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Jennifer Tharp, Chair of the Board of Directors, PMI shared thoughts on the ‘Future PM Trends’ at the 8^th Dubai International Project Management Forum whose theme this year is ‘Foster Wellbeing’. 

Ms. Tharp highlighted that DIPMF is very close to her heart as the forum is very good at centering the experience of the project manager and ensuring that they are able to have that impact and thus make their ideas a reality. Dubai is the future and is the centre for global trends.

While shedding emphasis on the mega trends, Tharp mentioned that every year PMI raises a report on the mega trends happening globally that will have the most profound impact on organisations and that project managers need to be aware of. In the most recent report, some of the trends highlighted included ‘Digital Disruption, Climate Change, Economic Shifts, Demographic Shifts, Labour Shortages, as well as Civic, Civil and Equality movements.

She added, “While taking examples of one of the identified trends like Digital Disruption, where today people talk about the changes in AI, or changes in technology as a project manager one needs to know how such changes will impact work, how AI could be used in construction and how could such changes be harnessed to make the project impactful. Similarly, new tools need to be adopted which will help enhance project efficiency.”

When asked if Digital Disruption will ever take over the role of the project manager, Jennifer said that that wouldn’t happen as project management is about communication, collaboration while technology is very automated making the project manager’s role very strategic and time effective in terms of making the right decisions for the project.

‘Climate Change’ is another trend and sustainability as such is at the heart of every project whether it be packaging, use of human resources etc. A charter should be drawn outlining the project so that it has a sensible or regional approach to project management and includes the sustainable principles. It is important to build sustainability across the all the practices and build change accordingly.

Lastly while enhancing skills as a project manager, agility plays a very important role in project management and can be used across various projects. Along with tools like agility comes responsible consumption which is a decision where every individual or organization needs to make. If organisations take into account the trends and value their principles it is very unlikely that a project should fail.