Principal Investigator(s):
Karl Smith, Associate Professor, Civil, Environmental and Geo-Engineering
Project summary:
Effective project management practice is central to MnDOT's role as an engineering management organization. This research project focused on identifying the critical success factors for effective project managers, providing the foundation for enhancing the MnDOT Project Management Academy, and identifying features for an Advanced Project Management Development Program. Part of understanding project management means making the gap between theory and practice visible, and working with experts to understand why these gaps exist and how new engineers can be more effectively taught to manage projects. Researchers developed a process to determine whether the academy experience is producing the desired results. This investigation, based on extensive literature searches and interviews with former participants, uncovered several weaknesses of the program. A comprehensive list of suggestions is provided for making improvements in these areas.