Project management efficiency key to controlling government spending

MUSCAT, JULY 9

Enhancing the efficiency of project management cadres is key to reining in government expenditure, according to Eng Saeed al Maawali, Minister of Transport, Communications and Information Technology.

Speaking to the Observer during a ceremony marking the graduation of a cohort of engineers under ‘Imkan’ - a programme designed to hone the skills of engineers in the field of contracting and project management, the Minister shared the following: “Project management is a broad field with a significant impact on the efficiency of government spending. The more skilled individuals we have in the system, the more it improves government spending efficiency.” “The Ministry of Transport, on average, accounts for approximately half of the government's spending on civil development projects. Therefore, it is crucial to be more efficient and careful in spending by effectively managing these projects,” he stated Yesterday’s “Imkan” project, launched by the General Secretariat of the Tender Board, celebrated the graduation of 50 engineers from eight different government entities.

Speaking at the ceremony, Eng Badr bin Salem al Maamari, Secretary General of the Tender Board, shared that in addition to achieving its intended goals of enabling engineers to manage government projects and contracts, the programme also resulted in the creation of an integrated human resources platform for workers in the field of project and contract management using.

"Imkan" is a national programme based on education and training, not just a standard programme. It runs for about six months, with most of this time dedicated to on-the-job training.

“This batch includes approximately 50 graduates from various entities, and we place great hope in them, or improving the implementation of government projects. This batch has gone through all stages of project implementation, from start to finish,” he said.

The Secretary General also announced the launch of the second phase of the programme. “On a related note, today we are launching the second phase of the "Imkan" programme, which will include around 120 project managers from more than eight entities. Similarly, this initiative is aimed at small and medium enterprises to ensure that the entire chain of project implementers is complete from all sides.” Among the participating government entities in the first phase of the programme were the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Water Resources, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning, Muscat Municipality, and Dhofar Municipality.