The document presents an initial framework for competency-based project management. It discusses how employee competencies are important for innovation projects. The framework considers competencies as dynamic parameters and how mutual correspondence between managers, teams, projects and environments impacts success. It also examines how competency levels change over time through learning and experience on multiple projects.

1. An initial Framework
of a Competency-based project
management
Mikhail ROZHKOV, C.F. Cheung and Eric Tsui
Knowledge Management Research Centre,
Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering,
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Mikhail Rozhkov
PhD Candidate, PolyU
mail: mnrozhkov@gmail.com

2. What I’m going to talk about?
1. The role of employee’s competencies in
innovation projects
2. Framework of a Competency-based project
management
3. Framework’s application

3. Current project management issues:
literature review…
1) Requirements of being open-
innovative, active in the web
environment, flexible
2) Using virtual and remote workers
3) Organization network cooperation is required
4) High project complexity
Human resources are the critical factor to handle these
issues

4. Success factors of innovation projects:
research results…
• Croatian Community Innovation Survey (2004
– 2009)
• The sample: 979
– Potential innovators
– Successful innovators
* “Surmounting innovation project failure”, Ljiljana Božid and Sonja Radas The Institute of
Economics, Zagreb. MEIDE 2010, 27‐28 May 2010

5. Failure and success factors for
innovations projects
Failures predictors Success enablers
• New design and packaging
• Lack of qualified personnel • Continuous R&D
• Lack of information on • Presence on international
Significant technology market
• Problems with finding a partner • Cooperation (for new product
for cooperation new to the market only)
• Lack of internal sources of
finances
Not • Lack of external sources of • New distribution methods
related finances • Total R&D
• Innovation costs too high • Public funding
• Lack of demand
• Strong competition
* “Surmounting innovation project failure”, Ljiljana Božid and Sonja Radas The Institute of Economics, Zagreb. MEIDE 2010, 27‐28 May 2010

6. Failure and success factors for
innovations projects
Failures predictors Success enablers
• New design and packaging
• Lack of qualified personnel • Continuous R&D
• Lack of information on • Presence on international
Significant technology market
• Problems with finding a partner • Cooperation (for new product
for cooperation Finance-based only)
new to the market
factors
• Lack of internal sources of
finances
Not • Lack of external sources of
• New distribution methods
related finances Market-based
• Total R&D
• Innovation costs too high
•factors
Public funding
• Lack of demand
• Strong competition
* “Surmounting innovation project failure”, Ljiljana Božid and Sonja Radas The Institute of Economics, Zagreb. MEIDE 2010, 27‐28 May 2010

7. Failure and success factors for innovations
projects
Failures predictors Success enablers
Human-based
• New
• Lack of qualified personnel
factors design R&Dpackaging
• Continuous
and
• Lack of information on • Presence on international
Significant technology market
• Problems with finding a partner • Cooperation (for new product
for cooperation new to the market only)
• Lack of internal sources of
finances
Not • Lack of external sources of • New distribution methods
related finances • Total R&D
• Innovation costs too high • Public funding
• Lack of demand
• Strong competition
* “Surmounting innovation project failure”, Ljiljana Božid and Sonja Radas . The Institute of Economics, Zagreb. MEIDE 2010, 27‐28 May 2010

8. What is «competency»?
Motivation
and attitudes
Knowledge Personal
and skills traits
Competency
The
observed
behavior
*adopted from presentation of Gregory Finkelshtein, ECOPSY Consulting

9. Competency-based performance
prediction
Available Predicted performance
Compatibility Required
competences level for A and B for
to competences tasks i and j
requirements
A
Employee A Task i 90%
C1
70% C1
C2 B
C3 C2 10%
30%
Task j
C1 A
Employee B 30% 20%
C2
C1
C2 C3
C3
70% B
80%
C4 C3
C4
*adopted from presentation of Anton Trunovich, Willgrade

10. Ways to improve of competency-based
project management…
1. Consider competencies as dynamic
parameter
2. Consider mutual correspondence (matching)
between manager, team, project and
environment
3. Consider structures (diversity) of
competencies as significant factor

11. Learning curves
Resource using level
(hours, money)
Coefficient b
values
Number of “learning units“
(production units, time periods)

12. Competency developing curves
Competency
level
Coefficient b
values
Number of “learning units”
(projects, time periods)

13. Mutual correspondence (matching) of
framework factors
Mutual
correspondence
(MC)
Project
Project
Manager
Project
Performance
Environment Team

14. • Competencies • Competencies Project
Project required (level) (level) Manager
• Size/value • Personality
• Management
• Cooperation • Competencies • Learning style
style
required required • Communication
• Values
• Competencies (level, structure) and management
• Motivation
required style
• Strategy
•Personality
• Cooperation • Management
• Competencies •Learning style
network style
(level, structure) • Communication
• Project support • Culture (values)
and working style
•HR-management
• Culture (values)
• Motivation • Values
Environment system • Motivation
Team

15. • Competencies • Competencies
Project Project Manager
required (level) (level)
• Size/value • Personality
• Management
• Cooperation • Competencies • Learning style
style
required required • Communication
• Values
• Competencies (level, structure) and management
• Motivation
required style
• Strategy
•Personality
• Cooperation • Management
•Competencies •Learning style
network style
(level, structure) • Communication
• Project support • Culture (values)
and working style
•HR-management
• Culture (values)
• Values
Environment • Motivation Team
• Motivation
system

16. • Competencies • Competencies
Project Project Manager
required (level (level)
• Size/value • Personality
• Management
• Cooperation • Competencies • Learning style
style
required required • Communication
• Values
• Competencies (level, structure) and management
• Motivation
required style
• Strategy
•Personality
• Cooperation • Management
• Competencies •Learning style
network style
(level, structure) • Communication
• Project support • Culture (values)
and working style
•HR-management
• Culture (values)
• Motivation • Values
Environment Team
system • Motivation

17. • Competencies • Competencies
Project Project Manager
required (level) (level)
• Size/value • Personality
• Management
• Cooperation • Competencies • Learning style
style
required required • Communication
• Values
• Competencies (level, structure) and management
• Motivation
required style
• Strategy
•Personality
• Cooperation • Management • Competencies
•Learning style
network style required (level,
• Communication
• Project support • Culture (values) structure)
and working style
•HR-management
• Culture (values)
• Motivation • Values
Environment Team
system • Motivation

18. Framework applications
Benefits
Single innovation
Applications Corporations
projects / start-ups
Current projects’
“bottlenecks”
analysis/prediction Less risk of failure
More flexible teams
Project management
practice improving
Cost efficiency
Training and learning
needs assessment
Decision supporting
Hiring “right” people
for hiring of project
team and/or
Better project portfolio and
manager
Completed projects
analysis
(failure/success
cooperation network
analysis)
management

19. Target pr jects!
Product
development
projects
Software
development
projects
Marketing
projects
Other Innovation
projects

20. Thank you!
Mikhail ROZHKOV
PhD Candidate, PolyU
mail: mnrozhkov@gmail.com