New project management mentoring programme by ECITB

The effective delivery of projects at world-leading standards is vital to the future well-being of the oil and gas sector. The offshore project management steering group (OPMSG) has a vision to continually impart good practice in project execution within oil and gas related organisations through knowledge sharing within the sector and knowledge transfer to and from other sectors within the engineering construction industry.

Facilitated by leading skills organisation, the ECITB, one strand in a range of activities of the OPMSG is the project management mentoring programme, which was launched formally at an industry reception on Thursday 26 May.

The programme brings together 34 people from a cross section of 15 different companies including operators, tier one contractors and the wider supply chain where senior industry practitioners, with a track record of successful project management, are lending their invaluable knowledge and experience to the development of the current cohort of project managers. As a cross-sector initiative it can offer a wider perspective on mentoring than many internal schemes, taking into account areas such as client and customer engagement, external specialist knowledge and greater collaboration between different organisations working within the same industry.

During a six month guided relationship, mentors and mentees will agree together the target areas for development and then work towards set objectives and plans tailored to the needs of the individual mentee. The scope of mentoring will include project management tools, behaviours and leadership development, in the context of operations within the oil and gas sector.

“It’s a credit to the industry that they have pulled together to share knowledge and experience across a competitive environment for the good of the industry as a whole,” said Andy Brown, Director of Regional Operations at the ECITB.

“If we are to maximise economic recovery in the face of the current challenges then putting aside commercial interests in initiatives such as this is important. The ECITB is proud to support this and the other project management development programmes, which the OPMSG is pushing forward.”

This programme is an excellent example of industry co-operation for the benefit of the sector as a whole. Other OPMSG activities include:

• Monthly WebinEYE series of project management webinars.
• Project management collaboration: production of a project management collaboration toolkit, seminar event on blockers, challenge and change.
• Oil and gas project management ACTIVE cup competition.
• Biannual oil and gas project management conference.

Read the article online at: https://www.oilfieldtechnology.com/offshore-and-subsea/31052016/new-project-management-mentoring-programme-by-ecitb/