cpd1102 professional development &...

Graduate School of Business and Project Management

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CPD1102 Professional Development & Ethics



Copyright Notice Please note that the material contained in the proceedings is protected under the Copyright laws. No part of the material may be reproduced or copied or applied in any way other than for the study purposes, unless authorised in writing. While the College has taken all necessary care to ensure the suitability of this material for the purposes of the workshop, it does not provide any warranty as to their relevance to individual cases or their contents whatsoever; all users will use the information included in this document at their own risk. CPD1102 Professional Development and Ethics

UOS CODE CPD1102

UOS NAME

Professional Development and Ethics

CREDIT POINTS

3

STATUS

Core SUMMARY

This unit of study focuses on the following areas: • Social trends and the rise of customer centricity and pluralism • Mega trends in individual industries, particularly climate change and energy • Envisioning of the future through environmental scanning, blue sky thinking

and scenario planning • Definitions and understanding of the dynamics of complexity and change and

impact on professional performance • Ethics and professional values • Setting personal development goals, undertaking SWOT analysis and

developing strategies • Competency assessment and delineation of competency gaps • Compiling own plan and monitoring self development • Maintaining and enhancing professional competencies This unit places major emphasis on understanding the processes of professional development and competency acquisition. Most practitioners associate competency with task dexterity and job-related skills, which is referred to as ‘normative skills’. The question is how relevant and valid normative concepts are in today’s environment of change and uncertainty. Competence is about autonomy; self reference and group self organisation, i.e. the relatively enduring qualities that empower professional people to perform well individually and in groups despite prevalence of complexity and rapid change. It must be underpinned by strong personal and group ethics.

COURSE CONVENOR COURSE TUTOR

Professor Ali Jaafari

ASSUMED KNOWLEDGE

Not applicable

APPROXIMATE WORKLOAD

Lectures & Workshops

Team Work Personal Work Readings

15 hours >5 hours >30 hours >15 hours PRE-REQUISITE (course name)

None.

OBJECTIVES Understand how to conduct environmental scanning and blue sky thinking Understand how to assemble and analyse mega trends generally and in specific industry

branches Learn and apply principles of ethics and ethical conduct Define/refine your professional goals and set development targets Conduct SWOT analysis and develop optimum strategy Conduct broad competency assessment in respective areas



Develop personal learning and development plan Define key performance indicators (KPIs) and metrics to assess progress against plan Compile and submit your L&D plan Apply L&D plan to continually improve yourself Manage and enhance own professional competencies

TARGET COMPETENCIES (Professional Development and Ethics )

Upon completion of the course, the student should demonstrate: Analysis of drivers of change Insights into mega trends in general and those applicable to a specific industry branch

locally and globally Ability in undertaking environmental analysis, blue sky thinking and envisioning the

future Ability to set and pursue professional development goals A sound understanding of definitions and different forms of professionality Ability to conduct self assessment and set competency development targets Ability to conduct SWOT analysis, develop and refine strategies Ability to design and apply an optimal and adaptive plan to guide own learning and

development Ability to self manage, continuously develop and enhance own competencies

TARGET COMPETENCIES (Personal and Socio-cultural)

• Generic: All competencies that are common to all professionals (including cognitive and communication abilities, problem solving and analytical mindset)

• Leadership: Ability to direct, motivate & manage individuals & teams. • Commitment: Ability to dedicate to tasks & to project outcomes. • Attitude: Ability to create the right frame of mind that promotes integrity &

support for achievement of project goals within a social context. • Self Direction: Ability to manage within and without guidelines & processes,

and to work without supervision. • Learning: Ability to commit to continuous improvement in knowledge, skills &

attitude, & to creating new knowledge developing skills & approaches. • Cultural Empathy: Ability to respect for & accommodation of individual

lifestyle, beliefs & norms. • Creativity & Innovation: Capacity to generate new ideas/approaches & make

them happen. MODES OF DELIVERY

• Upfront intensive workshop (2 days) • Assignment and group work facilitated via the Internet • Face-to-face formal assessment

ASSESSMENT 1. An essay to succinctly review the literature, particularly focusing on socio-

cultural and personal competencies 2. Assignment (formatted as per specifications and requirements)

PRESCRIBED FOR THE COURSE

SELECTED REFERENCES

PRINTED MATERIALS

• Learning material (lecture notes, slides, case study and other material provided online).

• Sample past assignments • L&D Specifications • Jaafari, A. Project Management in

21st Century. Proceedings of IRNOP

Boyatzis, R. E. (1982). The Competent Manager: A Model for Effective Performance. New Your. John Wiley. Walesh, S. G. (1995). Engineering Your Future: Launching A Successful Entry-Level Technical Career In Today's Business Environment. Prentice Hill Publishing.



VI Conference, Turku Finland, August 25-27, 2004, pp340-365

WEB SITES No single Web site presents all the

necessary knowledge that students need to learn and apply.

ONLINE USEFUL SOURCES OF REFERENCES ARE SPECIFIED IN THE RESPECTIVE LECTURE NOTES.

Software Competency Assessment Tool (CAT) L&D Planner

Students may wish to use software for normal typesetting, graphic design and associated tasks

Assignment phase This unit of study requires every student to extend and expand on the knowledge learnt during the workshop. Each student needs to prepare and submit two assignments that will be assessed and graded formally:

• An individual essay to explore all aspects of professionalism and ethics focusing on socio-cultural, leadership and personal competences

• A personal learning and development plan that conforms to the L&D Plan Specification that will be distributed during the course.

• Personal oral presentations reflecting and validating the students L&D Plan

Students must pass all components.



CPD1102 Professional Development & Ethics Planning Workshop

Presenter: Dr André Smit Graduate School of Business and Project Management

Day 1 Workshop Starts: 9:00 9:00 – 9:10

Welcome and Introduction to workshop

9:10 – 10:30

Part 1 & 2: Definition of Professional Competencies & Setting Goals

10:30 – 11:00 Morning Break

11:00 – 12:30

Part 3 & 4: Dimensions of Professionalism, Values and Ethics

12:30 – 13:30 Lunch

13:30 – 14:15

Part 5: APIC’s Approach

14:15 – 15:30

Part 6: Professional Development Planning Process

15:00 – 15:30 Afternoon Break

15:30 – 16:30 Part 7 & 8: Professional Certification and Introduction to Programs at APIC

Day 2 Workshop Starts: 9:00 9:00 – 10:30

Competency Assessment (Self)

10:30 – 11:00 Morning Break

11:00 – 12:30

Prepare Your Learning and Development Plan

12:30 – 13:30 Lunch

13:30 – 15:00

Peer Assessment of L&D Plans

15:00 – 15:30 Afternoon Break

15:30 – 16:30 Group Work and Findings – The Way Forward



Slide 1

www.apicollege.edu.au ©. Copyright APIC 2012

CPD1102 Professional Development & Ethics

1

Slide 2


About Dr André SmitAcademic Experience I bring to the role a combination of academic and industry experiences. My academic experiences include:Graduate School of Business & Project Management APIC I am the Program Director responsible for the development of our business management programs.At the University of Saint Joseph in Macao I served as the Dean for Academic Affairs, supporting about 100 lecturers and professors in developing and improving the quality our learning programs. I was also the Director for the Centre of Language and Professional Development, the Centre offered English language courses to students studying in English as a second language and interested in advancing their language abilities. As an Associate Professor in the School of Management, Leadership & Government, I was involved in supervising and guiding MBA and PhD students in writing their dissertations and lectured in MBA and Licentiate classes.At Southern Cross University Australia I completed my PhD and I lectured in subjects such as: Leadership; Change Management; Mentoring; developing on-line courses on the Web; and managing students studying through distance education.

2



Slide 3


About Dr André SmitIndustry Experience With an international management career spanning 30 years and working as a leader of teams and as a developer of people, I have the experience to be a supervisor. My successful managerial career was developed through working in a variety of roles with diverse global organisations such as 3M in South Africa & Australia, Westfield in Australia and The Venetian Sands in Macau. These experiences have made me aware of the importance of human development and I will draw on these practical experiences to help you develop a practical and rigorous academic research thesis.

3

Slide 4


About Dr André SmitResearch InterestAbout my PhD – Transformational Mentoring: How to Implement an Action Learning Process in Developing Effective Mentoring PracticeResearch Methodology - Action Research, Case Study, Consultants Report/Business Plan and Qualitative Data AnalysesResearch Interest - Human Resource Management; Management and Leadership; Organisational Culture; Organisational Learning and Change Management.

4



Slide 5


About Asia Pacific International College• Registered Australian higher education institution• Focused on research and postgraduate education in business

and project management• APIC awards degrees in project management, the highest

being MBA (Project and Program Management)• APIC works closely with professional bodies, industry and

government• APIC’s mission is:

to contribute to development of knowledge and promote the field to offer postgraduate educational programs to contribute to performance improvements in the field to facilitate development of self-improving organisations

5

Slide 6


Scope

• Professional and competency development focus• You prepare your own learning and development (L&D)

plan• You will be responsible for realising this plan• Which is to deliver your competencies • You will need to exploit all available opportunities• You will need to self manage yourself throughout the

program

6



Slide 7


The Planning Process

7

Slide 8


Outcomes And Benefits Of This Workshop

• Understand the processes and activities needed in professional development planning

• Prepare your own L&D Plan• Benchmark against colleagues• Forge links with your colleagues

8



Slide 9


Expectations

• Hands on participation and initiative• Ownership of the process• Responsible for outcomes • Need to have an approved L&D Plan as baseline for

professional development• Manage the process in the future

9

Slide 10


Assignment Phase

• This unit of study requires every student to extend and expand on the knowledge learnt during the workshop. Each student needs to prepare and submit three assignments that will be assessed and graded formally:

• An individual reflective essay to explore all aspects of professionalism and ethics focusing on socio-cultural, leadership and personal competences

• A personal learning and development plan that conforms to the L&D Plan Specification that will be distributed during the course.

• Personal oral presentations reflecting and validating the students L&D Plan

Note: Students must pass all components

10



Slide 11


Individual Reflective Essay

• An essay to succinctly review the literature, particularly focusing on socio-cultural and personal competencies

• Task: During the next week each individual student needs to develop a “Reflective-Essay”, critiquing specific readings on socio-cultural and personal competencies. Each essay needs to be a maximum of up to 1000 words. In the essay students need to critique the readings/topic and demonstrate that they understood the theories discussed in the reading materials – note all arguments need to be supported with in-text reference of theories discussed in your essay and a bibliography needs to be included. The reflective essay must focus both on the content and theory.

11

Slide 12


The Individual Professional Development Process

• Make a decision to develop yourself• Determine your goals (target role in target industry)• Assess your current competencies • Define competency targets (vs. intended

role/competency standard)• Plan your learning and development (L&D Plan)• Undertake a competence-based development program• Monitor effectiveness and efficiency and complete the

program

12



Slide 13


Table of Contents For the L&D Plan

• The big picture• Vision• Role• Value system & ethics• Target competencies• Current competencies

• SWOT analysis• Performance indicators• The site and assigned

mentors• The plan

– Scope in each semester– Personal schedule– Performance assessment

13

Slide 10


The Individual Professional Development Process

• Make a decision to develop yourself• Determine your goals (target role in target industry)• Assess your current competencies • Define competency targets (vs. intended

role/competency standard)• Plan your learning and development (L&D Plan)• Undertake a competence-based development program• Monitor effectiveness and efficiency and complete the

program

10



Slide 11


Focus

Organisation’sStrategic Goals, ProductLines & Activity Portfolios

Organisational Core Competencies

Organisational GRF & Associated Portfolio of

Competencies

Competency Standard/Role & Certification

Scheme

Individual Professional Development Needs

Certified Cadre and Continuous Professional

Development

Development Opportunities - Training Schemes- Recruitment Strategies- Mentoring & Coaching Schemes

Strategic HR Plan

Professional Development Planning Process 11

This slide shows that the professional development planning of an individual needs to fit in with the organisational development program. In this course the focus is purely on individuals as opposed to organisations. Obviously in a corporate training program the relationship between the two must be mapped and aligned to achieve success. This aspect will be explored in different lectures in the course.



