The problem of selecting the competencies of the project manager

Abstract

Purpose: the success of projects clearly depends on the personnel involved in project management and especially the managers. Their productivity and capabilities are based on the competencies achieved. This study is aimed at identifying and summarizing the classification tools applicable to the selection of a list of competencies required by a manager of a particular project. Discussion: it is necessary to highlight the most relevant issues for the field of project management concerning the competencies of project managers. The first concerns the physical nature of competencies and the peculiarity that employers most often focus only on professional competencies, whereas social, and often physical, competencies are extremely important to the manager in projects. The features of project activity that distinguish it from cyclical activity determine this importance. The second question is related to the classification of project managers' competencies by the methods of their formation. Observations show that in the vast majority of cases, neither the assessment of the level of education nor the accumulated experience is not enough to guarantee the success of the manager's work, and therefore the entire project. The third highlighted question concerns the problem of unmanifested competencies. A manager with a certain range and level of competencies may be interested only in projects of sufficient complexity and payment to maximize the scope of opportunities, and it may be problematic and unprofitable to involve him in a project of lesser complexity. Results: the authors have identified a number of the most pressing issues for the field of project management concerning the competencies of project managers. Thus, classification generalizations of necessary and desirable competencies can significantly facilitate the task of selecting candidates for the position of project manager.