The Kingdom of Bahrain Ministry turns to SPM Group to achieve Project Management Excellence - SPM Group Ltd. has been selected by the Ministry of Works and Housing (MWH) of the Kingdom of Bahrain to support the development and implementation of a Project Management System to serve the entire organization. SPM in partnership with a local Bahraini firm, LSS Technologies, is providing a comprehensive solution to fulfill the Ministry’s goal of creating an in-house centre of Project Management excellence.
This new operation will enable the Ministry to strategically and proactively manage the numerous business relationships that this rapidly growing multi-billion-dollar organization maintains. SPM was selected for this mission-critical initiative based on its diverse domestic and international public and private sector project management experience and its proven ability to develop customized solutions which recognize the unique nature of a clients’ operating environment.
The award of this globally tendered contract signifies the growing importance organizations around the world place on enhancing their in-house capabilities with global best practices The key responsibilities of this assignment include all aspects of people, process and technology required to form a new Functional Home of Project Management at the Ministry and an improved way of managing its extensive project portfolio for the more than 700 staff managing projects.
A strategy initiated by the MWH to move from an operational role to a more consultative position in public infrastructure projects prompted the ministry to develop this new Project Management Methodology. This new operating model and the processes associated with it will leverage leading-edge technology enabling MWH to build the extensive in-house expertise required to manage both current and future projects and investments. SPM, by providing project management consulting and training services, in addition to managing this 18-month strategic initiative, will enable the organization to move expeditiously to achieving this goal.
“SPM’s consulting and training services and the provision of an on-site project manager have played key roles in the Ministry of Works and Housing’s strategic goal to achieve service excellence and build project management expertise as a core competency,” says Mohamed Khalil Alsayed, project sponsor and Undersecretary of Housing & Management Affairs at the Ministry of Works and Housing. “With the Ministry’s significant operational experience coupled with SPM’s extensive project management capability we are well underway in implementing an impressive project management system.”
Mohamed Al Binfalah, Managing Director of LSS Technologies, says: “Partnering with SPM on this project allows us to transfer its diverse expertise and knowledge to the local talent within Bahrain. By bringing together local knowledge and global best practices we will be creating a unique Project Management model which is truly in alignment with local business requirements and which will be exportable to other potential prospects locally and regionally.”
SPM is currently engaged in the second phase of the Ministry’s initiative. This phase of the project involves: developing and implementing project management methodology, processes, competencies and governance structures and building an on-site Project Management Office. In addition, SPM will be training and coaching approximately 700 project management staff on the new methodology and processes MWH will be utilizing to manage its numerous projects and initiatives. By providing the ministry an end-to-end solution SPM enables its client to maximize the investments it has undertaken in this initiative.
To ensure operational success; the SPM team and MWH have adopted advanced communications and document sharing practices to enable teams in both Toronto and Manama to work seamlessly on this initiative. Time zone differences and the divergence of local business practices, such as the work-week itself, created unique opportunities for both MWH and SPM to develop a global delivery team. SPM’s Project Manager Husam Sha’ath, PMP, CMC balances time between both locations to meet the “face to face” requirements of this initiative. SPM in recognition of its growing presence in the area has created a new subsidiary Global Strategic Project Management Ltd. to conduct its various assignments in the Gulf Region.
Bryan Vermander, vice-president of SPM Group and executive sponsor of the international work also says: “This project represents an exciting move for SPM into the global project management arena, where we are well suited to grow our business and serve clients based on the expertise of our people and the diversity of our existing clients. There are a significant number of key players within the ministry and we are excited to be working with such an enthusiastic group.”
The next stage of the implementation of the project management system is to select and implement an IT-enabled solution. SPM will be involved in the development, review and award of the Request for Proposals. This phase is expected to begin in the spring of 2007.
LSS Technologies is a leading Bahraini technology integration company providing a wide range of business solutions. The company focuses on the provision of telecommunications, security and information technology solution to the private and public sectors.