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The Role of the Certified International Project Manager

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Oil & Gas IQ
11/05/2010

Effective project management is essential to ensure the success of any venture. This is particularly true for the oil and gas industry, which is required to operate in high-risk situations where mistakes can be both costly and dangerous.

Skilled project managers allow for optimised productivity for both the organization and all individuals involved within the team.

The Certified International Project Manager(CIPM) course, as accredited by the International Academy of Project Management (IAPM), is designed to provide a benchmark for all those working within the field of project management.

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"As businesses are restructured, project managers take over many responsibilities. Expertise in project management is a source of security, prosperity and power to many companies," the IAPM said.

Who can benefit from CIPM training?

CIPM training is not only valuable for those who have project manager listed as their job title. Operations managers, engineers, health, safety and environment coordinators, contractors and risk managers can all benefit from the skills learnt during certification.

Training within the field usually encompasses understanding the importance of project management, meeting international project management standards, selecting the correct technical solutions for a role and creating a tool kit of skills which can be applied to any project management exercise.

Those who qualify as a Certified International Project Manager with the IAPM can use the CIPM accreditation on both their resume and business card, which is recognized in 145 countries worldwide.

The IAPM, the only professional body recognized by the AACSB [The Association of Advanced Collegiate Schools of Business], has partnered with a number of organizations in different countries to provide the certification courses. Training can also be provided in-house, some of which are design courses based around certain industry sectors.

For example, the CIPM course provided by IQPC has been designed with stakeholders in the US, Singapore, Asia Pacific, Africa and the Middle East to offer localized knowledge with a specific focus on the oil and gas industry.

Those who wish to advance further can then qualify as a Master International Project Manager, which is designed for college educated professionals who manage teams, departments, and employees', and those in senior project manager roles.

Skills Development in the Oil and Gas Industry

The oil and gas industry is among those benefiting as the global economy recovers from the economic downturn. Yet the large numbers of people looking for jobs and the fears of a skills shortage arising means competition for roles is fierce.

Professional qualifications allow applicants to give themselves an edge – one which is likely to be essential as companies look to more complex and innovative ventures.

Project managers will also have to deal with increased regulations, both in the fields of safety and the environment, following high-profile oil disasters, as well as the challenges presented by developing unconventional reserves.

As a snapshot of the requirements for such projects, a survey conducted by MSETC of energy companies and supporting firms working within the Marcellus shale region of the US found that around 80 per cent of companies believe their biggest challenge is finding a workforce with the right experience and technical skills to get the job done.

In its World Oil Report, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) highlighted skills base maintenance within the oil and gas industry and said as the economic recovery advances, "it is essential that the necessary human resources are available" to allow the industry to thrive.

The report urged the industry to retain its skilled labor force, which is certain to include project managers with the expertise and qualifications to effectively drive ventures forward.


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