort

an

ce

)U

nd

erg

rad

ua

teG

rad

ua

te

Sm

all

Civ

il en

gine

er

Arc

hite

ct

Roa

ds a

nd

tran

spor

tati

on e

ngin

eer

Oth

er p

rofe

ssio

n

70.8

15.3 1.4

12.5

Tech

nica

l

spec

ializ

atio

n

Man

ager

ial

spec

ializ

atio

n

Tech

nica

l

mas

ter’s

Man

ager

ial

mas

ter’s

26.3

50 7.9

13.5

One

tra

inin

g

cour

se

Two

trai

ning

cour

ses

Dip

lom

a

Spe

cial

izat

ion

Mas

ter

Non

e

29.8

14.9

10.6

25.5

12.8

25.5

In t

he c

ompa

ny a

s a

proj

ect

man

ager

As

a pr

ojec

t m

anag

er i

n an

othe

r or

gani

zati

on

Tota

l ye

ars

of e

xper

ienc

e as

a p

roje

ct m

anag

er

Year

s fr

om g

radu

atio

n un

til

beco

min

g a

proj

ect

man

ager

7.6

4.9

12.5 5.9

Dec

isio

n m

akin

g

Ana

lyti

cal

skill

s

Ethi

cs

Lead

ersh

ip

Team

wor

k

Com

mun

icat

ions

6.4

6.4

6.4

6.2

6.1

6.1

Med

ium

Civ

il en

gine

er

Arc

hite

ct

Oth

er p

rofe

ssio

n

No

unde

rgra

duat

e

stud

ies

66.7

14.3

14.3 4.8

Tech

nica

l

spec

ializ

atio

n

Man

ager

ial

spec

ializ

atio

n

Tech

nica

l

mas

ter’s

Man

ager

ial

mas

ter’s

45.5

54.6

25 50

One

tra

inin

g

cour

se

Two

trai

ning

cour

ses

Dip

lom

a

Spe

cial

izat

ion

Mas

ter’s

Non

e

27.8 5.6

16.7

11.1

16.7

44.4

In t

he c

ompa

ny a

s a

proj

ect

man

ager

As

a pr

ojec

t in

ano

ther

org

aniz

atio

n

Tota

l ye

ars

of e

xper

ienc

e as

a p

roje

ct m

anag

er

Year

s fr

om g

radu

atio

n un

til

beco

min

g a

proj

ect

man

ager

4.7

5.3

10.0 6.8

Ethi

cs

Team

wor

k

Ana

lyti

cal

skill

s

Lead

ersh

ip

Dec

isio

n m

akin

g

Abi

lity

to d

eleg

ate

6.5

6.3

6.3

6.2

6.1

6.1

Larg

eC

ivil

engi

neer

Arc

hite

ct

77.8

22.2

Tech

nica

l

spec

ializ

atio

n

Man

ager

ial

spec

ializ

atio

n

Man

ager

ial

mas

ter’s

12.5

50 22.2

One

tra

inin

g

cour

se

Two

trai

ning

cour

ses

Dip

lom

a

Spe

cial

izat

ion

Mas

ter’s

Non

e

36.4

27.3

18.2

45.5

18.2 9.1

In t

he c

ompa

ny a

s a

proj

ect

man

ager

As

a pr

ojec

t m

anag

er i

n an

othe

r or

gani

zati

on

Tota

l ye

ars

of e

xper

ienc

e as

a p

roje

ct m

anag

er

Year

s fr

om g

radu

atio

n to

bec

omin

g a

proj

ect

man

ager

4.9

5.3

10.2 9.6

Lead

ersh

ip

Dec

isio

n m

akin

g

Ethi

cs

Team

wor

k

Neg

otia

tion

Abi

lity

to d

eleg

ate

6.9

6.8

6.7

6.6

6.6

6.6

Tota

l

(ave

rage

)

