Disc 2

Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences 119 ( 2014 ) 247 – 256

1877-0428

© 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. Open access under CC BY-NC-ND license

.

Selection and peer-review under responsibility of the IPMA.

doi: 10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.03.029

ScienceDirect

27th IPMA World Congress

Key competences of public sector project managers

Beata Jałochaa*, Hans Petter Kraneb , Anandasivakumar Ekambaramc ,Gra yna
Prawelska-Skrzypekd

aJagiellonian University, Łojasiewicza 4, Kraków 30-348, Poland
bNTNU, Department of Civil and Transport Engineering, NO-7491Trondheim, Norway

cSINTEF, Technology and Society, NO-7460 Trondheim, Norway
dJagiellonian University, Łojasiewicza 4, Kraków 30-348, Poland

Abstract

Project managers play a crucial role in all kinds of projects and influence projects’ success (Wateridge, 1997;
Crawford, 2005). Their role is unique in public sector projects, due to the fact that public projects always deal with multiple,
different stakeholders whose opinions can strongly influence the project. Progress in projectification of public sector creates an
increasing need for developing competences (knowledge, skills, attitudes) for public sector project managers. However, very
little attention has so far been paid to the distinctive features of public sector project managers’ competences, especially in
terms of competences necessary for team and stakeholders management.

David Wirick (2009) highlights that project managers in public sector face team management challenges such as: the
inability to clearly link performance and reward, compensation systems that are biased towards longevity, the inability to select
project team members based on their expertise. In addition, public sector project managers work in environment which very
often is not familiar with results-oriented project management, and are constantly dealing with political interference in the
management of projects and the challenges of working with political appointees.

This paper’s aim is therefore to identify the most important competences of public sector project managers. The
authors, based on a literature study, propose a typology of competences, necessary for project managers dealing with specific
circumstances of public organizations. The results can help to further develop training programs and academic curricula tailored
to the needs of public sector employers.

© 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.
Selection and peer-review under responsibility of the IPMA.

*
Corresponding author. Tel.:+48692117849; fax: 4812 6645859,
E-mail address:beata.jalocha@uj.edu.pl

Available online at www.sciencedirect.com

© 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. Open access under CC BY-NC-ND license.
Selection and peer-review under responsibility of the IPMA.

http://crossmark.crossref.org/dialog/?doi=10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.03.029&domain=pdf

http://crossmark.crossref.org/dialog/?doi=10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.03.029&domain=pdf

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/

248 Beata Jałocha et al. / Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences 119 ( 2014 ) 247 – 256

Keywords: project management; public sector; competences

1. Introduction

Project managers play a crucial role in all kinds of projects and influence projects’ success (Wateridge,
1997; Crawford, 2005). Their role is unique in public sector projects, due to the fact that public projects always
deal with multiple, different stakeholders whose opinions can strongly influence the project. Progress in
projectification of public sector creates an increasing need for developing competences (knowledge, skills,
attitudes) for public sector project managers. However, very little attention has so far been paid to the distinctive
features of public sector project managers’ competences, especially in terms of competences necessary for team
and stakeholders management. David Wirick (2009) highlights that project managers in public sector face team
management challenges such as: the inability to clearly link performance and reward, compensation systems that
are biased towards longevity, and the inability to select project team members based on their expertise. In addition,
public sector project managers work in environment which very often is not familiar with results-oriented project
management, and are constantly dealing with political interference in the management of projects and the
challenges of working with political appointees.
The purpose of this paper is to identify the most important competences of project managers within public
sector. By proposing a typology of necessary competences, we believe that this article will provide a useful basis
for developing training programs and academic curricula for public sector project managers.
Management of projects within public sector plays a key role in how well the society as a whole is performing.
Project management research and project management literature have for a long time been dealing with different
aspects of the critical competences of project managers. However, the research and literature have not been looking
very much into what competences are needed for performing good project management within the public sector.

In order to educate and train better public sector project managers, we think it will be required to analyze the
specificity of public sector, public sector management and public sector project management. And, based on this
analysis, there must be developed a typology of the competences necessary for the project managers. This typology
will then in turn serve as an important basis for developing training programs and academic curricula for public
sector project managers.

