Questioning Project Manager Qualifications

In a recent study by Ahsan, Ho, and Khan (2013) the project management competencies described in the literature and professional standards was compared to the competencies listed as requirements or attributes in project manager job listings. The authors described these competencies in terms of Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs).

The authors found some similarities between the KSAs in the literature and standards and the KSAs identified in the job advertisements. Below are summaries of the KSAs in the literature and standards and the KSAs in the job advertisements:

Top 15 KSAs from Literature and Professional Standards

1. Leadership
2. Effective communication
3. Project technical expertise
4. Team building and management
5. Planning skill
6. Flexibility
7. Organization skill
8. Decision-Making skill
9. Management skill
10. Delegation
11. Analytical abilities
12. Problem solving
13. Coping with situations
14. Interpersonal skills
15. Stakeholder management

Top 10 KSAs from Job Advertisements

1. Communication
2. Technical skills
3. Stakeholder management
4. Cost management
5. Time management
6. Educational background
7. Planning
8. Leadership
9. Team building and management
10. Certification

While the authors noted some of the job advertisement KSAs differed slightly across region and industry, these KSAs remain key attributes of the project manager positions.

I think the study is important as an indicator that our project manager job advertisements are not completely consistent with the KSAs from the literature and standards. The KSAs associated with project success are not always included in job descriptions and the literature and standards KSAs don't always cover the KSAs many organizations consider desirable for project managers. For example, cost management, time management, educational background, and certifications were not identified in the literature as key KSAs but are included in the top KSAs in the job postings.

So why are these differences important? The authors suggested the literature and standards need to better cover these KSAs. While I agree the literature and standards should evaluate the gaps in the KSAs between these two groups, industry should also evaluate these differences.

The KSAs identified in standards and literature are associated with studies linking KSAs to project success. If these KSAs differ from industry job advertisements then perhaps the industries are not considering the best set of KSAs to include in their project manager searches. The point here is that both industries and the research community must consider this gap and reevaluate the key KSAs needed to be a successful project manager.