Slide 12


Table of Contents For the L&D Plan

• The big picture• Vision• Role• Value system & ethics• Target competencies• Current competencies

• SWOT analysis• Performance indicators• The site and assigned

mentors• The plan

– Scope in each semester– Personal schedule– Performance assessment

12

Slide 13


APIC’s Holistic Learning and Development Model

13

The underpinning educational approach is to promote self direction and group autonomy

APIC uses real life projects, programs and organisations as the site of learning

Learner-centred design supports individual needs

Project and team-based learning model is applied for competency development

Technology is used to support the above model (interactive tools, support systems,knowledge and learning resources, interaction and communication)



Slide 14

www.apicollege.edu.au ©. Copyright APIC 2012 14

Online Learning System

The Online Learning System (OLS) supports the School’s project-based learning approach. It provides an integrated environment for student and teams to access the respective information and requirements pertinent to the project phase of the unit under consideration. From a practical perspective, each unit website is designed to provide access to information, resources, tools and documents that teams of students need to perform the respective parts of their project phase in an orderly fashion along the principles of self directed learning and management. The first activity in the project phase of each unit is for the team to undertake their own planning and develop their own QA/Work Plan to guide the team’s progress in conducting the respective learning activities and delivering the respective assignments.



Slide 15


Scope of CPD1102 Professional Development and Ethics

• Part 1 Professional Competencies Defined• Part 2: Setting Development Goals and Objectives• Part 3: Dimensions of Professionalism• Part 4: Professional Values and Ethics• Part 5: APIC’s Approach• Part 6: Professional Development Process• Part 7. Professional Certification• Part 8. Professional Development Programs at APIC

15

Slide 16


PART 1 PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCY

DEFINED

Leadership, PM, Business and General Management Competencies

16



Slide 17


• “A reliably measurable, relatively enduring characteristic of an individual which is causally related to and statistically predicts effective or superior (one standard deviation above the mean) performance in a job" (Spencer, 1997; Spencer & Spencer, 1993).

• Normative assumptions:− Competency comprises knowledge, skills and

professional attitude− Competency refers to individual professionals; can be

assessed− It can be improved via professional education and

structured development

Definition Of Competency

17

Broadly speaking, competency refers to the qualities and characteristics that individuals possess. It comprises: knowledge, skill and attitude. A person’s competency in each element can be assessed in terms of their knowledge, abilities to perform and the respective professional attitude. Competency can be assessed using a scale ranging from “aware” (lowest level) to “transformative” (highest level). Having competent staff does not necessarily mean a capable organisational unit. The latter is also influenced by culture, business structures & systems and a host of other factors. As with all other professionals, managers should endeavour to systematically acquire the relevant competencies optimally. At individual level, one’s focus must be on the whole of career life span, not an immediate assignment or a specific employer. Nowadays, a professional person can expect to work for multiple organisations during his/her career. Within an organisation a certain capability may be created employing not only staff but also experts or consultants and sub contractors to secure adequate capability, and also to ensure correct balance of competencies as far as the varying roles and responsibilities are concerned.



Slide 18


Vocational vs. Professional Competencies• Professional competencies refer to intellectual & cognitive

abilities, e.g. abstract thinking, conceptualisation, critical analysis

• Vocational competencies useful when tasks are repetitive and processes are repeatable. (Learn a best-in-class approach and apply the same repeatedly)

• Most professional tasks are non-repetitive. Processes have to be tailored

• Successful performance require fresh thinking, re-engineering the processes and applying knowledge prudently

• The practitioner works with a significant body of applied knowledge, has a degree of autonomy over his/her tasks and is guided by professional and personal ethics

18

It must also be noted that there is a difference between professional competencies and vocational competencies. The former concerns with intellectual and cognitive abilities, such as abstract thinking, conceptualisation, critical analysis and similar types of abilities that are essential to deal with ‘messy’ nature of real life problems/contexts and environments. Vocational competencies generally refer to skills needed to perform tasks in a given occupation with some degree of consistency. Thus, vocational competencies mostly refer to work typically performed as a routine, whereas professional competencies signify unique contexts and circumstances, fresh challenges, and high level goals. In the case of projects, the situation is even more clouded as managers must attempt to integrate seemingly irreconcilable view points, deal simultaneously with both emotive and hard facts, build in due diligence, cut risks and lock in value in time and space. The author comments that while professional competencies typically relate to a specific field of endeavour, they need not necessarily relate to a specific set of tasks performed by workers in a given job situation. This view is more in line with holistic development of people as opposed to job-related skills. For example, a structural engineer is expected to be competent in terms of framing and solving a diverse array of structural engineering assignments optimally, applying relevant knowledge and tools to develop proper solutions that meet a range of requirements, including mandatory codes etc. This competency can be applied at different situations and contexts, not just in a given firm and assignment. Also, the attributes are very much personal to individual and form part of his/her mindset. These attributed are accessed both consciously and subconsciously as and when needed to respond to assignments in hand.



Slide 19


Competency Area vs. Competency Level

Competency Area

Competency Level

Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 Level 5

Area 1

Area 2

Area 3

Area i

……

Area n

19

A person’s competencies can be characterised by the following variables: Competency Area and Competency Level. These are explained further in the following slides. Slide 20


Competency Break Down Structure

20

Competencycluster

Area 1

Unit 1A

Element 1A1

Element 1A2

Element 1A3

Element 1A4

Unit 1B

Unit 1C

Unit 1DArea 2

Area 3

Competencies can be organised in a hierarchical structure I referred to as “Competency Breakdown Structure”. In this structure a cluster of competencies (such as managerial competencies) are divided into a number of competency areas. Each area is divided into a number of units and each unit is characterised by a number of elements. Thus, elements are the lowest level of competency.



Slide 21


Cluster Of Competencies

21

This slide shows 3 clusters of competencies: (1) Managerial; (2) Behavioural; and (3) Environmental and Contextual. As stated each cluster can be divided into a number of units. Note that as new competency areas are developed one can add these into the cluster. Conversely when certain competency areas are no longer relevant one can remove them from the respective cluster.



Slide 22


Competence Levels In Generic Form

22

This slide shows the level of competence applying scale of 1 to 5, where level 1 is basic and level 5 is the highest level. To facilitate better understanding of competency levels we are using the following words: • Aware • Informed • Involved • Competent • Transformative



Slide 23


A Journey From Vocational to Professional State

23

Awar

e (k

now

ledg

e)

Info

rmed

(nor

mat

ive

prac

tice) In

volv

ed

(voc

atio

nal

com

pete

nce)

Com

pete

nt(p

rofe

ssio

nal

capa

bilit

ies)

Tran

sfor

mat

ive

(Lea

ders

hip

& st

rate

gic c

apab

ilitie

s)

Leve

l 1

Leve

l 2

Leve

l 3

Leve

l 4

Leve

l 5

The competency levels signify a maturity model, i.e. to reach the top competency level one must embark on a journey. Note that level 5 also signify a moving target as limits of human capability are continuously extended.



Slide 24


Competencies vs. Management Practice

24

This slide shows that competencies are internal to an individual and not part of an organisation’s inventories or assets. Also, competencies are not visible but generally manifest themselves in the context of job application. Normally blends of competencies are applied to design and deliver an assignment. However, at an individual level there is no conscious decision to tap a certain competency, i.e. competencies come into play in an autonomous and holistic manner.



Slide 25


Individual Competencies Vs. Functional Roles

25

This slide shows that different blends of competencies are required by individuals to perform at different organisational levels. The spectrum of competencies may be the same but the range applied at different levels varies. Also at higher levels one needs higher levels of competencies.



Slide 26


• Traditional competencies follow the normative model

• Suitable for defined projects in stable conditions• Yet projects/programs falling outside this zone are

on the rise• Normative people feel frustrated when faced with

uncertainty and chaos• Need different mindset to function effectively in an

environment of complexity, uncertainty and change

Normative vs. Transformative Competencies

26

Competencies needed to engage with projects and organisations in an increasingly uncertain and chaotic world, transcend normative competencies. The normative model is generally focused on management of the production (downstream) activities. Not only must our understanding of management as a discipline change, but also our models of professional development and practice must realign with the complexities that project and organisations increasingly face, particularly in the new economy.



Slide 27


• Assumes universality of order, rational choice and intent

• Objective, rational, technical, best practice…. • Based on Henri Fayol’s Administrative Model of

Management (and Chester Barnard)• While useful it is insufficient but surprisingly still

dominant management mindset• The entire QA movement based on administrative

model of management• On conditions of instability and chaos the application of

‘best practice’ may cause failure!

What is The Normative Model?

27

There are situations that respond well to the normative approach. See the cynefin model by Cynthia Kurtz and David Snowden (2003). Slide 28

www.apicollege.edu.au ©. Copyright APIC 2012www.apicollege.edu.au

After Lester, 1994

The Normative Professional

28

The vast majority of professions follow a normative model of professionality. Most educational and training programs follow this approach too. It could be argued that transition to a transformative model requires mastering the normative approach.



Slide 29


• Projects/programs/organisations as emergent systems• Learning and practice merge at points of interaction/

intervention• Competence refers to adequacy of internal models that

are used for complexity reduction purposes• Meaning of professionality changes to autonomy, self

reference and group self organisation• Success also depends on prevalence of shared values,

intrinsic rewards and strong personal & group ethics

Some Observations

29

Slide 30


Rising Task Uncertainty And Complexity

30

This slide shows schematically that task complexity and uncertainty have increased to the extent that few tasks if any are repetitive. Most professional people need to continuously up-skill themselves to remain abreast of developments in their field. The same consideration applies to professional managers, particularly those in responsible positions.



Slide 31


The Cynefin* model – see www.cynefin.net

31

*. Pronounced kun-ev’in

OrderUnorder

Disorder

Slide 32


Visualising Self Reference

32

This slide shows that learning while managing or interacting with a complex system is essential to success. It is sometimes referred to as “Action Learning”. It means that one has to have a deep understanding of the complexity of the system in order to figure out where one can apply intervention prudently. As the system is dynamic (it changes with time and it also responds to the changes effected already in ways not generally foreshadowed), one has to re-learn the dynamics of the system and reflect this in the next round of interventions with the system.



Slide 33


Sense Making: A Dimension Of Professional Practice

33(after Kurtz & Snowden, 2003)

Slide 34


Transformative Competencies

34

• Sense making ability (optimum internal models)• Self reference (reflexive learning)• Capacity to act in conditions of complexity and chaos• Creative and interpretive mindset• Goal seeking autonomous behaviour• In search of new learning/knowledge• Motivated by intrinsic values rather extraneous rewards• Capacity to act within networks

As seen many of these competencies are not essentially hard “technical” management competencies and not necessarily tied to the use of tools and processes. In the last 20 years the focus in management training has been on tools and processes whereas the major challenges are in understanding and dealing with complexity.



Slide 35


Influence Project Systemthrough Management of

Enabling Factors

Critical Success Factors/ Managerial Principles

Project as a DynamicSystem, time t1

Project as aDynamicSystem, time t2

Project as aDynamicSystem, time t3

Change Management ofEnabling Factors

Assess Project, t2

Assess Project, t3

Assess Project, t4

Project as a DynamicSystem, time t4

Influe

nce P

rojec

t by

Chan

ging M

anag

emen

t of

Enab

ling F

actor

s

Asse

ss Pr

oject,

t1 1

2

3

4

Continuous Learning and Practice

35

Slide 36


Projectstatus

at time t1

Projectstatus

at time t3Projectstatus

at time t4

Project statusat time t5

Health of the Projectassessed at time t1

by Project HealthCheck

PH-Check ReportCard

(enabling factors)

Project progressestimated at time

t1 by projectmanager

Project ProgressReport (Cost,

Time, Quality,...)

Correlateenabling factors

& measuredresults

Interventionrequired?

Applyintervention Next

Assessment

Projectstatus

at time t2

Project Life Cycle

Yes No

Projectstatus

at time t0

Projects/Organisations As Dynamic Systems

36



Slide 37

www.apicollege.edu.au ©. Copyright APIC 2012After Lester, 1994

Transformative Professionals

37

Slide 38


Socio Cultural Competencies Are The Foundation

-Socio-cultural and Personal Competencies

Technical Competencies(base discipline)

Managerial & LeadershipCompetencies

38

This slide shows that nowadays professional people need multiple competencies to perform optimally. In the case of managers these competencies range from technical (or base discipline) competencies (particularly in functional roles); management competencies (PM for project-based management and GM for functional management) and socio-cultural competencies (sometimes referred to as leadership and soft competencies. The latter is also known as “attitude”. The multiple model of professional competencies is not only based on the fact that the balance between project, functional and leadership roles varies considerably from one assignment to others. It also reflects the fact the nowadays all these competencies are applied by the professionals in just about any type of assignment they undertake. More importantly though, it is manifestation of a need for each professional person to see his/her career as a micro-business and thus acquire the right balance of competencies in order to maximise his/her potential for professional engagement and maturity.