The work presented in this paper is based on qualitative research. The basis of the paper is a study of the
literature covering the relevant topics such as: public sector management and in particular project management, and
competence requirements more or less specific for this management. The findings from the literature study are then
used for constructing and proposing a typology of the key competence requirements.

In the following section of the paper, we will present our definitions of some of the key terms used in the paper.
In the following section the specificity of public projects is discussed, and also what this will imply for the
competence requirements. After this, we give a broader picture of project management competence and public
management competence. In the following section a map of those competences is introduced, and the key
competences are pointed out. Finally some conclusions are drawn, and we discuss possible limitations to our work
and point out some possible further work.

In the following section, we will present differences and similarities between public and private sector
organizations and managers. And then, we will provide definitions and descriptions of competences in the
organizational context. This general description functions as a basic framework and helps us to discuss about
competences related to public sector and (general) project management separately. And then, as a continuation of
this discussion, we will present a table that illustrates the relevant competence areas and roles in a structured
manner. Following this illustration, we will propose key competences of public project management. Finally, some
conclusions are drawn, along with the description of possible limitations to our work and possible further work.

2. Differences and similarities between public and private organizations and managers

A central element of the concept of New Public Management is that public organizations should import
managerial processes and behavior from the private sector (Vries & Nemec, 2013). Nowadays, a majority of public

249 Beata Jałocha et al. / Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences 119 ( 2014 ) 247 – 256

sector scholars claim that the concept of New Public Management is passé. Macaulay and Lawton (2006) argue
that it may be tempting to think that the advent of New Public Management has shifted the ethos of public
managers entirely toward managerialism, efficiency and competence; and the example of local government
potentially reinforces this view. However, according to Wal, Graaf and Lasthuizen (2008) the most important
public and private sector values differ to some extent. In public sector the most important are ‘accountability’,
‘lawfulness’, ‘incorruptibility’, ‘expertise’, ‘reliability’, whereas the highest ranking private sector values are
‘profitability’, ‘accountability’, ‘reliability’, ‘effectiveness ’, ‘expertise , ‘efficiency’ , ‘honesty’ and ‘innovative-
ness’.

Differences and similarities between private and public organizations have been widely debated in the
literature on public management. The similarities between the two sectors focus mainly on the functions of
management, while the differences relate to the conditions or constraints under which management is required to
operate (Schneider & Vaught, 1993). While there is a level of generality at which management is management,
whether public or private, functions that bear identical labels take on rather different meanings in public and
private settings (Allison, 1986, p. 219).

The main conventional distinction between organizations operating in public and private sectors is their
ownership (Boyne, 2002). Unlike private companies, owned by entrepreneurs or shareholders, public organizations
are owned collectively by members of political communities. Boyne (2002, p. 100) evokes some arguments, which
support the statement that public organizations differ from business ones, among which we can mention:

Complexity (public organizations face a variety of stakeholders, each of whom places demands
and constraints on managers);
Permeability (public organizations are ‘open systems’ that are easily influenced by external
events);
Instability (political constraints result in frequent changes in policy, and the imposition of short
time-horizons on public managers);
Absence of competitive pressures (public organizations typically have few rivals for the
provision of their services. Even when competition is present, public managers frequently enjoy
a dominant position in the market, for example in education and health).

It is also emphasized that the goals of public organizations are more vague than those of their private
counterparts, because organizational purposes are imposed through the political process, rather than selected by
managers themselves (Boyne, 2002). Another characteristic of public organizations is that usually they have more
formal procedures for decision-making and are less flexible and more risk-averse (Boyne, 2002; Bozeman i
Kingsley, 1998). The pathology of bureaucracy results is the commonness of the ‘red tape’ in public sector – which
is excessive regulations or rigid conformity to formal rules that is considered redundant and hinders action or
decision-making (Hal, Sanjay & Barry, 1995). Boyne (2002) argues that public sector is also characterized by
lower managerial autonomy, but the main differences between public and private sectors are in his opinion the
publicness of public sector and different managerial values. The distinctive set of values of public sector managers
is characterized as a ‘public service ethos’ (Boyne, 2002).