Civ

il en

gine

er

Arc

hite

ct

Roa

ds a

nd

tran

spor

tati

on e

ngin

eer

Oth

er p

rofe

ssio

n

No

unde

rgra

duat

e

stud

ies

71.2

16.2

0.9

10.8

0.9

Tech

nica

l

spec

ializ

atio

n

Man

ager

ial

spec

ializ

atio

n

Tech

nica

l

mas

ter’s

Man

ager

ial

mas

ter’s

28.1

50.8

9.3

19.2

One

tra

inin

g

cour

se

Two

trai

ning

cour

ses

Dip

lom

a

Spe

cial

izat

ion

Mas

ter’s

Non

e

30.3

14.5

13.2

25 14.5

27.6

In t

he c

ompa

ny a

s a

proj

ect

man

ager

As

a pr

ojec

t m

anag

er i

n an

othe

r or

gani

zati

on

Tota

l ye

ars

of e

xper

ienc

e as

a p

roje

ct m

anag

er

Year

s fr

om g

radu

atio

n to

bec

omin

g a

proj

ect

man

ager

5.7

5.2

10.9

7.4

Ethi

cs

Dec

isio

n m

akin

g

Ana

lyti

cal

skill

s

Lead

ersh

ip

Team

wor

k

Neg

otia

tion

Com

mun

icat

ions

Abi

lity

to d

eleg

ate

6.4

6.4

6.4

6.3

6.2

6.1

6.1

6.1

Tab

le 1

2: P

roje

ct m

anag

er p

rofil

e in

the

con

stru

ctio

n se

ctor

in B

ogot

á, C

olom

bia.


• To become a project manager, a mini-mum of 5.9 years of experience is required for small organizations, 6.8 years for medium-size organizations, and 9.6 years for large organizations, as shown in Figure 6.

• To move from a small to a medium organization, a project manager needs 45% more experience in terms of time. The corresponding figure for a move from a medium to a large organization is 69%.

• Approximately 28.8% of project man-agers have reported experience in international projects.

• Regarding incentives, 23.6% of the project managers do not report receiv-ing recognitions or rewards, 40.4% receive economic bonuses, 7.5% receive written recognition, and 28.5% receive other recognitions, such as public acknowledgments, promotions, travel or vacations, gifts, and days off, as shown in Figure 7.

• The most common difficulties and defi-ciencies reported by project managers are related to design errors (14%). Other

Experience• The years of project manager experi-

ence for the three types of organiza-tions are 12.5 years (small), 10 years (medium), and 10.2 (large), as shown in Figure 5.

technology and tools, and stress management.

• In all segments, the most important per-ceived skill is leadership (16.2%); other im-portant skills are decision making (11.8%), ethics (10.7%), and teamwork (10.1%).

Figure 3: Project manager undergraduate studies.

0.9%

16.2%10.8%

71.2%

0.9%

Other profession

Civil engineerRoads andtransportation engineer

Architect

No undergraduatestudies

Figure 4: Project manager graduate studies.

120%

100%

80%

60%

40%

20%22.8%

5.3%

TechnicalSpecialization

Course

Management Specialization

Course

National Institutions International Institutions Don’t have graduate studies

Master’s Degree inTechnicalAspects

Master’s Degree inManagement

71.9%

43.1%

7.7%

49.2%

90.7%

80.8%

9.6% 9.6%

100% 100.0%

9.3%

0%Doctor’s Degree inTechnical Aspects

Doctor’s Degree inManagement

0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0%


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important difficulties and deficiencies (reported by more than 5% of the sam-ple) are contractor failures (10.8%), informality (10.1%), incorrect project budgeting (8.9%), delays in environ-mental and legal procedures (8.1%), incorrect preparation of the project schedule (6.9%), lack of project man-agement methodologies (6.4%), lack of risk management (5.4%), and poor proj-ect scope definition (5.2%).

Demographic characteristics:• Age: Most project managers are

between 30 and 40 years old (34.7%) or between 41 and 50 years old (34.7%). Project managers over 60 and under 30 are the least represented (less than 6%).