Slide 39


• Projects, programs and organisations behave as complex dynamic systems

• Characterised by complexity, uncertainty and change• Professional tasks are messy, complex and dynamic• Need strong leadership, communication, negotiation,

conflict resolution and other soft skills• Professionals should be encouraged to reach

transformative state with focus on:– Socio-cultural and leadership competencies– Creativity– Value focus – Holistic and systems approach

Part 1: Summary

39

Slide 40


PART 2 SETTING DEVELOPMENTGOALS & OBJECTIVES

The Future and YouEnvisioning the Future and Setting Goals

40



Slide 41


Peer Assessment

L&D Goals

Competencies Possessed

L&D Plan

Competencies Needed

Values & Ethics

Competency Gaps Opportunitiesfor

Development

ProfessionalBenchmarking

Overall Process

BigPicture

41

This slide shows the overall Professional Development Planning Process designed to facilitate a systematic approach to the preparation by each individual professional to own learning and self development. In this session the focus will be on understanding uncertainty, discontinuity and future change with emphasis on the relevant industry sectors. It also includes setting oneself appropriate career development goals while taking into account the foreseeable changes.



Slide 42


Environmental Scanning

42

• Environmental scanning & team experience lead to:

• Identification of issues/concerns

• These are analysed as future trends and events

• Cross impacts are also analysed

• Alternative scenarios developed & evaluated

• Leading to both policy changes and action plans

(After James L. Morrison, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Thomas V. Mecca, Piedmont Technical College, 1989)

Environmental Scanning / Team Experience

Issues / Concerns

Defined as EventsDefined as Trends

Trend Forecasts Event Forecasts

Cross Impact AnalysisMost Likely

FutureAlternative Scenarios

Policy Analysis

Action Plans

The process adopted for envisioning the future is shown in the chart above which has been recommended by James L. Morrison, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Thomas V. Mecca, Piedmont Technical College, 1989. See: http://horizon.unc.edu/courses/papers/Mang.asp The article by Morrison and Mecca was first published in: John C. Smart, (ed). (1989). Higher Education: Handbook of Theory and Research (Vol. 5, pp. 334 - 382). New York: Agathon Press. All PDP participants are encouraged to apply this process even though some of the required information may be hard to get.



Slide 43


Perils Of Forecasting The Future

• “We are living in a period of the most wonderful transitions which tend rapidly to accomplish that great end to which, indeed, all history points - the realisation of the unity of mankind”.

Prince Albert in 1851, at the launch of the Great Exhibition

43

This quotation (see: http://www.scenario-planning.com/art5.htm) shows that future forecasting is a risky business.



Slide 44


The Future Isn’t An Extension Of The Past

• In 1978 100 scientists participated in predicting the future via responding to 20 questions

• As of 1995 only one of the advances predicted has taken shape

• However, many advances that were not covered did take place

• Retro-respectively, the future predictions of the past look quaint & naïve

• Notwithstanding, this the benefits still exceed efforts, (e.g. enhanced learning)

44

This example shows that even experts cannot predict what can happen in a particular field. Details are given in Alan Carrick http://www.personal.u-net.com/~acolyte/Delphic11.html The article by Alan Carrick was first printed in " Spectroscopy Europe" (Vol. 7 No. 3, May/June 1995) Suggested Further Reading: "Megatrends", John Naisbitt, Macdonald & Co., London, 1984 (ISBN 0 7088 2508 7) "Profiles of the Future", Arthur C. Clarke, (Revised 1973), Victor Gollancz Ltd., London,

(ISBN 0 330 23619 9) "Prophecy and Progress", Krishnan Kumar, Allen Lane, London, 1978 (ISBN 0 7139 1146 8) "The Third Wave", Alvin Toffler, William Collins Sons & Co., London, 1980 (ISBN 0 330

26337 4)



Slide 45


Environmental Scanning

• Seeks to understand the future uncertainty or major discontinuities in the environment & evaluate their impact on self or organisation

• Removal of uncertainty is not the focus• Making it visible & ultimately factoring it in is• Likely future states are considered• Sources of change are also considered• Relevant megatrends in particular are studied• Scenarios developed to represent the likely states &

discontinuities

45

Environmental analysis and forecasting are based upon a number of assumptions, among them the following (Boucher and Morrison, 1989 Alternative Recruiting Environments for the U.S. Army. Alexandria, VA: Army Research Institute): • The future cannot be predicted, but it can be forecasted probabilistically taking explicit

account of uncertainty. • Forecasts are virtually certain to be useless or misleading if they do not sweep widely

across possible future developments in such areas as demography, values and lifestyles, technology, economics, law and regulation, and institutional change.

• Alternative futures including the "most likely'' future are defined primarily by human judgment, creativity, and imagination.

• The aim of defining alternative futures is to try to determine how to create a better future than the one that would materialize if we merely kept doing essentially what is presently being done.



Slide 46


Developing Plausible Scenarios

• Understand what has happened in the immediate past• Think of all possible developments that can happen in the

near future• Consider the dynamics of the related industries• Consider the international scene• What will be in demand & what will not?• Use group brainstorming/exchange methods• Develop alternative scenarios

46

An excerpt from Morrison & Mecca, 1989: Scenarios are narrative descriptions of possible futures. A single scenario represents a history of the future. The "most likely" future, for example, contains all of the forecasts from the forecasting activity in a narrative weaving them together from some point in the future, describing the history of how they unfolded. Alternatives to this future are based upon the occurrence or non-occurrence of particular events in the event set. Such alternatives define unique mixes of future environmental forces that may impact…. [upon the organisation or individual under consideration]. Numerous approaches can be taken in writing the scenarios, ranging from a single person writing a description of a future situation (Martino, 1983) to the use an interactive computer model that uses cross-impact analysis to generate outlines of the alternatives (Enzer, 1980a,b; Mecca and Adams, 1985; Goldfarb and Huss, 1988) . A broader range of scenario writing an approach is described by Mitchell, Tydeman, and Georgiades (1979), Becker (1983), and Boucher 1985).



Slide 47


Trends Forecasting• Focus on one industry sector (though in the context of

the big picture)• Gather information from all sources; focus on hard data• Summarise relevant past trends• Study historical patterns• Interview experts• Consider related industries• Use an appropriate method to forecast trends

47

Forecasts are judged, according to Boucher (1984, as reported in Boucher and Morrison, 1989), on the following criteria: 1. Clarity. Are the objects of the forecast and the forecast itself intelligible? Is it clear enough for practical purposes? Users may, for example, be incapable of rigorously defining "GNP" or "the strategic nuclear balance," but they may still have a very good ability to deal with forecasts of these subjects. On the other hand, they may not have the least familiarity with the difference between households and families, and thus be puzzled by forecasts in this area. Do users understand how to interpret the statistics used in forecasting (i.e., medians, interquartile ranges, etc.)? 2. Intrinsic credibility. To what extent do the results "make sense" to planners? Do the results have "face validity"? 3. Plausibility. To what extent are the results consistent with what the user knows about the world outside of the scenario and how this world really works or may work in the future? 4. Policy relevance. If the forecasts are believed to be plausible, to what extent will they affect the successful achievement of the user's mission or assignment? 5. Urgency. To what extent do the forecasts indicate that, if action is required, time must be spent fairly quickly to develop and implement the necessary changes? 6. Comparative advantage. To what extent do the results provide a better foundation now for investigating policy options than other sources available to the user today? To what extent do they provide a better foundation now for future efforts in forecasting and policy planning? 7. Technical quality. Was the process that produced the forecasts technically sound? To what extent are the basic forecasts mutually consistent?



Slide 48


Megatrends• They define how a particular industry sector or national

economy is changing in the next 2, 3 or… years• Megatrends: summary of facts synthesised from the

relevant information• Define a pattern & show clear developmental trends• Useful for blue sky thinking• See sample, i.e. Executive Summary for environmental

goods and services

48

Morrison & Mecca, 1989: “Trends are a series of social, technological, economic, or political characteristics that can be estimated and/or measured over time. They are statements of the general direction of change, usually gradual and long-term, and reflect the forces shaping the region, nation, or society in general. This information may be subjective or objective. For example, a subjective trend is the level of support for a public college by the voters in the state. An objective trend would be the amount of funding provided to all public institutions in the state. An event is a discrete, conformable occurrence that makes the future different from the past. An example would be: ''Congress mandates a period of national service for all l 7-20-year-olds. "



Slide 49


PD Goals & Career Plans• Mega trends• Determine target industry sector • Strategic goals of employer: Entering new markets or

improving the performance of existing projects • Short term goals: Successfully complete your own training

and be certified under selected Standard for a role• Mid term goals: Grow your career to middle or senior

management level • Long term goals: become a recognised authority and

acknowledged expert across heavy engineering & complex projects

• Write a statement of your roles and responsibilities while undergoing training

• Define clearly how you see yourself in relation to the future development of your organisation or industry

49

This slide shows the process applied for goal setting. It is essential to learn the whole process of goal setting systemically. Many pieces of information will need to be gathered and analysed; these include (but not limited to) the following: • Mega trends and dynamics of the respective industry sector • Employer or client entity needs • Personal goals and aspirations • Project/program/portfolio needs • Career progression plan (stages, roles, rewards and so on) In corporate sponsored training individual goals are normally derived from the organisation’s Strategic HR Plan. In some cases the goals are derived from the industry plans or government policies that show the future directions of the respective industry sector. Naturally to build new projects efficiently and profitably, the industry needs competent managers. Envision yourself as a key player in this process who will lead the challenges in the selected industry sector.



Slide 50


• China needs to build 85,000 Km additional expressways and 90,000 Km of railways

• Urbanisation will rise from 43% to 60% by 2020• Massive challenges faced in energy, pollution abatement,

water resources, healthcare, housing etc.• All of these require competent project, program and

portfolio managers and strategic leaders• McKinsey Quarterly (No. 4, 2005) makes a compelling case

for competency development of managers in China

Example Of Relevant Industry Trends In China

50

One needs to consider how the world is evolving and in particular how it might impact an individual’s career in the near to long term. Every industry and every sector within each industry is faced with massive changes brought about by a number of factors, some are global and others are local. These factors and the industry directions should be understood as these will aid one to select a career path that aligns with the developments of chosen industry sectors. Management education is most effective if it is customised to respond to specific challenges and settings.



Slide 51


Process To Be Followed By Individuals

51

• The same process needs to be applied• First map the future dynamics in your field• Thoroughly analyse what emerging trends and scenarios

are• Place yourself in the envisioned future• What roles you would like to play• Focus on how you can capitalise on the emerging

opportunities & militate against threats

This process may be applied by an organisation or an individual professional though in the case of an individual the process can be simplified. To assist the participants in understanding some of the dynamics of change better I have included several slides after this one. These are broad and general. Individuals should undertake further research in their own particular fields.



Slide 52


90% of white collar jobs will be gone within 10 – 15 years

Assumption: smart systems (software robots) will replace and accurately outperform white collar workers (in my opinion it mainly refers to some repetitive low level tasks)

In 1970 it took 540 man-days to unload a ship. After containerisation it dropped to 8 (a 98.5% reduction!!)

The Predictions (Tom Peters, 2000)

52

We might not agree with Tom Peters and his alarmist style. However, his views can prompt us to consider change as an essential force that will shape the future. The magnitude and speed of change are unknown. Or change might come in different ways but change is inevitable and anticipation prepares us for easy transition. I am using the quotations from Peters to focus on the factors that are in operation silently to change today’s economic and business models. 90% of white collar jobs will be gone within 10 – 15 years A catastrophe given that 90% of all jobs are white collar (even manufacturing, agriculture and mining depend on it) Assumption: smart systems (software robots) will replace and accurately outperform white collar workers The automation of physical systems eliminated large quantities of blue collar workers despite resistance by unions; the same will happen to white collar workers In 1970 it took 540 man-days to unload a ship. After containerisation it had dropped to 8 (a 98.5% reduction!!)



Slide 53


1. The competitive pressure by new e-enterprises2. Automation of white collar jobs3. Global outsourcing4. B2B will link/integrate supply chains: Fast procurement

globally5. Fast pace of innovation: It took 37 years for radio to get to

50 million homes. The Web 4 years!

Tom Peter’s 5 Drivers for Change

53

• The new e-enterprises will squeeze massive waste out of the system (they speed up access

to services globally) • Smart enterprise software will replace & automate much of white collar & executive tasks

(they will do to white collar workers what robots & containerisation did to blue collar workers in 60’s & 70’s)

• Global Outsourcing: E.g. car parts and components are sourced from various parts then shipped to the assembly plant.

• B2B will link/integrate supply chains:Fast procurement globally, E.g. Auto makers web in the US, Medibuy in medical supply etc.

• Fast pace of innovation: It took 37 years for radio to get to 50 million homes. The Web 4 years!