Reichard (1998), based on the work of Farnham and Horton (1996), identifies some important differences
between public and private managers. He states that whereas private managers typically strive to increase demand
for their products, managers working in public sector must often suppress it in order to stay within their budget.
Also, he stresses that economic efficiency cannot be used by public managers as the primary decision criterion, due
to the mission that public organizations have. It means that public managers are expected to follow public service
ethic in their activities. Next key difference between public and private managers is that public managers must
balance different needs and expectations of multiple stakeholders, among which we can mention politicians
(Reichard, 1998). Public managers are also believed to be less materialistic than private sector managers and
demonstrate a stronger desire to serve the public. Research has shown that due to recruitment, self-selection, and
the process of socialization, public-sector employees are less likely to be interested in extrinsic rewards and more
likely to value intrinsic rewards than private sector employees (Park & Word, 2012). Public employees tend to be
more affectively committed (i.e. committed to the organization’s culture and values) and highly motivated by a
concern for the community and a desire to serve the public interest or intrinsic values, although some are also
motivated extrinsically. As Schneider and Vaught (1993) emphasize, generally public sector employees have

250 Beata Jałocha et al. / Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences 119 ( 2014 ) 247 – 256

considered themselves underpaid but have stayed on the job for other factors, usually of intrinsic nature.

3. Competences – key definitions

The term competence is one of those who in recent decades have become very popular. Interest in
employees’ competences is derived from the widespread belief that they are the most valuable asset of the
company. According to Šiugždinien (2006), the competency approaches were expected to help to identify the
skills, knowledge, behaviors and capabilities needed to meet current and future personnel selection needs and to
help eliminate the gap between the competences required by a project, job role, or enterprise strategy etc. and those
available. However, despite the fact of the popularity of competences and competence based management (CBM),
there is a difficulty in finding an unequivocal definition of the concept. Delamare Le Deist & Winterton (2005,
p.29) write that ‘there is such confusion and debate concerning the concept of ‘competence’ that it is impossible to
identify or impute a coherent theory or to arrive at a definition capable of accommodating and reconciling all the
different ways that the term is used’.

Boyatzis (1982) proposed an integrated model of managerial competence that explains the
interrelationship of these characteristics and their relationship with both management functions and the internal
organizational environment. Competence, according to Boyatzis, is defined as an underlying characteristic that
could be a motive, trait, skill, an aspect of individuals’ self-image or social role, or body of knowledge which
individuals use. Hartle, cited by Delamare Le Deist & Winterton (2005, p. 29) argues that competency as ‘a
characteristic of an individual that has been shown to drive superior job performance’ includes both visible
‘competences’ of ‘knowledge and skills’ and ‘underlying elements of competences’ (like ‘traits and motives’).

In studies on competence, particular attention is paid to core competences – the most important, both from
the point of view of the individual and for the organization. Core competences of the organization are defined as
‘the collective learning in the organisation, especially how to co-ordinate diverse production skills and integrate
multiple streams of technologies’ (Hamel & Prahalad, 1994). According to Herling and Provo (2000), core
competences refer to the particular business expertise that an organization has developed. From a strategic
perspective, the real potential of an organization is expressed in its core competences (ibid). From the point of view
of the organization, core competences are considered to be what the organization knows best (know-how); and
from the point of view of separate job positions, core competences are the most important skills for the tasks
assigned to the position and role of the professional (Oleksyn, 2006, p.20). Outstanding level of key competences
with a lower level of the other competences is better for the organization than the average level of all the
competences required for a given position. The main component of an organization’s competences is the
competences of employees. Also important, though often ignored, are managerial competences. Oleksyn (2006)
points out that competences are not the same for all managers. Depending on the organization and its functions, the
structure of competences differ among production, projects or finance managers. Individual competency is
commonly defined as a cluster of related factual knowledge, skills, experiences, attitudes, and value judgments
directly related to one’s job (Parry, 1998 cited by Herling & Provo, 2000). From this perspective, it can be
assumed that individual or employee competence correlates with performance on the job, that it can be measured
against well-accepted standards and that it can be improved with training and practice (Herling & Provo, 2000)