• Socio-economic level: 43.1% of project managers are in level 4, 26.4% are in level 6, 22.2% are in level 5, and 8.3% are in level 3 (level 6 being the highest).

• Annual income: 86% of project manag-ers earn more than COP$42 million, 78.9% more than COP$72 million, and 49.1% more than COP$108 million (COP$108 million is approximately US$60,000 per year at a representative market rate of US$1 = COP$1,800).

Relationships Between Variables• Total experience as a project manager

versus annual income: There is no direct correlation between these two variables. Annual income does not nec-essarily increase with number of years of experience. The majority of project

managers (experience, 6 to 10 years, 33.3%) have an average income similar to that of other managers (between COP$42 and COP$108 million. COP$108 million is approximately US$60,000 at a representative market rate of US$1 = COP$1,800). Figure 8 shows the results.

• Total experience as a project manager versus age: 16.7% of project managers have 6 to 10 years of experience and are between 30 and 40 years of age, where-as 15.3% of project managers have 6 to 10 years of experience and are between 41 and 50 years of age. The largest group of project managers (33.3%) is between 30 and 60 years of age and has 6 to 10 years of experience as a project manager. The second largest group (22.2%) has 11 to 15 years of experience. Age does not correspond to experience. Figure 9 shows the results.

• Total experience as project manager versus importance of project manage-ment certifications and credentials: 65% of project managers ascribe a low importance to project management certifications and credentials. This group includes a wide variety of num-ber of years of experience. This finding proves for this sector that it is not important to have a certification and/or credential in project management, regardless of experience. Figure 10 shows the results.

• Technical graduate education versus annual income: 69.5% of projects do not have any technical graduate education. However, in the largest group (30.5%) with some technical graduate education, 30.5% earn more than COP$24 million. In addition, 57.6% of project managers with no graduate education earn more than COP$24 million and 13.6% earn more than COP$144 million (COP$144 million is approximately US$80,000 at a representative market rate of US$1 = COP$1,800). Technical gradu-ate education is not a decisive factor in determining the annual income of a project manager. Figure 11 shows the results.

Figure 5: Total years of experience as a project manager.

1412.5

Small Medium Large

10.0 10.212

10

8

6

2

4

0

Small Medium Large

Figure 6: Years from graduation until becoming a project manager.

14

10

65.9

Small Medium Large

6.8

9.6

8

4

2

0

Small Medium Large


graduate education earn more than COP$24 million, and 4.6% earn more than COP$144 million (COP$24 mil-lion is approximately US$13,333 at a

largest group (53.8%) with some tech-nical graduate education, 50.8% earn more than COP$24 million. In addi-tion, 41.5% of project managers with no

• Managerial graduate education versus annual income: 46.2% of project man-agers do not have any managerial grad-uate education. However, within the

Figure 7: Project manager recognitions and rewards.

45%

40%

35%

30%

25%23.6%

40.4%

7.5%

Not receiverecognitionor reward

Economicbonus

Writingrecognition

Recognitionat public

event

Promotions Travels orvacations

Gifts Days off Utilities asa partner

Other

5.6%5.6% 5.6%4.3%

2.5% 2.5% 2.5%

20%

15%

10%

5%

0%

Figure 8: Total experience as project manager versus annual income.

12%

10%

8%

6%

4%

2%1.4%

2.8%

5.6%

1.4% 1.4% 1.4% 1.4%

5.6%

6.9%

9.7% 9.7%

5.6% 5.6%

2.8%

4.2% 4.2%

2.8%2.8%

6.9%

5.6% 5.6%

4.2%

2.8%

0%Less than $24,000.000 Between $24,000.001

and $42,000.000Between $42,000.001

and $72,000.000Between $72,000.001

and $108,000.000Between $108,000.001

and $144,000.000More than $144,000.000

A (1 to 5 years)

B (6 to 10 years)

E (More than 20 years)

D (16 to 20 years)

C (11 to 15 years)


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Figure 9: Total experience as project manager versus age.