Slide 54


• Committed to self-designed, do-it-from-anywhere, with-anybody “career” path

• Works on numerous assignments and jobs in different capacities often for short burst of times

• Relieved by white collar robots of 95% drudge work• Adding value through high level intellectual inputs

The Life of a Professional, 2010 (Peters)

54

• Committed to self-designed, do-it-from-anywhere, with-anybody “career” path • Works on numerous assignments and jobs in different capacities often for short burst of

times • Relieved by white collar robots of 95% drudge work • Adding value through high level intellectual inputs As seen, there is a degree of contradiction with Peters’ earlier precept that 90% of White Collar jobs disappear, as in this slide he claims that software robots will relief the future professionals from drudgery work, not replace their jobs. However, routine jobs that can be handled by information and process automation will experience decline. Examples have already been witnessed in the banking industry where many tellers have been replaced by auto-tellers, many branches have closed and more and more customers are encouraged to do their banking via the auto-tellers, phone banking and online.



Slide 55


• Leaving her financial planning to her software robot• Relies on her robotic agent (personalised software) for

promotion and next assignments through the Internet• Develops her potential through the Net too, • Delivers her inputs via a far flung virtual teammates

most of whom she has never met

The Life of a Professional, 2010 (Peters)

55

• Leaving her financial planning to her software robot • Relies on her robotic agent (personalised software) for promotion and next assignments

through the Internet • Develops her potential through the Net too, committed to continuous personal &

professional growth • Delivers her inputs via a far flung virtual teammates most of whom she has never met Just to put some substance to the above hypothesis, I would like to state that in the education we are moving to deliver learning and development courses through the Internet. APIC’s Programs have students from 4 continents of the world and can respond to the educational needs of individual and corporations anywhere in the world in this field.



Slide 56


Ten Tec-enabled Business Trends to Watch

• Distributed co-creation moves into the mainstream• Making the network the organization• Collaboration at scale• The growing ‘Internet of Things’• Experimentation and big data• Wiring for a sustainable world• Imagining anything as a service• The age of the multisided business model• Innovating from the bottom of the pyramid• Producing public good on the grid

56McKinsey Quarterly e-Newsletter, August 2010



Slide 57


Hottest jobs:• Tissue Engineers• Gene Programmers• Pharmers• Frankenfood Monitors• Data Miners• Hot-line Handymen• Virtual Reality Actors• Narrowcasters• Turing Testers• Knowledge Engineers

Jobs that will disappear:• Brokers, car dealers,

insurance & RE agents• Teachers• Printers• Stenographers• CEOs• Orthodontists• Prison Guards• Truckers• House Keepers• Fathers (& mothers?)

The Future Job Scene (Time Magazine, 26/6/00)

57

Hottest jobs:

• Tissue Engineers: scientists who grow organ tissues and thus build organs outside human body for human transplant applications

• Gene Programmers: Professionals who through computer coding and smart molecules attempt to correct hereditary DNA deficiencies and thus prevent the onset of, or block the progress of diseases that currently are incurable

• Pharmers: Growers of specially engineered food that has special therapeutic properties, such as vaccine carrying tomatoes.

• Frankenfood Monitors: Eco-scouts who watch out for the feral genes and varieties of genetically manufactured foods that have defective genes necessitating their quick identification and elimination. Eco-scouts will ensure that naturally occurring foods are kept uncontaminated at least in reserve areas to have a scientific basis for tracing genetic modifications over time.

• Data Miners: Who can locate useful patterns from masses of data for example for identifying market behaviour or for discovering patterns of epidemics etc.



Slide 58


• Main challenges in managing uniqueness, working creatively, handling major discontinuities & participating in the global world of trade, entertainment & leisure

• Managerial competencies needed by individuals alongside base discipline and socio-cultural skills

• These trends are already with us but will accelerate

What It Means In Terms Of Management

58

The preceding slides and discussions have set the scene in terms of where the world is going generally and the nature of change that is sweeping our world. I made some passing references to the role that managers can play in management of change and the emerging business models. However, I have not mapped up the true position of competent management in the emerging future. I will pick up this question up later. I will show that tacit knowledge, global awareness and perspectives, business acumen and technological knowledge will influence the success and organisations.



Slide 59


• The evidence presented suggests that professionals must undertake:⁻ A proper professional development program in leadership and

management early in their careers to develop themselves systematically

⁻ This is best studied as a postgraduate degree or diploma⁻ Provided it is not normative learning⁻ They also need to engage in life long learning

• Professional competencies are a professional’s main assets

• Need to be maintained & upgraded continuously• In case of a change of career one needs to acquire new

sets of perspective, knowledge, skills,…

What Should Be The Goals?

59

Slide 60


Future Readings (if interested):

• Managing Uncertainty: Environmental Analysis /Forecasting in Academic Planning

• James L. Morrison University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Thomas V. Mecca, Piedmont Technical College

• This article was published in: John C. Smart, (ed). (1989). Higher Education: Handbook of Theory and Research(Vol. 5, pp. 334 - 382). New York: Agathon Press.

http://horizon.unc.edu/courses/papers/Mang.asp

60

The above article is about forecasting the changes that can be expected by educational and academic institutions. However, its general methodology and approach are applicable to other types of environmental scanning and evaluation of uncertainties. At the end of the article there is a large list of further readings related to the individual areas covered. See also: http://horizon.unc.edu/courses/papers/Mang.asp



Slide 61


Further Readings

• "Megatrends", John Naisbitt, Macdonald & Co., London, 1984 (ISBN 0 7088 2508 7)

• "Profiles of the Future", Arthur C. Clarke, (Revised 1973), Victor Gollancz Ltd., London, (ISBN 0 330 23619 9)

• "Prophecy and Progress", Krishnan Kumar, Allen Lane, London, 1978 (ISBN 0 7139 1146 8)

• "The Third Wave", Alvin Toffler, William Collins Sons & Co., London, 1980 (ISBN 0 330 26337 4)

61

Slide 62


PART 3 DIMENSIONS OF

PROFESSIONALITY

Range of capabilities to nourishand sustain success

62



Slide 63


Dimensions of professionalism include:1. Knowledge2. Professional skills3. Creativity4. Ethics and leadership5. Research skills6. Social responsibility 7. Sustainable career

63

Professional Dimensions

Slide 64


• Dimensions include:– Know contemporary management knowledge well– Learn the underpinning leadership knowledge– Understand management in an interdisciplinary context– Be receptive to learning and development of new knowledge– Learn business and institutional contexts and dynamics – Demonstrate knowledge of project and corporate finance– Demonstrate principles of systems thinking and approach– Relate strategic planning, business formulation, quality and

procurement management in projects and organisations– Learn how to renew your knowledge in the face of

discontinuities and dissonance

64

Knowledge



Slide 65


Dimensions include:– Locate, analyse, evaluate and present project, program, portfolio and

organisational issues and related information– Plan project & business undertaking systematically and oversee their

execution– Balance skills, develop human resources and maintain skills– Contribute to monitoring, progress evaluation, reporting and

associated management control functions– Lead interdisciplinary teams and contribute to team’s productivity

and performance in an agile manner– Deploy information and communication (ICT) tools for superior

project/program/business unit performance and strategic advantage where possible

– Manage networks and relationships to achieve optimal results– Deploy technology to promote change

65

Professional Skills

Slide 66


Dimensions include:– Apply critical thinking and managerial problem solving to

achieve breakthrough solutions– Think creatively to generate innovative solutions and to

contribute to goals of projects, programs and organisations– Deliver results through clever change, smart leadership and

people– Set stretched targets to challenge the status quo, encourage

innovation and achieve paradigm shifts– Lead project/programs and business endeavours and contribute

to the development of creative skills in peers and subordinates results

66

Creativity



Slide 67


Dimensions include:– Commitment to the highest standards of professional ethics and

personal behaviour, professional and ethical relationships– Awareness of professional values and responsibilities to the wider

community, including the duty of care– Self appraisal and self development via feedback and reflective

practice– Role model (inspire colleagues and peers towards ethical conduct)– Promote efficiency and transparency– Uphold human values and integrity– Customer/stakeholders’ focus and value– Promotion of harmony and recognition of social and cultural diversity– Commitment to work to the law and within appropriate legal

structures in all business dealings– Commitment to achievement of quality, protection of the

environment and maintenance of occupational health and safety

67

Ethics and Leadership

Slide 68


Dimensions include:– Research methods and techniques, – Literature review and critical appraisal techniques– Data modelling and evaluation techniques– Development and testing of hypotheses– Interpretation and documentation of findings– Other aspects of conducting research

68

Research Skills



Slide 69


Dimensions include:– Green thinking: how to perceive, plan and interact in a green

economy (visions and underpinning value systems)– Fundamental knowledge of the green economy, relevant rules of

the game and institutional frameworks, laws and regulations – Transition to and operation of projects in a green economy – Framework for valuation and incorporation of green decisions and

sustainability premiums in projects/programs/ventures – Whole-of-life product/project/business conceptualisation,

development and implementation– Green organisations: strategy, planning, implementation and

performance assessment– Green communities, cities, and regions

69

Social and Environmental Responsibility

Slide 70


Dimensions include:– Whole of green government; services to citizens, businesses and

communities – International commerce and valuation of services in the green

economy – Tools and techniques to facilitate the conduct of business in the

green economy– Education and enculturation of students, practitioners, managers

and decision makers– Commitment to maintaining and developing professional green

skills in line with growing professional responsibilities

70

Social and Environmental Responsibility



Slide 71


Dimensions include:– Commitment to lifelong learning and the capacity to maintain

intellectual curiosity in project/program management and related disciplines

71

Sustainable Career

Slide 72


Scoring ModelDimension Knowledge Professional

SkillsCreativity Ethics &

LeadershipResearchSkills

SocialResponsibility

Sustainable Career

1 Score Score Score Score Score Score Score

2 Score Score Score Score Score Score




6 Score Score Score Score Score

7 Score Score Score Score

8 Score Score Score Score

9 Score Score Score

10 Score Score Score

11 Score Score

12 Score

72



Slide 73


• I hypothesise most managers score only in few (out of 52) boxes

• Yet professional performance depends on all of these

• The inability to meet the above criteria reflects the state of management as a whole

• It cannot be addressed by ad-hoc training • Proper professional development is vital• Needs an experiential and reflective learning

model

73

How Do You Score?

Slide 74


Systematic Professional Development

Curre

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ate

Desir

ed P

rofe

ssio

nal

Stat

e Prof

essio

nal

Deve

lopm

ent P

lan

Prof

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Deve

lopm

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74



Slide 75


• There is a strong case for management to be a knowledge-based profession

• That requires degree qualified managers who are:₋ Knowledgeable₋ Possess the right blend of professional skills₋ Are creative₋ And subscribe to continuous personal & professional self

development ₋ Possess research skills₋ Are committed to socially and ethically responsible conduct ₋ Contribute to the development of management and

sustainability of their own career

Part 3: Summary

75

Slide 76


PART 4 PROFESSIONAL VALUES AND

ETHICS

Range of capabilities to nourishand sustain success

76



Slide 77


Scope of Presentation

• Professionals and professionalism• Value systems• Ethics• Individual professional values and ethics

77



Slide 78


What is a profession?• “A recognisable occupation in which practitioners have

a degree of autonomy over their work, are involved in working with significant applied theory, and work within a framework of values and ethics which are broadly agreed across the occupation”

(Lester, 1994)

78

“Characteristics can be drawn up from any or all of these models to indicate what defines an occupation as a 'profession', such as the need for rigorous learning, the application of theory, members having a degree of autonomy, and a concern with particular values and ethics. These can be used variously as criteria, ideal types, or a mixture of minimum criteria (e.g. autonomy over work) and scales (cf. Schein's spectrum of formality from medicine to management). However, as Jarvis (1983) points out, using a list of empirically-derived criteria without an underlying theory can be arbitrary (and provides rules based on past practices rather than principles applicable to future ones).” (Lester, 1994)



Slide 79


3 Concepts Of Professionality (Lester, 1994)

• A learned / moral one (the ancient professions)• A technical / bureaucratic knowledge-based one (the

Industrial Revolution model, embracing both the professionalisation of the mediaeval trade guilds and the 20th century managerial professions)

• A more recent one based on reflective practice and values

79

The above conceptions of professions are useful in the sense that it shows an evolution path in terms of professions. Perhaps we are progressing to the situation where individuals not professional institutions hold and advance professionalism. For example, we are witnessing individual professionals developing themselves across many fronts and are driven primarily by a set of personal values within a global context. Lester (1994) states:

“I use professionalism in a different sense to professionality, so that it refers to proficiency coupled with ethics, values and action appropriate to the situation. It's possible to be a member of a profession without being a professional in a meaningful sense, and certainly without being professional; equally, it's possible to be a professional without being a member of a recognised profession, and to be professional (in the sense of professionalism) while pursuing a 'non-professional' occupation or acting as a layperson.”