Delamare Le Deist & Winterton (2005) argue that ‘a holistic typology is useful in understanding the
combination of knowledge, skills and social competences that are necessary for particular occupations. The
competences required of an occupation include both conceptual (cognitive, knowledge and understanding) and
operational (functional, psycho-motor and applied skill) competences. The competences more associated with
individual effectiveness are also both conceptual (meta-competence, including learning to learn) and operational
(social competence, including behaviours and attitudes)’. Speed and changeability of the environment make risks
and uncertainties permanently inscribed in the organization’s actions. Therefore, it seems that meta-competences
will become more and more useful. The holistic model of competence, represented as a tetrahedron, proposed by
Delamare Le Deist & Winterton, reflects the unity of competence and the difficulty of separating cognitive,
functional and social dimensions in practice. Meta-competence, as a key component of the model, is presented as
an over-arching input that facilitates the acquisition of output competences at the base of the tetrahedron.

It is also important to distinguish generic and specific competences. Generic (also called universal)
competences are those that are applicable across roles and organisations, whereas specific competences are those

251 Beata Jałocha et al. / Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences 119 ( 2014 ) 247 – 256

particular to roles and organisations (Markus, Cooper-Thomas i Allpress, 2005).

4. Competences of public sector managers

Bowman, West, Berman & Wart (2004) argue that successful public manager must possess ‘skills
triangle’, which comprises of three different types of competences: technical, leadership and ethical. Virtanen
(2000) writes that we mostly discuss competences in relations to qualifications. The author draws attention to the
fact that in today’s public management qualifications are predominantly related to the doctrine of the New Public
Management. He identifies five competence areas of public sector managers, which are: task competence,
professional competence in subject area, professional competence in administration, political competence and
ethical competence. Task competence seems to be the most concrete of all mentioned areas, because – as noted by
the author – ‘goals and means are given, and the task just has to be accomplished’ (Virtanen, 2000, p. 335). Task
competences also include all competences defined as skills or behavioral techniques (e.g. communication or data
analysis). Professional competences (competences in subject area) are defined by Virtanen as competences either
in substantive field of the line organization (e.g. social security) or in the specific task field in the techno-structure
of the organization (e.g. HRM). Professional competences in the area of administration relate to execution of the
policy given by politicians. Political competences are connected with values and power – the ideology and interests
of a public manager set the value competences. Virtanen emphasizes that ‘without political competence, public
managers are not able to contribute to the politically acceptable outcomes, no matter how good the output is in
terms of developing professional quality and performance’ (2000, p. 336). The last but not least of the five
competence areas are ethical competences. They refer to conforming to moral values and moral norms that prevail
in culture. Without having ethical competence, public managers can not use their professional or political
competences in right way. What is very important, according to Virtanen, every competence area identifies value
competences and instrumental competences, whereas in the subject literature competences are mostly understood
as technical or instrumental. This distinction seems to be crucial for defining competences of public sector
managers. Value competences are here understood as commitments that have stabilized as relatively permanent
attributes of individual action (which can include e.g. motivation, ideology, morality). It is therefore very important
to include ethical competences in the model of competences of project managers working in public sector.

5. Project management competences

When we look at project competences, then it may be appropriate to look first at leadership styles. As we
understand from our literature study, focus on various leadership styles led to the definition of competences in
general and with respect to projects.
Müller & Turner (2007) present six modern leadership schools over the years. They are:

Trait (1930s–1940s): Major idea: Effective leaders show common traits; leaders born not made. Example
authors: Kirkpatrick & Locke (1991)
Behavior or style (1940s–1950s): Main idea: Effective leaders adopt certain styles or behaviours;
Leadership skills can be developed. Example authors: Blake & Mouton (1978) Tannenbaum & Schmidt
(1958)
Contingency (1960s–1970s): Main idea: What makes an effective leader depends on the situation.
Example authors: Fiedler (1967), House (1971), Robbins (1991)
Visionary or charismatic (1980s–1990s): Main idea depends on which of the two styles that are connected
to this school – transformational or transactional. For transformational: concern for relationships; for
transactional: concern for process. Example author: Bass (1990)
Emotional intelligence (2000s): Main idea: Emotional intelligence has a greater impact on performance
than intellect. Example authors: Goleman et al. (2002)
Competency (2000s): Main idea: Effective leaders exhibit certain competences, including traits, behaviors
and styles Emotions, process, intellect Different profiles of competence better in different situations.
Example authors: Dulewicz & Higgs (2003)