0%Between 25 and 29 years Between 30 and 40 years Between 41 and 50 years Between 51 and 60 years More than 60 years

4.2%

5.6%

11.1%

16.7%15.3%

13.9%

8.3%

2.8% 2.8%

1.4%1.4%1.4%1.4%

8.3%

5.6%

2%

4%

6%

8%

10%

12%

14%

16%

18%

A (1 to 5 years)

B (6 to 10 years)

E (More than 20 years)

D (16 to 20 years)

C (11 to 15 years)

0%A (1 to 5 years)

12.5% 12.5% 12.5%

25.0%

7.5%

2.5% 2.5% 2.5% 2.5% 2.5%

3.8% 5.0% 3.8% 3.8%

1.3%

B (6 to 10 years) C (11 to 15 years) D (16 to 20 years) E (More than 20 years)

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

Low importance (1 to 5)

Average importance (6 to 7)

High importance (8 to 10)

Figure 10: Total experience as project manager versus importance of project management certifications or credentials.


Figure 11: Technical graduate education versus annual income.

Less than $24,000.000

6.8%

18.6%

16.9%

3.4%

5.1%

6.8%

8.5%

13.6%

1.7% 1.7% 1.7% 1.7%

5.1%

3.4% 3.4%

1.7%

0%

2%

4%

6%

8%

10%

12%

14%

16%

18%

20%

Between $24,000.001and $42,000.000

Between $42,000.001and $72,000.000

Between $72,000.001and $108,000.000

Between $108,000.001and $144,000.000

More than $144,000.000

National Specialization

International Specialization

International master’sNone

Figure 12: Managerial graduate education versus annual income.

Less than $24,000.000

0%

3.1%

4.6%

10.8%

15.4%

12.3%

7.7%

6.2% 6.2%

7.7%

4.6% 4.6%

9.2%

1.5% 1.5%

3.1%

1.5%2%

4%

6%

8%

10%

12%

14%

16%

18%

Between $24,000.001and $42,000.000

Between $42,000.001and $72,000.000

Between $72,000.001and $108,000.000

Between $108,000.001and $144,000.000

More than$144,000.000

National Specialization

International Specialization

National master’s

International master’s

None


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Figure 13: Total experience as project manager versus education and training in project management.

A (1 to 5 years)

1.7%

3.4% 3.4%

6.8%

5.1% 5.1% 5.1%5.1%5.1% 5.1%

1.7% 1.7%

3.4% 3.4%

0.0%

5.1% 5.1%

8.5%

18.6%

6.8%

B (6 to 10 years) C (11 to 15 years) D (16 to 20 years) E (More than 20 years)

20%

18%

16%

14%

12%

10%

8%

6%

4%

2%

0%

Course

Diploma

Specialization

Master

Figure 14: Importance of project management certifications and credentials versus education and training in project management.

Course

10.2% 10.2%

13.6%

25.4%

3.4% 3.4%

5.1%

8.5%

10.2%

6.8%

3.4%

0.0%0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

Diploma Specialization Master’s

Average importance (6 to 7)

Low importance (1 to 5)

High importance (8 to 10)


representative market rate of US$1 = COP$1,800). Managerial education does not necessarily generate higher annual income levels for managers. Figure 12 shows the results.

• Total experience as a project manager versus education and training in project management: There is no specific rela-tionship between these two variables. However, within the largest group of project managers (37.3%) with 6 to 10 years of experience, 18.2% have a spe-cialization in project management. Figure 13 shows the results.

• Importance of project management certification versus education and training in project management: 59.3% of project managers who have received education or specific training in project management do not ascribe special importance to certification. Further-more, 24.5% of project managers cite certification as being of high impor-tance. Figure 14 shows the results.