Slide 80


Models Of ‘Profession’

• Stan Lester (1994) provides two basic models of professionality:– Normative – Reflective

• In the normative type, the title denotes the job contents. These professions are considered normally technical / bureaucratic

80

In normative type, members may be well trained and specialised. However, professionality must not stop at their work front. It typifies situations where members are clinically skilled but may not hold strong values and ethics. Members typically do their work professionally but do not consider broader issues or consequences associated with their action or reaction (including the welfare of the community). For example, in a military situation the professional solider may take his superior’s orders to kill innocent civilians in a methodical (professional) manner and take pride in professional efficiency or thoroughness. As Brig Gen (Ret.) Malham M. Wakin, a Permanent Professor Emeritus of the US Air Force Academy, and currently holding the William Lyon Chair in Professional Ethics at USAFA states: “Several years earlier, in confirming the Yamashita death sentence” General MacArthur said:

"The soldier, be he friend or foe, is charged with the protection of the weak and unarmed. It is the very essence and reason of his being. When he violates this sacred trust, he not only profanes his entire cult but threatens the fabric of international society." In this case of conflicting duties, my professional integrity tells me that my higher duty is to avoid harming the innocent and when I'm ordered to kill babies -- I can't do that.”



Slide 81


Reflective Type (Lester, 1994)

• In the reflective type - professionalism is based on a “portfolio of learning activities that develops the individual to the practitioner -integrated by common personal values and beliefs”.

81

Reflective professionals promote higher value systems and ethics. They are attuned to the social and ethical developments in the society and respond to the social needs of the communities they serve. They consider their responsibility to continuously learn and enrich themselves in order to ensure that they can practise successfully.



Slide 82


character technical, logical; problem-solving capability solvable, convergent problems approach solving problems; applying knowledge competently and rationally criteria logic, efficiency, planned outcomes; cause-effect, proof

epistemology objectivism: knowledge is stable and general; precedes and guides action

validation by reference to others' expectations: standards, accepted wisdom, established discourse; 'truth'

thinking primarily deductive / analytical; sceptical of intuition

profession a bounded, externally-defined role, characterised by norms, values and a knowledge-base common to the profession

professionalism objectivity, rules, codes of practice professional standards

defined by the employer, professional body or other external agency according to its norms and values

professional development

initial development concerned with acquiring knowledge, developing competence and enculturation into the profession's value system; continuing development concerned with maintaining competence and updating knowledge

After Lester, 1994

The Normative Professional

82

This Table of point comparison has been designed by Lester (1994) to systematically compare the normative and reflective models of professionalism. It is postulated that the reflective model is far more relevant to the profession of project management than normative model. However, the current focus on education and or training or professional certification of project managers is based on the normative model.



Slide 83

www.apicollege.edu.au ©. Copyright APIC 2012After Lester, 1994

Reflective Professionals

83

In terms of profession, the contrast is very revealing. In the normative model practitioners follow a set of norms, values and a knowledge base common to the profession. In the reflective model the practitioners conduct a portfolio of learningful activity individual to them, integrated by their personal identity, perspectives, values and capabilities. I call this ‘holistic’ professional development.



Slide 84


Behaviour, Attitude, Value (Lily Pond Model)

84(Hofstede, 1991)

Hofstede (1991) in his book “Culture and Organizations: Software of the Mind” (McGraw Hill,) states that basic human mental programming determines our approaches to personal relationships, business transactions and management. The Lily Pond model provides a visual representation of the interrelationships. Values are based on the ingrained assumptions about what is right or wrong. He found that the underlying human assumptions are based on family, education, linguistic, gender, social, regional, religious and ethnic backgrounds (cultural and family influences). Values influence the attitudes and beliefs which in turn influence our behaviour. Of course, what is seen is the surface of the pond; what should be taken into account in any cultural transformation is the entire value system. The top layer is behaviour, which can be described as manner of behaving or conducting oneself (Dictionary.com, 2012), this is the way in which individuals interact with the world around them. The second layer is attitude, which can be described as manner, disposition, feeling, position, etc., with regard to a person or thing; tendency or orientation, especially of the mind (Dictionary.com, 2012), this is the way individuals think about the world around them. The third layer is values, which can be described as relative worth, merit, or importance of an accepted or professed rule of action or conduct (Dictionary.com, 2012), this is the way individuals apply relative worth to events or priorities in the world around them. The bottom layer is the unquestioned assumptions, which can be described as something taken for granted; a supposition (Dictionary.com, 2012), this is the way individuals determine what is right and wrong in the world around them.



Slide 85


Value System www.unm.edu/~pamo/frm3.htm

• Value Orientation- a person's internally integrated value system

• Affective Domain- value meanings derived from one's own feelings

• Cognitive Domain- value meanings derived from one's thinking about events, situations, groups of people, and things.

85

The above web site provides an interesting set of definitions for value. As seen, our value system is formed principally by our life experiences, primarily from external stimuli and associated learning and reflection over a long period. In a sense, our value system becomes an inseparable part of us and it grows with us. The concepts of right and wrong are first etched in our character through our learning and following of our parents.



Slide 86


Value System• Without a proper value and ethics there can be no

professionalism as these drive behaviour and attitudes• Behaviour- what people actually do• Attitudes- concepts that may express values, serve as a

means of evaluation, or demonstrate feeling in regard to some idea, person, object, event, situation, or relationship

86

Behaviour and attitudes displayed by us in all conscious activities manifest our internal value system. All our activities are guided by our value systems. Professional attitude and behaviour tended to be developed through close interaction with senior practitioners of the profession. Nowadays it is more a function of how far the practitioners can read and respond to the social developments and other trends in the society. The values held by individuals may thus exceed those enshrined by the professions in their respective codes of conduct.



Slide 87


• Absolute Values- extreme and definitive; such values can be described in terms of black and white

• Relative Values- interpreted based on the context• Intrinsic Values- ends in themselves• Extrinsic Values- derive their worth or meaning from

someone or something else• Traditional Values- commonly held by the predominant

society in which one lives

87

Value System

There are all sorts of values, absolute values, such as personal honesty, relative values such as the right of the individual versus that of the community, intrinsic values, such as following a transparent process in decision making, extrinsic values, where the value is based on external influences, such as taking an industrial action against nuclear use or banning the purchase of goods manufactured by child or prison labour. The traditional values are most commonly understood and adhered to by members of a community such as social equity/justice: “a fair go for all” or national unity: “sticking together at times of crisis” or the community’s right to know etc. Traditional values are sometimes referred to as ‘ethos’ and are aligned to cultural beliefs and tendencies that bind members of a community together. They vary however across communities and nations. Many of the so-called traditional values are historically influenced by religious and civic codes of conduct (c.f. Victorian etiquette in Britain), as well as liberal thinking and recognition of human rights.



Slide 88


• Personal Values- values individuals hold for themselves, such as courage and forgiveness

• Professional Values- related to jobs and careers, for example, being ambitious, capable, or logical

• Instrumental Values- preferences for general modes of conduct, such as being helpful, loving, or intellectual

• Terminal Values- preferences for end states of existence, such as equality, freedom, or a comfortable life

88

Value System

The main conflict is sometimes between personal and professional values. Such conflicts may motivate an individual to quit any formal association with relevant professional bodies or he/she may be expelled and fined for breaches of relevant professional codes of conduct. The classic example is that of doctors who believe in euthanasia but are unable to practice it due to their professional code of conduct. Or the solicitor who quits the legal profession as a protest against exorbitant fees charged by lawyers for legal assistance which may deprive sections of the community from access to legal services.



Slide 89


What is Ethics?

• Ethics might be defined as the set of value-laden decisions made by professionals in conduct of their professions

• Thus value-system guides and propels the individuals to make certain types of decision & behave in a certain manner

89

Ethics are rules, whether personal or professional or organisational, that are adopted in the conduct of business or profession or daily activities in life to uphold a set of values enshrined in the rules. If one wants to pursue a profession one often has to abide by the ethical rules of that profession even when one is not a formal member of the relevant professional body. This is because the society places moral duty and expectations upon professionals. The society does not look favourably at those who engage in unethical behaviour. Very often the rules of personal, professional and organisational conduct are enmeshed and the professional person is faced with adopting a consistent set of ethics across the board. Unethical behaviour is not necessarily illegal; it may trigger professional misconduct charges. For example, charging exorbitant fees is not illegal but it may be unethical. The questions individual professionals face are many, e.g. what set of rules must they adopt for personal and professional conduct? What roles in terms of ethics (business ethos) they need to play inside their employer organisation? What processes (transparent or hidden) will they follow? What values will be beyond compromise to them and how far are they prepared to go to defend the same?



Slide 90


Integrity Diligence Efficiency Equality Equity Freedom Honesty

Honour Knowledge Loyalty Pleasure Safety Security Trust

Selected Human Values

90

Integrity: Not compromising your values, always acting ethically Diligence: Attentive care, the quality of being diligent to all tasks Efficiency: Producing the results with least efforts, waste or cost Equality: Upholding the principles of equal social, economic & cultural rights Equity: Upholding the principles of fairness, justice & impartiality Freedom: Upholding of the rights of individuals to full freedom to speak, act, think or move without restraints Honesty: Upholding the truth even when it is materially against one’s personal or business interests Honour: Upholding of esteem, respect, reverence and reputation in both feelings and expressions of these characters Knowledge: Pursuit of knowledge, through study, reflection and experience; development of cognitive and intellectual faculty Loyalty: The quality of being loyal to self & others, particularly with reference to one’s duties and obligations, delivering on one’s promises Pleasure: The right to the state of happiness, pursuit of satisfying activities Safety: Freedom from danger, risk or injury Security: Freedom from doubt, reliability and stability concerning the future Trust: Firm reliance on integrity, ability, or character of a person or thing; implies depth and assurance of such feeling. (Adopted from Walsh 1995: 324)



Slide 91


Professional Codes Of Ethics• Each profession has a code of ethics• Continued certification/registration depend on

observing the code• PMI, AIPM and IPMA all require certified members to

adhere to their code of ethics• If found acting outside the code, a professional can be

reprimanded or excluded from the membership list

91

Preamble to Professional Ethics: “The American College Personnel Association (ACPA) is an association whose members are dedicated to enhancing the worth, dignity, potential, and uniqueness of each individual within post-secondary educational institutions and thus to the service of society. ACPA members are committed to contributing to the comprehensive education of the student, protecting human rights, advancing knowledge of student growth and development, and promoting the effectiveness of institutional programs, services, and organizational units. As a means of supporting these commitments, members of ACPA subscribe to the following principles and standards of ethical conduct. Acceptance of membership in ACPA signifies that the member agrees to adhere to the provisions of this statement.” (ACPA, 1992) As seen, the above statement is declaration of a value system which has been the basis for development of the relevant rules of conduct. This example shows how value system drives ethics.



Slide 92


Legal & Ethical Domain (Walsh, 1995)

92(After Walsh, 1995)

This Figure (Adopted from Walsh 1995: 326) shows the 4 quadrants that define a space for professional practice. Quadrant 1 is the normal space for professional and personal conduct. Quadrant 2 is when a person takes a conscious decision to break the law for a cause that is considered very dear in terms of the values that the individual holds. For example, blowing the cover on an activity that while legal is considered to be adversely affecting the environment or unfairly affecting a section of the community. Another simple example mentioned by Walsh (1995) is that of a driver exceeding legal speed limit to rush a person to hospital in an emergency. Quadrant 3 is an area that professional bodies seek to regulate. For example, under certain law it may not be illegal not to act in good faith. Other examples include taking on work outside one’s area of competence, disclosing client information without permission (where no legal barrier exists) etc. Quadrant 4 is the worst areas and clearly subject to both criminal sanctions and disciplinary actions by relevant professional bodies. Examples include illegal conduct, such as deception, fraud etc.



Slide 93


Ethics Vs. Time• Ethics and value system shift with time• Today’s acceptable conduct could equal to tomorrow’s

unethical behaviour• Shift from control by ethics to legislation• More emphasis on new ethics such as sustainability,

socially & ethically responsible conduct in business, community right to know, transparency, etc.