252 Beata Jałocha et al. / Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences 119 ( 2014 ) 247 – 256

Let us now focus on the Competency school. Dulewics & Higgs (2003), based on their studies, present 15
competences that are categorized into 3 categories. They are:

Intellectual competences (Critical analysis & judgment Vision and imagination, Strategic perspective)
Managerial competences Engaging communication, Managing resources, Empowering, Developing
Achieving)
Emotional competences (Self-awareness, Emotional resilience, Motivation, Sensitivity, Influence
Intuitiveness, Conscientiousness)

These leadership competences are identified for organizational change projects according to the authors. Muller &
Turner (2010), by reflecting on the study conducted by Dulewics & Higgs (2003), suggest that these competences
are applicable for other types of projects. In other words, we can consider these competences with respect to
project management.
According to IPMA’s competency model – called as IPMA Competence Baseline (ICB) – project manager’s
competences are described in three different ranges (IPMA, 2006):

The technical competence range – to describe the fundamental project management competence elements.
The behavioral competence range – to describe the personal project management competence elements.
The contextual competence range – to describe the project management competence elements related to
the context of the project.

Furthermore, we see that ICB model encompasses the competences mentioned by Dulewics & Higgs (2003), and
reflects the findings of Ingason & Jónasson (2009), at least to a certain extent.

6. Key competences of public sector project managers

A number of authors have discussed the different frameworks and their usefulness for building necessary
competence within projects and thereby for project success – for instance (Morris et al 2006, Bartoska 2011,
Madter et al 2012). For the purpose of this paper we choose IPMA’s model of competence to build upon it a
competence typology for public sector project manager – see Table 1. Within the framework of the IPMA’s
competency model we have distinguished three roles (Manager, Public Sector Manager and Project manager) and
their corresponding key competences (divided into contextual, behavioral and technical competences). The
framework is based on the scientific literature, as well as practical competency models review (e.g. “IPMA’s
Competence Baseline” or “Certified public manager competency model”). Some competences (i.e. leadership,
creativity, personnel management) are embedded in the “portfolio” of competences necessary for all managers,
regardless the sector in which they work. Therefore, we did not in our framework want to duplicate the set of
presented competences. That is why we assume that both public manager and project manager must possess all the
competences listed in the first part of Table 1 (“Manager”), and we do not replicate them in next parts of Table 1
(“Public Sector Manager” and “Project manager”).

Table 1. Competence areas of Manager, Public Sector Manager and Project manager.

Contextual competences Behavioral competences Technical competences

Manager

Permanent organization

Business: competence on the branch /
sector to which the organisation belongs

Systems, production & technology

Personnel management

Health, security, safety and environment

General finance

General legal knowledge

Leadership

Engagement and
motivation

Self control

Assertiveness

Relaxation

Openness

Creativity

Result orientation

Efficiency

Professional competence in subject area

253 Beata Jałocha et al. / Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences 119 ( 2014 ) 247 – 256

Consultations

Negotiations

Conflicts & crises

Reliability

Values appreciation

Ethics

Public Sector Manager

Understanding of organizational mission,
ethics and public good and being
concerned with public trust

Ability to analyze political support and
opposition

Exercise power, authority and influence
appropriately to achieve
office goals

Keep current with laws, regulations,
policies, trends

Stakeholders analysis and management

Collaboration with a variety of
individuals and groups from both within
and outside the office.

Focus on partnering with multiple
stakeholders: work to overcome barriers
to partnering.

Diversity awareness

Professional competences in the area of
administration relate to execution of the
policy given by politicians

Coalition building with understanding of
community building and ability to
establish collaborative relationships

High standards of honesty
and integrity, virtue

Promoting ethical
practices in all
organizational activities.