Actual Project Manager Profile Versus Expert OpinionsAs noted in the previous sections, Tables 1 through 4 show the most important project manager skills and characteris-tics found in the literature. Table 11 shows the expert opinions gathered in the qualitative analysis, and Table 12 shows the actual project manager pro-file collected in the quantitative analy-sis. As can be seen in the reviewed profile, experts believe that project managers in the construction sector need an undergraduate degree in civil engineering or a related field, preferably with graduate studies in technical, proj-ect, or construction management and additional education and training in the processes and knowledge areas of tech-nical aspects, as well as in project man-agement. In addition, certifications and credentials in project management are considered important but not essential and do not represent a fundamental selection criterion. Experts (including PMI, IPMA, and AIPM) mainly focus their attention on skills and characteris-tics rather than educational background

or experience; they stated that the most representative skills and characteristics for project managers are in the field of technical skills, with other skills consid-ered as complementary. However, the most representative institutes and pro-fessional organizations in project man-agement ranked soft and interpersonal skills as of the greatest importance. Experts also perceive that project man-agers tend to gain experience in the same types of construction projects and build a career in the same company. Project managers report having under-graduate and graduate degrees in fields that coincide with those recommended by expert opinion. No doctoral degrees were found. Almost one third of project managers do not report having specific training. Project managers in this sector need more training in project manage-ment and related fields to achieve a bet-ter performance and improve their proj-ect success rate. Project management professional organizations and the majority of project managers believe that it is more important to have soft skills than technical skills.

A majority of project managers have extensive experience in project manage-ment and have worked for more than half of their careers, on average, in the same organization; this is in agreement with the opinions of the Colombian experts interviewed. In general, project managers in this sector match the profile proposed by the experts and literature.

Conclusions, Limitations, and Contributions

ConclusionsThis study describes and evaluates the actual and essential characteristics that make up a project manager profile in the construction sector in Bogotá, Colombia. The main conclusions are as follows:

Many authors around the world dis-cuss the essential skills and characteris-tics required to being a successful or effective project manager (as demonstrat-ed earlier). However, of the profile com-ponents, the literature does not specifi-cally refer to the experience, education, or

training required (or desired) to be a suc-cessful project manager within a particu-lar context. No literature was found explicitly related to the project manager profile in the construction sector.

In general, organizations explicitly recognize the project management pro-fession and roles within their structures. Project managers are generally consid-ered to be within the managerial levels of the company and to have a strong influence on the organization’s decision-making process.

Concerning education, almost all project managers have an undergradu-ate degree (mainly civil engineering and architecture). The project manager undergraduate standard is high com-pared with what is found for other posi-tions in the same organization. Many project managers have completed grad-uate studies, primarily focused on man-agerial rather than technical issues. They prefer specializations in Colombia and primarily choose master’s degrees in international institutions. Doctoral degrees are not attractive to project managers in this sector. Project manag-ers have a relatively low level of gradu-ate education, which restricts the innovation and development of new techniques.

A minority of professionals have not received specific training in project management to perform their duties. The majority of this group received additional or complementary training in technical and administrative topics but not in project management. Continuing education programs (cours-es and diplomas) are attractive to proj-ect managers in this sector. English pro-ficiency is generally low among project managers, and most do not know anoth-er language (other than Spanish). International certifications and creden-tials are not perceived as a priority for a project manager’s professional develop-ment. The most recognized credential among professionals is the PMP creden-tial. A minority received training toward certification, and a few have obtained the credential.


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preliminary approach to critical issues in the field of project development and project management in Colombia. This first step, focused on the construction sector in Bogotá, confirms the percep-tions of the serious problems and gaps affecting this sector and consequently justifies continuing complementary research efforts in terms of new phases and sectors.

Project manager education and training should be enhanced and re fined, particularly in the processes and knowl-edge areas of project management. Higher levels of education (doctoral and master’s degrees) should support the innovation and continuous improve-ment urgently needed by this sector in the framework of its contribution and relevance to Colombia’s economic, social, and human development.

AcknowledgmentsThe authors would like to thank Escuela Colombiana de Ingeniería Julio Garavito for financial support of this research and Javier Ramirez, Natalia Acero, and Cristhian Verdugo for their valuable input and discussions regard-ing the qualitative and quantitative analyses presented in this study. ■

References1st National Survey of Project Management Maturity (2011). PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC, 2011). Survey conducted on 12 October 2011. Retrieved from http://www.pwc.com/co/es/publicaciones/1ra-encuesta-nacional-de-madurez-en-gestion-de-proyectos.jhtml

Ahadzie, D. K. (2007). A model for pre-dicting the performance of project man-agers in mass house building projects in Ghana (PhD thesis). University of Wolverhampton.

