Bachelor of Commerce in Project Management

Purpose: The purpose of the qualification is to provide qualifiers with graduate-level knowledge, specific skills and applied competence (including the development of graduate attitudes and qualities) in Project Management that provides opportunities for continued personal intellectual growth, gainful economic activity and rewarding contributions to society. It will equip candidates with knowledge, skills, tools and techniques of Project Management.

Rationale: This qualification is aimed at developing project management skills. The South African Department of Labour draws up a scarce skill list annually. The Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs) conduct research and consult with various stakeholders in the sectors of the economy that they are responsible for and then send a list to the Department (DOL, 2013). A review of the list produced in the last few years indicate that programme and project managers are indeed scarce skills. The link between competencies required in commerce and Project Management ensures a seamless integration of specialist skills for both public and private sector organisations. The purpose of the scarce skills list is to signal gaps of special skills needed for the national economy and see that scarce skills gaps in the country are addressed. It is also true in the Southern African Development Community(SADC) region that there is need for Project Management skills and qualified practitioners for both public and private sector organisations.

Scarcity of qualifications can come from the fact that an occupation is new and very few people have studied and been trained to meet its requirements, or that few people have chosen to study for the skill area, or that as the occupation has developed special knowledge and skills are required, or that practitioners are needed in specific rural or remote locations, or indeed that scarcity exists in terms of meeting national equity requirements.

As the scope of project management expanded, various methodologies were introduced to formalise the way organisations managed their projects. Methodologies became popular in the seventies and eighties. The core of any methodology is on the process description. The methodology is implemented through the use of templates, forms and computer software. Most methodologies are internal to organisations, describing how these organisations do business. The latest additions to the history of Project Management have been in the areas of critical chain and agile Project Management. Given this background, the integration and control of time, cost and scope still remains the main focus of Project Management.

Looking for a way to remain ahead and a leader in today's competitive and chaotic global economy, companies are turning to Project Management to consistently deliver business results. The value of Project Management has been heightened by the 2008 global financial crisis and economic downturn. An Economist Intelligence (UIE, 2013) report showed that 80% of the global executives believed that having Project Management as a core competency helped them remain competitive during the recession. Resources in an organisation are precious and they have to be spent in the best possible way. This is true for both the private and public sectors around the world. However, one way to use resources judiciously is to manage through the Project Management approach because it can efficiently and effectively facilitate business results both on time and within budget.

Companies are discovering that as their Project Management processes mature, the business strategy value derived from Project Management increases. Governments can equally benefit in the same way. Implementing Project Management across an organisation helps create a strategic value chain that gives companies an edge over their competitors, particularly in high-risk sectors and markets. Being able to deliver business results on time and within budget often determines whether a company will get the next job or whether its new product hits the market and this is always the goal of Project Management. In the context of global economic challenges and specifically in times of economic downturn, there is little doubt that a strong organisation-wide commitment to Project Management leads to better results and long-term business value.

Leading organisations and a wide range of sectors beyond geographic borders have been steadily embracing Project Management as a way to control spending and improve project results. With the 2008 global crisis, this practice became even more important. Adherence to Project Management methods and strategies reduces risks, cuts costs and improves success rates-all vital to surviving the economic crisis and growing businesses again.