Accountability

Motivation to serve
public, including
encouraging employees to
believe in the spirit of
public service and
demonstrating a personal
commitment to quality
public service

Change leadership

Professional competence in public
administration

Ability to apply office policies in a
consistent manner

Inter-organizational learning competence:
analyze and apply lessons learned from other
organizations

Financial management including ability to
demonstrate an understanding of the roles of
the office, Division of Administration, and
the legislature in the budget process

Ability to take sound decisions on
procurement of equipment, supplies or
services and understanding of state and
office procurement regulations

Long range thinking: ability to recommend
effective strategies

.

Ability to consider all factors when making
decisions (e.g. legal aspects, political and
organizational reality, media, special
interests).

Project Manager

Project, Program and Portfolio
orientation and implementation

Project management success

Interested parties

Project requirements and objectives

Risk and opportunity

Quality

Project organization

Teamwork

Problem resolution

Project structures

Scope and deliverables

Time and project phases

Resources

Cost & finance

Procurement & contract

Changes

Control & reports

Information & documentation

Communication

Start up

Close out

254 Beata Jałocha et al. / Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences 119 ( 2014 ) 247 – 256

Ability to work under time pressure

Source: Own analysis based on: International Project Management Association (2006); North Carolina Office of State
Personnel (2008); Wirick (2009).

Managerial competences are necessary for both, public manager’s project manager’s roles. These are general
competences which are needed for a manager in every work environment. As it can be seen Table 1, a part of the
competence areas for managers and project managers are mentioned in key words. Most of the keywords are self-
explanatory. For further explanation of the keywords, ICB (IPMA, 2006) can be referred. There are also some
specific competences that are desired from a public manager. Most of these competences are sector specific and
not required in a business environment. What is really important is that these are not only technical competences
that differ from sector to sector. Most of these competences are value oriented and come from the ethos of public
sector.

Taking into consideration some specific competences that are necessary for project managers and public sector
managers, along with some generic managerial competences, we have in Table 2 compiled the key competences.
Table 2 may thus be seen as a proposition for a typology of competences for public sector project managers. In our
opinion, this set of competences will build a portfolio of public sector project manager’s skills, knowledge and
attitudes.

Table 2: Competences of Public sector project manager.

Contextual competences Behavioral competences Technical competences
Project, Program and Portfolio
orientation and implementation

Stakeholders analysis and management

Ability to analyze political support and
opposition

Collaboration with a variety of
individuals and groups from both within
and outside toffice

Execution of the policy given by
politicians

Adequate understanding on legal and
cultural issues

Understanding of organizational mission,
ethics and public good and being
concerned with public trust
Exercise power, authority and influence
appropriately to achieve
office goals
Keep current with laws, regulations,
policies, trends
Focus on partnering with multiple
stakeholders: work to overcome barriers
to partnering.
Diversity awareness
Permanent organization
Business: competence on the branch /
sector to which the organisation belongs
Systems, production & technology

High standards of honesty and integrity,
virtue

Promoting ethical practices in all
organizational activities.

Accountability

Motivation to serve public, including
encouraging employees to believe in the
spirit of public service and demonstrating
a personal commitment to quality public
service

Leadership: Ability to take decisions and
move the project forward towards its
objective even under pressure from
different stakeholders

Engagement and motivation:

Self control

Assertiveness: Ability to make decisions
and and execute them firmly

Relaxation
Openness

Creativity: Ability to think various,
possible future scenarios (challenges,
opportunities, etc.) and to find creative
solutions

Result orientation

Efficiency: Among other things, ability to
deal with bureaucracy and red-tapes

Consultations
Project management success
Interested parties
Project requirements and objectives
Risk and opportunity
Quality
Project organization
Teamwork
Problem resolution
Project structures
Scope and deliverables
Time and project phases
Resources
Cost & finance
Procurement & contract
Changes
Control & reports
Information & documentation
Communication
Start up

Close out

Ability to work under time pressure

Ability to make right prioritization at
right times.

Ability to establish and implement
reward systems that correspond
effectively to performance.