93

“There are a lot of arguments one could raise why ethics should not be included as a required course of study for the professional engineer. One I have heard from individual members of jurisdictional boards is, "You can’t teach a value system to an eighteen to twenty year old individual. They either have it instilled within them by their parents and peers by that time or they don’t." That may be, but does that relieve us of the obligation to provide that individual with the knowledge of what is considered professionally ethical where such knowledge can be imparted? Does that relieve us of the responsibility to offer some guidance to help them through the maze when the line between right and wrong is not so apparent? Another often heard and previously alluded to argument is, "If ethics coursework is a requirement, something of value will have to go to make room for it." This is a valid argument. Certainly an ethically competent but technically incompetent engineer would be a threat to the health, safety and welfare of the public. Can we afford to make it an either/or proposition? I think not. If the answer to a complete education in engineering is a five year degree program, then that should be the standard.” (Greene, National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying, 2000)



Slide 94


Specify Your Value System & Ethics

• Correct value system aids achieving professional / career goals sought

• Example values: Professional integrity, defence of justice, upholding of human rights, honour, trust (SOFT principle)

• Society’s expectation, role of PM profession, trends, environment, teamwork attitude, vision, creative spirit, open communication, sustainability customers / stakeholders / community rights & transparent decision making

94

Using the information provided and your sources, you need to specify the value system and the ethics that you would wish to follow (or following) in pursuit of your professional goals. As already discussed, value system can be personal or professional or organisation (or community at large). These should be in alignment with the achievement of professional goals. E.g. if a person aspires to project directorship position this person needs to subscribe to trust & teamwork as sacrosanct values. Likewise, professional integrity is a must. Please note that a person’s value system may transcend the values incorporated into a particular professional body’s code of conduct, as the latter defines a minimum standard of behaviour and within the narrow confines of the activities covered by the body under consideration. So adoption of a broader value system is critical. Also, the code of ethics may define a minimum (as opposed to an ideal or inspiring) standard of conduct; in practice, higher ethics may be necessary. Correct personal ethos are the foundation for leadership.



Slide 95


Further Readings:• Walsh, S G. (1995). Engineering Your Future. Prentice Hall PTR. P. 439.• Wakin, M M. Professional Integrity http://www.usafa.af.mil/core-

value/integrity.html • Jose J. Soto, J.D. “21 Cultural Competencies for the 21st Century.” Published in In

Motion Magazine April 22, 2001. http://www.inmotionmagazine.com/soto6.html

• Lester, S. (1994). On professionalism and professionality. Sherwood House, 137 Kingston Road, Taunton TA2 7SR. Other papers by Stan Lester about professions and professional development:– "Becoming a profession: conservation in the United Kingdom," draft for

Journal of the Society of Archivists (2002)– "Beyond knowledge and competence: towards a framework for professional

education", Capability 1(3), 44-52 (1995)– Overcoming the Education - Training Divide: the case of professional

development, Redland Papers Autumn 1996 1-8– "Professional qualifications and continuing development: a practitioner

perspective", Capability 1(4), 16-22 (1995)– "From map-reader to map-maker: moving beyond knowledge and

competence", Professional Capability: Requirements and Accreditation Leeds, Higher Education for Capability (1996)

95

Slide 96


PART 5 APIC’S APPROACH

Leadership, Project, Program, Portfolio, Business and General Management

Competencies

96



Slide 97


• APIC does not provide Industry Certification nor Standards

• APIC supplies the building blocks for adoption/customisation by any enterprise or industry sector

• An enterprise or industry sector can define own Standards

• APIC assists organisations to adopt/design a holistic framework to transition to competence based development and management

• APIC provides an end-to-end service, from assessment to competency development, certification and organisational support

APIC’s Facilitation Role

97

Slide 98


APIC’s Integrated Approach

Online L&D Planner


Online Competency

Assessment Tool

Online Project Diagnostic Tool

Organisational Strategic/HR Plan

Organisational Diagnostic Tool

98



Slide 99


Career Progression Pathway Role/Title

Certified Senior Project Executive (CSPE)

Certified Project Director (CPD)

Certified Project Manager (CPM)

Certified Project Line Manager (CPLM)

Qualified Project Practitioner (QPP)

An Example of Customised Enterprise Certification System

99

Slide 100


• Chart of Competencies comprises 13 areas divided into 54 units and 156 elements

• It is an inventory incorporating leadership, project, program, portfolio and business management competencies

• Major emphasis is on leadership and behavioural competencies as well as project business management competencies

• It can be downloaded from www.apicollege.edu.au (public document)

• APIC also offers on-line interactive competency assessment tools and facilities

• As well as professional development planning templates

APIC P3M Chart of Competencies

100



Slide 101


Excerpt of P3M Chart of Competencies (APIC)

101



Slide 102


Division of P3M Competencies

102

13 Competency

Areas

56 Competency Units

156 Competency Elements

Slide 103


Project-based Organisational Competencies

103

Venture and project economics and financeProject/program delivery systemsProject formulation and business planningAdvanced risk and uncertainty management

Project/program strategic intent, business case, framework and governance Strategic project, program and portfolio managementAssessment and development of project-based organisations

Socio-cultural and personal competenceProject/program leadership and change managementProject/program H/R, communications, integration management

Project/program information and communications systems Project scope/time and cost management Project quality, risk and procurement management

P3M Clusters of Competencies

Behavioural Competencies

Traditional PM Competencies

Project Business Management Competencies



Slide 104


Business (Functional) Management Cluster of Competencies

104

Typical Core Functions in Organisations

Slide 105


Core

SBM2101 Operations Management 2101-A Principles of Operations Management A1 General principles

A2 Resource acquisition and utilisation

2101-B Operations Design and Improvement B1 Analysis of operations, design and alternatives

B2 Improving operational performance

2101-C Standards, Laws and Regulations C1 Operations standards

C2 Fulfilling legal and regulatory requirements SBM2102 Marketing and Business 2102-A Effective Marketing A1 Understanding the role and function of marketing in businesses

Communications A2 Segmenting market and formulating marketing strategies, plans and activities

A3 Applying techniques to deliver results at various stages of marketing

A4 Participate in the assessment, development and balancing of high performance teams

2102-B Effective Business Communication B1 Understanding the role and function of business communications

B2 Understanding the relationships between marketing and business communications on the one hand, and organisational performance on the other

B3 Determining the communication, information and documentation requirements of an organisation

B4 Designing formal processes and supporting ICT infrastructure for effective business communications across the whole enterprise

SBM2103 Financial Management 2103-A Principles of Financial Management A1 General principles of financial management

A2 Accounting principles

2103-B Financial Analysis B1 Analysis of alternatives

Excerpt of Functional Management CoC (APIC)

105



Slide 106


Global Role Family

106

Slide 107


Business Management Programs

107

Business Management Programs teach and prepare candidates for certification in multiple roles:• Senior Executive• Strategic Manager• Functional Manager • Line Manager• Team Leaders

Individuals can progress to obtain a formal graduate degree from APIC by completing additional work



Slide 108


Setting Standards – Functional Organisations

108

Role Competency Areas Performance Criteria3

Team Leader Core areas known in APIC system as Foundation competencies (see BM Competency Chart in Appendix A)

Target set as Mean plus 1 SD obtained from a sample of current appointees

Line Manager Core GM competencies plus at least 2 competency areas that are core for the given specialisation


Function Manager Core GM competencies plus 4 competency areas that are core for the given specialisation


SBU (Program) Manager

Core plus 4 competency areas relevant to leadership and strategic management, plus 2 in business planning and finance

Must perform at level 4 in 4 key areas, determined specifically in each business unit and parent organisation

Senior (Portfolio) Manager

Core plus 4 competency areas relevant to leadership and strategic management, plus 2 in business planning and finance, 2 in governance and risk management

Must perform at level 4 in 6 key areas, determined specifically in each organisation and portfolio

See APIC Chart of Competencies for Functional OrganisationsPerformance criteria can be defined at either unit or element level.

Slide 109


CFM

QMP

CMP

CPM

CSM

Executive Diploma

GradCertBM

GradDipBM

MBM

MBA (PPM)

Academic AwardsCertification Titles Career Progression Pathway Role/Title

Certified Strategic Manager (CSM)

Certified SBU (Program) Manager

Certified Function Manger (CFM)

Certified Management Practitioner (CMP)

Qualified Management Practitioner (QPP)

Functional OrganisationsCertification and Career Progression Pathway

109



Slide 110


The Journey to Leadership Role

110

Analyst Leader

Slide 111


Socio-cultural and Personal Competence

111

Code Competency Area Competency Unit Code Competency Element

CPD1101Socio-cultural & Personal Competencies

Generic A1 The general state of acting and performing as a professional

Leadership A2 The direction, motivation and management of individuals and teams

Commitment A3 The personal dedication to task and to project outcomes

Attitude A4 The frame of mind that promotes integrity and support for achievement of project goals within a desired social context

Self direction A5 The ability to manage within and without guidelines and processes and to work without supervision

Learning A6The commitment to continuous improvement in knowledge, skills and attitude, and to creating new knowledge, developing skills and approaches

Cultural empathy A7 The awareness of, respect for and accommodation of individual lifestyle, beliefs and norms

Innovation and creativity A8 Capacity to generate new ideas/approaches & realise these

in a beneficial manner

Development of socio-cultural and leadership skills (relational competency) is a dimension of education at APIC. Leadership and behavioural competencies are vital for success in today’s complex projects and programs given turbulent business and industry environments. In such complex social settings individual and group success depends on their skills in communication, negotiation, building of trust, commitment and conflict resolution.



Slide 112


APIC’s Leadership and Change Management Competencies

112



Slide 113


Individual Professional Development Planning Process

113

C3

C4

C6

C5

S-C

Ci

C2

C1

C2

C4

C5

C6

T1

T2

T3

T4

IndividualLearning & Development(L&D)Plan

Considercareer goals,employerand personalneeds

APIC Chart ofCompetencies Select the most relevant

competencies plussocio-cultural competency

Determine targetcompetenciesrequired/role

Determine optimalSolution /L&D Plan

Assessmentresults foran individual

S-C T5

All APIC qualifications are designed to impart specified capabilities that are aligned with occupational roles in the selected industry streams. Students will be focused on developing their professional capabilities within a specific industry context. Their efforts are supported by state-of-the art online systems, tools and resources. In order to tailor the program to individual needs, each professional person is assisted to assess their competencies and to develop a personalised learning and development plan. The plan typically incorporates a formal academic qualification so that on completion the candidate can receive due recognition and be awarded the corresponding certificate. Each student assumes the role of project manager of his or her learning and development plan, using the L&D Plan as the base document. As students progress through the program they update their L&D Plans and use that as the basis of reflection and self management. Formal competency assessment at the end of each is also based on the student’s L&D Plan; their competencies are assessed in terms of the metrics contained in the respective competency assessment matrices in the respective units of study.



Slide 114


Competency Assessment Scorecard Sample

114

APIC’s chart of competencies and associated tools constitute one of the most comprehensive development systems in the world.

Existing competency profile of each individual is determined. Target competency lines are then set by considering the combined individual and organisational needs. This results is the delineation of competency gaps that an individual has to address in a structured manner.



Slide 115


• APIC’s P3M Chart of Competencies cover project, program and portfolio management in an integrated fashion

• APIC’s FM Chart of Competencies covers core plus typical functional specialisation competencies

• The above charts are inventories of contemporary competencies and can be adopted, extended, up-dated etc.

• Designed to be customisable by organisations wishing to set up own enterprise certification scheme matching their own global role family (GRF) model

Part 5: Summary

115

Most competency standards are predominately vocational (such as AIPM) and do not involve degree level and postgraduate studies or high level critical enquiry skills. As stated already, it is easy to judge whether one has the vocational competencies such as ability to prepare a schedule for a project. What is difficult to assess is how competent a person is when it comes to the complex issues, such as relationships, politics, governance, financing, competitor move and so on that cannot be approached in a mechanistic manner. The acquisition of a new mindset is more important, i.e. to see managers not so much as operators and coordinators but as strategists and integrators/optimisers, delivering strategic advantages to client organisations through transformative leadership and nurturing a creative/adaptive internal environment that promotes human performance.



Slide 116


PART 6 PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

PLANNING PROCESS


116

Slide 117


Professional Development Planning

• Follow a structured process to develop own learning and development (L&D) plan

• Define target role and nominate an industry coach• Work closely with mentor for training and application of

newly acquired knowledge• Include formal performance assessment at designated

milestones during training and every year afterwards• KPIs relate to effectiveness and efficiency of developing

own competencies• After training performance assessment is based on

metrics in the Project Health Check or Organisation Diagnostics

117



Slide 118


Peer Assessment

L&D Goals

Competencies Possessed

L&D Plan

Competencies Needed

Values & Ethics

Competency Gaps Opportunitiesfor

Development

ProfessionalBenchmarking

Overall Process

BigPicture

The Planning Process

118

Slide 119


Performance Assessment And Development (PA&D) During Training

• Focus is on accelerated competency development• As well as application of knowledge to

projects/organ.• Submit summarised regular progress reports based

on L&D plan• Mentor shall receive and analyse progress reports• Mentor shall interview the learner and discuss the

above results with him/her, agree on the progress and other points

• Mentor shall provide regular feedback and advice to the learner

119



Slide 120


Process To Developing Own L&D Plan

C3

C4

C6

C5

S-C

Ci

C2

C1

C2

C4

C5

C6

T1

T2

T3

T4

IndividualLearning & Development(L&D)Plan

Considercareer goals,employerand personalneeds

Chart ofCompetencies Select the most relevant

competencies plussocio-cultural competency

Determine targetcompetenciesrequired/role

Determine optimalSolution /L&D Plan

Assessmentresults foran individual

S-C T5

120

This slide shows the APIC professional development planning process. The outcome of this process is a fully formatted and considered learning and development plan. Slide 121


Systemic training to Role/Standard

• Most need to undertake development to reach the minimum competency levels of the target Role/Standard

• Most need to follow an experiential & reflective learning approach

• Learning projects should have the potential to improve performance at work front

• Competency in knowledge engineering & management is a core competency

• Ad-hoc training does not work!

