London, England-based project management recruitment organization Arras People recently revealed the results of its fourth annual survey of the UK-project management market. A big portion of the survey was focused on the current economic situation. And the news is good and bad.
The recession, as to be expected, is taking a toll:
• 47% of contractors said the number of available contracts decreased in 2008.
• 38% of respondents expect hard times or contraction over the next year, and 27% expect the market to remain neutral. Only 6.5% expect the market to be buoyant.
• Last year 37% of respondents said they expected an increase in rates, but only 22% achieved an increase.
Yet 84 percent of the 1,200 people surveyed said they believe project managers are going to help the United Kingdom out of tough times.
As one respondent said, "An unprecedented crisis will require an unprecedented amount of well managed change to overcome it."
The recession, as to be expected, is taking a toll:
• 47% of contractors said the number of available contracts decreased in 2008.
• 38% of respondents expect hard times or contraction over the next year, and 27% expect the market to remain neutral. Only 6.5% expect the market to be buoyant.
• Last year 37% of respondents said they expected an increase in rates, but only 22% achieved an increase.
Yet 84 percent of the 1,200 people surveyed said they believe project managers are going to help the United Kingdom out of tough times.
As one respondent said, "An unprecedented crisis will require an unprecedented amount of well managed change to overcome it."
Bailout should not be the solution to the crisis. That would amount to rewarding the people who caused the crisis. What would be required is more astute start ups, new business ideas, fresh look at doing things creatively. For all this trained project managers are the need of the hour.
I think that all leaders, specially of emerging countries, which will develop infrastructure works to face this crisis, must include PMP professionals in their projects.
Is necessary and strategic that all the PMI chapters in the world sensitize their respective government representatives in this sense.
There is an optimistic view in a couple of segments not directly affected by the crisis. The telecom and IT is an example, mainly in Latin America. The main companies have been maintained their investments budgets, however with caution about the impacts in their expected revenues to 2009. It means the current and new projects will be under pressure to achieve goals, better results and costs. So there are additional challengers to the PM´s in this scenario.