255 Beata Jałocha et al. / Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences 119 ( 2014 ) 247 – 256

Personnel management
Health, security, safety and environment
General finance
General legal knowledge

Coalition building with understanding of
community building and ability to
establish collaborative relationships

Negotiations
Conflicts & crises

Reliability integrety

Values appreciation
Ethics

Ability to select project team members
based on their expertise.

Professional competence in public
administration
Ability to apply office policies in a
consistent manner

Inter-organizational learning competence:
analyze and apply lessons learned from
other organizations

Financial management including ability
to demonstrate an understanding of the
roles of the office, Division of
Administration, and the legislature in the
budget process

Ability to take sound decisions on
procurement of equipment, supplies or
services and understanding of state and
office procurement regulations

Long range thinking: ability to
recommend effective strategies

Ability to consider all factors when
making decisions (e.g. legal aspects,
political and organizational reality,
media, special interests).

Source: Own analysis based on: International Project Management Association (2006); North Carolina Office of State
Personnel (2008); Wirick (2009).

This set of competences combines the key skills, knowledge and attitudes that should be possessed by a
successful Project manager, who is working in public sector. However, it should be noted, that even in public
sector itself, there will most likely be quite some differences in competences required from the project manager.
The competences will differ between e.g. public sector technical organizations and healthcare.

7. Limitations and future research

This study is a first attempt to create a typology of competences of public sector project managers,
therefore there are some limitations in our presentation here. First, the study is only of conceptual character and
should later on be enriched with empirical research. It is our belief that the results can help to further develop
training programs and academic curricula tailored to the needs of public sector employers. Furthermore, we
assume that if similar studies are made within private sector, then it would be possible to compare key
competences of public sector project managers and of private sector project managers. We think that such
comparisons will lead to transfer of project knowledge and experience between the two sectors, as well as
improving private-public partnership projects.

References

Allison, G. T. (1986). Public and Private Management: Are They Fundamentally Alike in All Unimportant Respects? In J. C. Thomas
Sergiovanni, Leadership and Organizational Culture. New Perspectives on Administrative Theory and Practice. (pp. 214-234). Urbana and
Chicago: University of Illinois Press.

Bass, B.M. (1990). From transactional to transformational leadership: learning to share the vision, Organ Dyn, 18 (3), pp. 19–31.
Blake, R. R. & Mouton, S. J. (1978). The new managerial grid, Gulf, Houston (TX).
Bowman, J., West, J., Berman, E., & Wart, M. V. (2004). The Professional Edge: Competences in Public Service. New York: M.E.Sharpe.
Boyatzis, R. E. (1982). The Competent Manager: A Model for Effective Performance. New York: Wiley.
Boyne, G. (2002). Public and Private Management. What’s the Difference? Journal of Management Studies, 39(1), 97-122.

256 Beata Jałocha et al. / Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences 119 ( 2014 ) 247 – 256

Bozeman, B., & Kingsley, G. (1998). Risk culture in public and private organizations. Public Administration Review, 109-118.
Chen, J. (1990). Confucius as a teacher, Foreign Language Press, Beijing (1990).
Collinson, D. (1998). Fifty major philosophers, Routledge, London.
Covey, S.R. (1992). Principle centred leadership, Fireside, New York.
Crawford, L. (2005). Senior management perceptions of project management competence, International Journal of Project Management, Vol.

23.
Deist, F. D., & Winterton, J. (2005). What is competence?. Human Resource Development International, 8(1), 27-46.
Dulewicz V. & Higgs M. J. (2003). Design of a new instrument to assess leadership dimensions and styles, Henley Working Paper Series HWP

0311. Henley-on-Thames, UK: Henley Management College.
Farnham, D., & Horton, J. (1996). Public managers and Private Managers: Towards a Professional Synthesis? In: J. H. D Farnham, New Public

managers in Europe. Public Servants in Transition. London: MacMillan.
Fiedler, F. E. (1967). A theory of leadership effectiveness, McGraw-Hill, New York.
Ginnis, J. M. (2011). The young and restless: generation Y in the nonprofit workforce. Public Administration Quarterly, 342-362.
Goleman, D., Boyatzis, R. E.& McKee, A. (2002). The new leaders, Harvard Business School Press, Cambridge (MA).
Hal, R., Sanjay, P., & Barry, B. (1995). Research Note: Public and Private Managers’ Perceptions of Red Tape. Public Administration Review,