121



Slide 122


• CAT and L&D Planner are online tools designed to assist students and practitioners to conduct self assessment and develop own L&D Plan

• To use CAT and L&D Planner the user needs to have an account • CAT and L&D Planner are integrated for user’s convenience• CAT is for competency assessment. The user can obtain various types of

reports that can be copied to clipboard and then pasted onto normal reports

• L&D Planner provides a template for users to develop their own (personalised) learning and development plan

• CAT and L&D Planner are used extensively during the professional development planning workshop and afterwards

• Independent users can send their queries to [email protected] for help

Tools and Templates for PDP

122

Slide 123


Online Competency Assessment Tool

123

APIC offers a comprehensive suite of tools that enable any student or practitioner in the field of project, program, portfolio and organisation management to:

assess their competencies systematically

develop their learning and development plan

generally manage their stock of competencies

http://tools.apicollege.edu.au/

Click here to enter CAT



Slide 124


http://tools.apicollege.edu.au/Cat

Enter your user name and

password and click on Login

Please use IE version 7 or above. Turn off your pop-up blocker in IE or other browser that you are using. You can do this by going to “Tools” in IE and then selecting “Pop-up blocker” and then turning it off. Also go to Tools in IE then select “Internet Options” then select delete files. Please delete all temporary files from Cache for faster and better performance.

124

Slide 125


Select Project Management to view PM assessment results or Business Management to view BM assessment results or All programs to view all results.

List of all your previous assessments appear here. Completed results are for the assessment sessions completed and Paused are for those which have been interrupted.

125



Slide 126


Select any of the Completed record to be able to view the respective text and graphic reports or review the matrices as checked during the assessment session.

Function DescriptionResume Selected Use this function to resume a Paused Assessment.

It will not work for Completed Assessments

ReviewThe user can view the checked assessment matrices and read comments related to each matrix

Bar/ Line Chart View a graphic report of assessment vs. targets in column or line chartsSelect a given competency area to view the related detailed results

Area Chart This function shows the results summarised in terms of competency areasPeer Assess Chart This function shows the results of any assessments done by peers

Peer assess chart is not used for PDP purposesText Reports This function shows text reports for both targets and results

You can select the type of text reports you wish to view

126

Slide 127


You can start a new assessment

anytime

Select either PMGP to conduct a new assessment in project management or BMPG to conduct a new assessment in business and general management. If All Programs are selected then the system will display both PM and BM competencies for user selection.

To conduct assessments for PDP purposes select

PDP Workshop

Enter a title and a short description

and click Start Assess

127



Slide 128


For PDP the system displays all competency areas and their corresponding competency units to select. In its present form non is selected.

128

Slide 129


Enter a target value between 0 to 100 points

Enter comments and justification for the

selected value

Click to select a competency area

129



Slide 130


Sample Competency Assessment Matrix

List your evidence and justification for selections made in this box. Normally the list must cover all items in the highest level of competency ticked in the matrix.

You need to read the questions from left to right on a column by column basis. Tick those items that are true in your case and for which you can cite evidence. Stop the process when you cannot tick an item in a column.

Please make sure you click on the “Save” button under each matrix when you have completed it. Otherwise the information you entered will be lost!

130

This slide shows a section of an online competency assessment matrix used to assess self and peer competencies. Competencies are organised in terms of areas; each area comprises a number of competency units and each unit comprises a number of competency elements. It will be possible to assess at unit or element level. Normally for the purposes of professional development planning it is sufficient to conduct self assessment at unit level. During training however it is important to assess at element level. To conduct competency assessment in an area one needs to be assessed against each element in the respective matrix. The metrics under each column are used as the basis of the assessment starting from left to right. The candidate must meet all of the metrics to the columns located to the left of the assessment point in the matrix before moving to the next level. It is important that the assessor writes comments/observation and justifications for each element/unit in the space provided. This is because competency assessment is not a precise science and the comments offered will assist the subject to better understand the perspective of the assessor who may offer tips for improvements too. All the comments entered will be collated into a text report separately for each area.



Slide 131


Select the area to view the competency

assessment result in that area in terms of its

respective units

131



Slide 132


Sample Scorecard from CAT – Emotional Intelligence

Bar titles :

1: Generic2: Leadership3: Commitment4: Attitude5: Self Direction6: Learning7: Cultural Empathy8: Creativity & Innovation

132

This Figure shows a sample output from the online competency assessment tool. It shows an individual’s competency score in socio-cultural and leadership area (emotional intelligence). The tool permits the display of the results obtained from self assessment against the average results of peer assessments at a particular point in time. The mean value of all elements within a unit of competency is taken to be the performance of the subject in that unit. In a similar fashion, the mean value of all elements within an area of competency is taken to be the performance of the subject in that area.



Slide 133


Sample Scorecard from CAT – Project Management

133

This Figure is a simplified diagram that depicts the competency gaps that an individual person has in the relevant competency area. While competency assessment in a given area is element by element, or unit by unit, the results are best averaged and used at area level for development purposes. The justification for this approach is the fuzzy nature of the metrics (descriptors) used to assess an individual’s performance. Notwithstanding the fuzziness, it is a useful picture in the sense that it provides a graphical representation of the present and target competencies of an individual at a point in time. So long as one is aware of the limitation of this sort of simplified approaches, it is perfectly fine to develop such a picture and use it as the basis for PDP. It is recommended to define one’s aims and objectives in a proper format, bearing in mind the greater professional capabilities that transcend operative skills for project managers, such as research skills, analytical mind, creative thinking and so on. Equipping a project manager with generic capabilities is to empower him/her in the true sense of the word and give him/her the capacity to operate in challenging environments. These capabilities are of course generic to many professional fields. Also, planning for the future is a risky business due to unpredictability of what is going to happen. On conditions of uncertainty, the emphasis should be on acquisition of a broad range of capabilities, meta-cognitive abilities and capacity to lead.



Slide 134


Click here to enter L&D Planner

Then click on New Plan to start the planning template

(shown in next slide)You can select a previous plan from the list and then click on Edit Selected to edit it or

Get Report to download it to your local hard drive 134

Slide 135


L&D Planner automatically imports the results of socio-cultural competency

assessment related to the selected assessment

from CAT

135



Slide 136


L&D Planner is a template containing several sections and Annex to be filled in according to the Guidelines and Specifications provided(see http://tools.apicollege.edu.au/LandD/L&D_Plan_Specification_General.pdf).

Please make sure you click on the “Save” button after completing each section. Otherwise the information you entered will be lost!

136

Slide 137


L&D Planner automatically imports

the results of assessment in all

areas from CAT (based on the selection by the user). It is in the form of area chart.

137



Slide 138


• Systemic professional development is essential• Must follow a proper process involving:

– Adopt targets related to actual field performance of peers in similar situations

– Obtain a systemic assessment of current competencies– Develop a realistic L&D plan– Undertake professional development to reach target competencies

• APIC provides an integrated system that covers both project management and functional and general management

Part 6: Summary

138

Slide 139

PART 7 PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATION

General vs. Customised Models

3



Slide 140

www.apicollege.edu.au

Professional Certification

• Certification requires evidence of competencies (knowledge assessment is insufficient)

• The trend is to customised certification at industry sector or organisation level

• General certification has been popular over the last decade• Most general models in management are normative; none has

rigorous scientific underpinning or validity• Skills and perspectives gained are not sufficient when it comes

to real life project and program management challenges

Slide 141


Certification in Management

• Certification can be related to:₋ Project Management₋ Business (General) Management₋ Specific Functions (such as accountancy)

• This part addresses external certification for project management practitioners

• A similar approach exists for others, e.g. Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supplies has its own assessment and certification scheme for Supply Chain Management practitioners



Slide 142


• AIPM Certification• IPMA Certification • PMI’s PMP Certification• PMI’s Range of Certification• Association for Project Management (UK) certification• Others:

• GAPPS• ISO21500 (in progress)• Prince II, MSP and GATEWAY PROCESS (methodologies)

General Certification Models for Project Management

A competency model under which the relevant professional body seeks to accredit or certify an individual professional, defines minimum standards and adherence to a defined code of ethics that the certified members must observe. In project management several competency models are promoted by the relevant professional bodies. The Project Management Professional (PMP) certification by Project Management Institute (PMI), a US-based professional body is predominant. The International Project Management Association (IPMA), which is an umbrella organisation of several national PM Associations (predominantly European), promotes a certification scheme underpinned by defined International Competence Baseline (ICB). Both PMI’s PMP and AIPM Standards are generally confined to PMBOK whereas IPMA address some general management and soft competencies. The problem with IPMA model is that it assumes that experience will constitute evidence of competency.



Slide 143


Australian Institute of Project Management (AIPM)

• Known as Professional Competency Standards for Project Management, last revised 2008

• Is underpinned by PMBOK Standard • Very practice oriented (nuts and bolts) • Assessment is through knowledge and workplace evidence• Very closely follows:

• Certificate IV• Diploma• Advanced Diploma in Project Management

• See http://www.aipm.com.au/html/pcspm.cfm for details

The Australian Institute of Project Management (AIPM) is the first PM professional body to promote competency based certification. Its most recent standards are called Professional Competency Standard for Project Management.



Slide 144





Slide 145


Source: Project Management Competency Review, Innovation and Business Skills of Australia, August 2009




Slide 146


Issues with AIPM Certification

• AIPM certification is directed to vocational practitioners• Does not address leadership and soft competencies

adequately• Yet soft skills and leadership are vital• Also, it is not designed for an enterprise competency HR

model • Recent changes have improved the standards• Certification does not require a degree• Not yet a true professional certification system

Slide 147


• IPMA is an umbrella organisation of national PM associations, mostly Europeans

• Australia has recently joined IPMA• ICB version 3 (2006) has 40 elements in PM, soft competencies

and contextual capabilities • It has a certification scheme at 4 levels, D to A• The ICB defines the process to achieve certification• It is administered by national bodies not IPMA• Most recent addition has emphasis on behavioural and

contextual competencies

International Project Management Association (IPMA)



Slide 148


(Source: IPMA website, www.ipma.ch)

IPMA Certification

Slide 149



IPMA Certification



Slide 150


• Assumes competency comprises knowledge, experience and behaviour

• Experience may or may not lead to development of competence

• To be successful applicants must have been involved with at least one successful project

• Validity and effectiveness??

Issues with IPMA Certification

Slide 151


• PMI has the following certifications:– Certified Associates in Project Management (CAPM)– Certified Project Management Professional (PMP)– Certified Program Management Professional (PgMP)– PMI Risk Management Professional– PMI Scheduling Professional

• PMP and PgMP are based on PMBOK and Program Management Standard respectively

• PMP has been promoted widely by PMI• Impact on practice??

Project Management Institute (PMI)



Slide 152


• PMI has large membership and a large pool of certified Project Management Professionals (PMPs)

• Gaining PMP entails passing a computerised knowledge test as well as:– a Bachelor degree plus 4,500 hours of experience– or 7,500 hours of experience

• PMI is not a statutory authority and cannot be a PM licensing body

• PMP is good as a starting point not the ultimate certification

Project Management Institute (PMI)

Slide 153


• PMCDF builds on PMBOK; it is a guideline document• Contains 164 elements, made up as follows:

– Knowledge Competency – 9 units, with 62 elements in five clusters

– Performance Competency – 9 units, with 62 elements in five clusters

– Personal Competency – 6 units, with 2-4 clusters per unit • Knowledge elements assessed through tests (PMP exam)• Performance element through ability to apply the element

PMI Project Management Competency Framework



Slide 154



PMI and APM Project Management Competency Framework



Slide 155



GAPPS & ISO21500 Competency Standards



Slide 156



PRINCE 2 and MSP (Methodologies)



Slide 157



Gateway Process (Methodology)



Slide 158


• Certification schemes define minimum standards• Some are rather basic (e.g. IPMA levels D and C or PMI’s PMP)• Professional people need to extend their capabilities well

beyond certification• Refer to the earlier sections discussions about future challenges

Selecting a Certification Scheme

Most competency standards are predominately vocational (such as AIPM) and do not involve degree level and postgraduate studies or high level critical enquiry skills. As stated already, it is easy to judge whether one has the vocational competencies such as ability to prepare a schedule for a project. What is difficult to assess is how competent a person is when it comes to the complex issues, such as relationships, politics, governance, financing, competitor move and so on that cannot be approached in a mechanistic manner. The acquisition of a new mindset is more important, i.e. to see project managers not so much as operators and coordinators but as strategists and integrators/optimisers, delivering strategic advantages to client organisations through transformative leadership and nurturing a creative/adaptive internal environment that promotes human performance.