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Project managers are members of a high socio-economic level and are com-pensated with a relatively high annual income. Most project managers are rewarded through economic bonuses and are typically over 30 years of age.

LimitationsThis research is limited to Colombia and, more specifically, to the construc-tion sector in Bogotá.

The focus of this study was mainly the following subsectors: the construc-tion of residential buildings, construction of non-residential buildings and con-struction of civil engineering works (housing, infrastructure, and roads).

The scope of these research findings has been limited by the sample size in terms of number of responses received and analyzed; of 1,699 selected organi-zations, a total of 153 responses were received (9%).

ContributionsBased on the international references as well as our findings, it can be assumed that the conclusions, contributions, and recommendations of this study could be applied in broader perspectives and contexts to the global construction industry, regions, and countries.

This exercise validates the percep-tion of the interviewed experts within the qualitative phase of the research in terms of the need and importance to have a suitable and clearly defined pro-file for project manager selection and training in the construction industry in Colombia, as a factor affecting project success rates.

This research contributes to pro-ducing a clearer definition of the quali-ties considered to be necessary for a successful project manager in the Colombian context. These findings could also be taken into account within the efforts to delineate a broader global definition of a successful project man-ager role.

Recommendations and Future WorkThe main results and findings of this research may be considered as a

Leadership is the most important skill and characteristic recognized by the project managers interviewed, fol-lowed by ethics, decision making, ana-lytical skills, and teamwork.

The literature review conducted in this work, particularly focusing on doc-uments produced by such associations as PMI, IPMA, and AIPM, indicates a wide range of competence elements considered as key project manager attributes. However, there is no global consensus regarding the hierarchy or priority of these elements. Authorized experts and authors ascribe more importance to specific human charac-teristics or “soft” skills than to specific educational degrees, technical knowl-edge, or expertise.

The more frequently mentioned dif-ficulties in project management are related to design errors, contractor fail-ures, improper budgeting and infor-mality (a lack of use of methodologies). These findings confirm previous per-ceptions of the most serious problems and conflicts within project develop-ment and project management in the Colombian construction sector.

Project managers have a very high level of experience (the average length of experience is at least 10 years), and some of them exhibit involvement in international projects. Experience is highly valued in project manager recruitment, as observed by the fact that a minimum of 6 years is required to be appointed as project manager. The project manager career path demands significant and proven experience, depending on the project and organiza-tion size. In the Colombian context, experience is preferred to a graduate-level education. Project manager career paths tend to develop within the same organization.

This study calls attention to reports that the “accidental” project manager is a relatively common practice in con-struction organizations, which is in contrast to the high level of education and experience required for such an important profession and position.


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PA

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RS


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Gabriel Humberto Pulido Casas, PMP, is a civil engineer, specialist in economic devel-opment, and holds a master’s degree in economics. He is a Project Management Professional (PMP)® credential holder, a for-mer official of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in projects of international technical cooperation and a member of the Project Management

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project planning and control, and a member of the Project Management Institute (PMI). He is a current professor of the Escuela Colombiana de Ingeniería Julio Garavito (Colombian School of Engineering Julio Garavito) and director of the Center of Studies in Development and Integral Management of Projects.

César Augusto Leal Coronado, PMP, is a civil engineer, a specialist in water resources and environment, and holds a master’s degree in construction engineering and management. He is a Project Management Professional (PMP)® credential holder, with experience in

Institute (PMI). He is experienced in con-sulting, advising, and teaching in the area of projects, with emphases on financial formu-lation and evaluation. He is a current profes-sor of the Escuela Colombiana de Ingeniería Julio Garavito (Colombian School of Engineering Julio Garavito).

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