55(6), 567-574.
Herling, R., & Provo, J. (2000). Knowledge, Competence, and Expertise in Organizations. Advances in Developing Human Resources 2000,

2(1), 1-7.
House, R. J. (1971): A path-goal theory of leader effectiveness. Administrative Science Quarterly (September), pp. 321–338
Ingason, H. T. & Jónasson, H. I. (2009). Contemporary knowledge and skill requirements in project management, Project Management

Journal, Vol. 40, No. 2.
International Project Management Association. (2006). ICB – IPMA Competence Baseline, Version 3.0.
Kirkpatrick, S. S. & Locke, E. A. (1991). Leadership traits do matter, Acad Manage Exec (Mar), pp. 44–60.
Markus, L. H., Cooper-Thomas, H. D., & Allpress, K. N. (2005). Confounded by Competences? An Evaluation of the Evolution and Use of

Competency Models. New Zealand Journal of Psychology, 34(2), 117-126.
Müller, R. & Turner, J. R. (2007). Matching the project manager’s leadership style to project type, International Journal of Project

Management, Vol. 25.
Müller, R. & Turner, R. (2010) Leadership competency profiles of successful project managers, International Journal of Project Management,

Vol. 28.
North Carolina Office of State Personel. (2008).CERTIFIED public manager competency model.[Online]. Available at:

http://qa.performancesolutions.nc.gov/staffingInitiatives/successionPlanning/step3/docs/CPM_CompetencyModel (Accessed 2 June
2013).

Oleksyn T. (2006), Zarz dzanie kompetencjami teoria i praktyka, Oficyna Ekonomiczna, Kraków..
Park, S. M., & Word, J. (2012). Driven to Service: Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation for Public and Nonprofit Managers. Public Personnel

Management, 41(4), 705-734.
PMI (2002). Project manager competency development framework, Newton Square (NA): Project Management Institute.
Reichard, C. (1998). Education and Training for New Public Management. International Public Management Journal, 1(2), 177-194.
Robbins, S. P. (1997). Essentials of organizational behaviour, Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs.
Schneider, D., & Vaught, B. (1993). A Comparison of Job Satisfaction Between Public and Private Sector Managers. Public Administration

Quarterly, 69-83.
Šiugždinien , J. (2006). Competency Management in the Context of Public Management Reform. VIEŠOJI POLITIKA IR

ADMINISTRAVIMAS, 26-33.
Tannenbaum, R. & Schmidt, K. H. (1958). How to choose a leadership style, Harvard Business Review (March–April).
Thomas, J. & Mengel, T. (2008). Preparing project managers to deal with complexity – Advanced project management education, International

Journal of Project Management, Vol. 26.
Virtanen, T. (2000). Changing competences of public sector managers: tensions in commitment. The International Journal of Public Sector

Management, 13(4), 333-341.
Vries, M. D., & Nemec, J. (2013). Public sector reform: an overview of recent literature and research on NPM and alternative paths.

International Journal of Public Sector Management, 26(1), 4-16.
Wal, Z. V., Graaf, G. D., & Lasthuizen, K. (2008). What’s Valued Most? Similarities And Differences Between The Organizational Values Of

The Public And Private Sector. Public Administration, 86(2), 465-482.
Wirick D.W. (2009). Public-Sector Project Mangement. Meeting the Challanges and Achieving Results. Wiley, New Jersey.

Disc Board 2

Topic: Project Management in Public Administration

Thread: After carefully reading Exercise 6 and the “Key Competencies of Public Sector Project Managers,” you will 1) explain how the Critical Path Method would apply to the issues presented in the Northway Preconstruction Planning memorandum in Form 26, and 2) describe which competencies discussed in the “Key Competencies of Public Sector Project Managers” article would best equip a public sector manager to effectively address complex public sector projects.