PMA opens Orissa chapter

Project Management Associates (PMA), a not-for-profit national association for project management professionals in India, opened its Orissa chapter in the city on Friday.

The opening of PMA's Orissa chapter assumes significance as the state has emerged as one of the most sought after investment destinations in the country, attracting investments worth Rs six lakh crore in various sectors in the past few years.

Experts said professionals trained in project management were needed to save these projects from time and cost overruns and also to ensure that the projects are delivered on time.

“Today, the investors face a daunting task of completing a project within the stipulated time-frame. The projects face time as well as cost overruns due to inadequate funding, delay in land acquisition and law and order problems”, said Adesh Jain, president, PMA-India and chairman of International Project Management Association (IPMA).

“Each year, an estimated $20 trillion is spent on different projects around the world and half of these projects fail. The situation calls for trained project management professionals. China has over 50,000 certified project professionals and it is high time for India to introduce specialized post-graduate programmes in project management in engineering and management institutes”, he added.

Jain was speaking at the inauguration of the Orissa chapter of the PMA in the city.

PMA-India already tied up with the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) for offering a post graduate certificate in project management. Moreover, PMA aims to sign MoUs (memorandum of understanding) with 50 institutions across the country to introduce the same course in the 2009-10 session.