Slide 159



Slide 160

www.apicollege.edu.au Copyright: Prof. A. Jaafari

Programs @Asia Pacific International College (APIC)



Slide 161


Industry Specialisations

All students are required to nominate their preferred industry streams from among the following 4 streams: • Construction and infrastructure • IT and services • Mining, energy and processing • Manufacturing and production PMGP is designed as a modular and flexible program. The focus is to develop managerial capabilities in a particular branch of industry and for this reason APIC applies a unique project-based learning approach. As seen from the above slide, PMGP permits students to enter the program at any level and to exit the program with a qualification that matches their aspirations and having an eye for their target career. The highest qualification is the MBA (Project and Program Management) but this degree suits individuals who aim for an executive role in a matrix organisation (principally a Functional Manager role that deals with projects and programs within the given function or across the whole organisation)



Slide 162


PMGP Details

• Professional Development Planning Workshop• 12 units of study, each taking up to 15 weeks to

complete (1 to 3 units can be studied in parallel)• Each unit is an independent competency-based

package • Each unit kick starts with an intensive 4-day

workshop• Workshop are also self-contained learning packages• Workshops prepare students for project phase• Real life projects and organisations are used as the

site of learning• Learning is dynamic and experiential (team-based)

Slide 163


Graduate Qualifications offered by APICQualification Title CRICOS

CodeDuration*

MBA (PPM) MBA (Project and Program Management) 066178G 4 Semesters

MBM Master of Business Management 074571G 3 Semesters

MBPM Master of Business and Project Management 066178F 3 Semesters

GradDipPM Graduate Diploma in Project Management 66177G 2 Semesters

GradDipBM Graduate Diploma in Business Management 074570J 2 Semesters

GradCertPM Graduate Certificate in Project Management 066176G 2 Semesters

GradCertBM Graduate Certificate in Business Management 074569B 1 Semester

Copyright: Prof. A. Jaafari

*Full time duration



Slide 164


PM Units of Study1. SBM1101: Project Management Fundamentals 1

(Project/Program strategic intent, business case, framework and governance

2. SBM1102: Project Management Fundamentals 2 (Project/Program human resources, teams, communication and integration management)

3. SBM1201: Project Management Fundamentals 3 (Project/Program scope, time and cost management)

4. SBM1202: Project Management Fundamentals 4 (Project/Program quality, risk and procurement management

5. SBM1103 Project and Program Information and Communication Systems 6. SBM1104 Project/Program Leadership and Change Management 7. SBM1203 Venture/Project Economics and Finance 8. SBM1204 Project/Program Delivery Systems 9. SBM1105 Strategic Project Portfolio and Program Management 10. SBM1106 Assessment and Development of Project-based Organisations 11. SBM1205 Project Formulations and Business Planning 12. SBM1206 Advanced Risk and Uncertainty Management

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MBA (Project & Program Management)Master of Business Administration (Project and Program Management) Entry requirements: recognised degree and English proficiencyDuration: 4 semesters full time or up to 8 semesters part time

Credit hours Credit points

Semester 1Focus: management basics, existing systems, incremental improvement

Career level: Team Leaders/SupervisorsCPD1102 Professional Development and Ethics 7 3SBM2101 Operations Management 15 6SBM2102 Marketing and Business Communications 15 6SBM2103 Financial Management 15 6

Semester 1 Total 52 21Semester 2

Focus: business development, human resources management and leadership Career level: Line Managers, Assistant Managers

SBM2104 Human Resources Management 15 6SBM2105 International Business and Competitive Strategy 15 6SBM1104 Leadership and Change Management 15 6

Semester 2 Total 45 18



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MBA (Project & Program Management)Semester 3

Focus: performance management, project and program managementCareer level: Project/program or Functional Manager

SBM1201 Project/Program Scope, Time and Cost Management 15 6SBM1202 Project/Program Quality, Risk and Procurement Management 15 6SBM2106 Organisation Behaviour and Internal Communication 15 6


Focus: specialisation, integration business and project management researchCareer level: Project Director, Program Manager, Portfolio Manager, Senior Executive, PBO

Project Management Elective Unit* 15 6Business Management Elective Unit* 15 6


MBA (PPM) Total Over 4 Semesters 172 69

SBM1300 Research Project or SBM1301 Minor Project (6 credit points) may be substituted for an Elective Unit above. AlternativelySBM1302 Major Project (12 credit points) may be substituted for 2 Elective Units above.MBM candidates may exit the program with the Graduate Certificate in Business Management subject to completion of CPD1102, SBM2101, 2102 and 2103. MBM candidates may exit the program with the Graduate Diploma in Business Management subject to completion of CPD1102, SBM2101, 2102, 2103, 2104, 215 and 1104.Elective Units may be chosen from the list of the elective units or externally through other recognised institutions with theagreement of the course coordinator.



Slide 167


Master of Business and Project Management (MBPM)Master of Business and Project Management (MBPM) Entry requirements: recognised degree and English proficiencyDuration: 3 semesters full time or up to 8 semesters part time


Semester 1Focus: project management fundamentals, systems and processes

Career level: Project Engineers, Project Team Leaders CPD1102 Professional Development and Ethics 7 3SBM1101 Project Management Fundamentals 1 15 6SBM1102 Project Management Fundamentals 2 15 6SBM1103 Project and Program Information & Communication Systems 15 6


Semester 2Focus: Project/program delivery systems establishment and management

Career level: Assistant Managers, Project Line ManagersSBM1201 Project Management Fundamentals 3 15 6SBM1202 Project Management Fundamentals 4 15 6SBM1203 Venture/Project Economics and Finance 15 6


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Master of Business and Project Management (MBPM)

Semester 3

Focus: Project/program strategic and business development, management and administration

Career level: Senior Project/program Manager and Functional Manager in PM

Project Management Elective Unit 15 6

Project Management Elective Unit 15 6

SBM1300 Research Project 15 6


MBPM Total Over 3 Semesters 142 57

MBPM candidates may exit the program with the Graduate Certificate in Project Management subject to completion of CPD1102, SBM1101, SBM1102, SBM1201 and SBM1202. MBPM candidates may exit the program with the Graduate Diploma in Project Management subject to completion of CPD1102, SBM1101, SBM1102, SBM1103, SBM1201, SBM1202 and SBM1203.Candidates may take a maximum of 2 elective units from the list of Project and Business Management Elective Units in lieu of twounits in the above program subject to the approval of the Program Director or the Dean and subject to availability.SBM1301 Minor Project (6 credit points) may be substituted for a single unit in Semester 3. Alternatively SBM1302 Major Project (12 credit points) may be substituted for 2 elective units in Semester 3. SBM1301 and SBM1302 are mutually exclusive.



Slide 169


Business Management Graduate Program* (BMGP)

* Accreditation by NSW Department of Education and Training (Higher Education Directorate)



Slide 170


Master of Business Management (MBM)

Master of Business Management Entry requirements: recognised degree and English proficiencyDuration: 3 semesters full time or up to 8 semesters part time


Semester 1Focus: management basics, existing systems, incremental improvement

Career level: Trainee ManagersCPD1102 Professional Development and Ethics 7 3SBM2101 Operations Management 15 6SBM2102 Marketing and Business Communications 15 6SBM2103 Financial Management 15 6


Focus: business development, human resources management and leadership Career level: Assistant Managers

SBM2104 Human Resources Management 15 6SBM2105 International Business and Competitive Strategy 15 6SBM1104 Leadership and Change Management 15 6


Slide 171


Master of Business Management (MBM)

Semester 3Focus: performance management, specialisation, integration and research

Career level: Senior Functional ManagerSBM2106 Organisation Behaviour and Internal Communication 15 6Elective Unit 15 6Elective Unit 15 6


MBM Total Over 3 Semesters 142 57

SBM1300 Research Project or SBM1301 Minor Project (6 credit points) may be substituted for an Elective Unit above. Alternatively SBM1302 Major Project (12 credit points) may be substituted for 2 Elective Units above.MBM candidates may exit the program with the Graduate Certificate in Business Management subject to completion of CPD1102, SBM2101, 2102 and 2103. MBM candidates may exit the program with the Graduate Diploma in Business Management subject to completion of CPD1102, SBM2101, 2102, 2103, 2104, 215 and 1104.Elective Units may be chosen from the list of the elective units or externally through other recognised institutions with theagreement of the course coordinator.



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Unit of Study Structure and Delivery

Each unit typically comprises: - A 4-day intensive workshop: to teach & assess relevant fundamental knowledge- A Project phase: 10-11 weeks, working on a case project in teams supervised by APIC- An Assessment phase: validation of the acquired competencies

The Project phase is designed to assist students acquire target competencies Learning and new competencies gained can be applied at workplace to improve performance

A unit of study typically takes 13 to 14 weeks to complete. It comprises an intensive workshop which lasts 4 days and a project phase that lasts 11 weeks followed by an assessment phase. Note that the final assessment is evidence-based and is completed through a viva process. The project phase can be studied via the Internet or on campus. While the workshops are studied individually, the project phase is completed through a team and project-based learning approach as shown in the above slide. Units of studies are designed to impart specific learning outcomes, leading to the development of new mindsets and professional competence in the subject under consideration. The project phase typically comprises 4 assignments as shown. Each unit of study has its own dedicated website where all the respective information is displayed. APIC encourages a culture of self-directed learning and self management.



Slide 173


Professional Development for Defined Roles

Imparting competenceApplying clinical learningWithin project-based learning framework Promoting professionalism and ethical behaviourEmphasis is on self-directed learning, creativity and innovationVery high student satisfaction!

Graduate Development &Empowerment

ProfessionalPractice

University degree → APIC Programs → Certified Performance

As may be noted, APIC aids fresh graduates and practitioners to acquire high level capabilities needed for effective performance in industry. The world is the classroom as the College uses real life projects and organisations as the site of learning. Reality is ever present in every day learning while the curriculum enshrines principles of sustainability and social responsibility. The College helps students to rediscover their core values and engender commitment to building a sustainable future. They are guided through a process to identify their strengths, set their own career goals and then plan to realise them. The College is a true home for holistic learning and transformative development. Students’ efforts are supported by unique online learning system, assessment tools and diagnostic models built on the principles of complexity management. The academic team at the College understands the real life challenges faced by managers across the globe. The team is committed to participation in fieldwork and delivery of a range of industry-based training and consulting assignments. It is a two pay process. The aim is to remain in touch with reality of management and complexities surrounding every day decision making, maintain a line of communication with those at the cold face, exchange expertise, build new knowledge and thus enrich students’ learning. The College’s suite of unique diagnostic tool and systems are hugely influenced by the findings from the fieldwork. Industry provides a realistic and challenging setting for learning the art of management. In experiential learning students learn to selectively source and apply knowledge to create new solution spaces, solve problems and synthesise new knowledge to achieve their developmental goals. As Lester (1994) states: learning is achieved through critical enquiry, reflection and creative synthesis and action; continual questioning and refinement of personal knowledge, understanding, practice, values and beliefs.



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APIC’s Holistic Learning and Development Model

The underpinning educational approach is to promote self direction and group autonomy

APIC uses real life projects, programs and organisations as the site of learning

Learner-centred design supports individual needs

Project and team-based learning model is applied for competency development

Technology is used to support the above model (interactive tools, support systems,knowledge and learning resources, interaction and communication)



Slide 175


The Online Learning System (OLS) supports the School’s project-based learning approach. It provides an integrated environment for student and teams to access the respective information and requirements pertinent to the project phase of the unit under consideration. From a practical perspective, each unit website is designed to provide access to information, resources, tools and documents that teams of students need to perform the respective parts of their project phase in an orderly fashion along the principles of self directed learning and management. The first activity in the project phase of each unit is for the team to undertake their own planning and develop their own QA/Work Plan to guide the team’s progress in conducting the respective learning activities and delivering the respective assignments.

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