Accommodation availability in Ireland a major obstacle in attracting international projects, say project managers

The Ireland Chapter of Project Management Institute (PMI) today launches the inaugural National Project Awards, to be held at the Dublin offices of sponsor PwC on November 1. The National Project Awards are proudly supported by PwC.

The announcement comes as a Chapter survey found four in five project managers predict an increase in international projects coming to Ireland as a direct result of Brexit. However, 59% of those surveyed said the current housing crisis will be the biggest obstacle affecting this growth over the coming 24 months. The lack of technical infrastructure was a concern for 18%, while 17% said increased competition from the US due to proposed tax cuts by American president, Donald Trump would be an issue.

The awards, to be held on the eve of International Project Management Day 2017, will promote the vital role of project managers in the uncertain times ahead and the best practice being developed to overcome obstacles that threaten project success within the growing profession. For more on the National Project Awards see projectawards.ie.

Ireland Chapter of PMI President Niall Murphy outlined: “Our members are predicting significant foreign direct investment coming to this country. Project management will play a key role in the management and delivery of these projects. The appetite validates just how invaluable skilled project managers are, and will be, to the economy and we want to highlight and showcase this with the National Project Awards.

“However, the biggest obstacle is that rents and house prices are rising sharply. We need joined-up thinking and workable solutions from all invested stakeholders on how to tackle this issue.”

There will be six categories open for public nomination, including PMO of the Year, SME Project of the Year, Private Sector (non-SME) Project of the Year, Public Sector Project of the Year, and Project Management for Social Good. The highly anticipated PwC-sponsored Project Professional of the Year will also be open for public nomination.

The awards will include one honorary nomination for Distinguished Contribution to Project Management, sponsored by the Ireland Chapter of PMI. The deadline for all nominations is September 1 and the finalists will be announced October 6.

Partner in PwC heading up their Portfolio and Programme Management Practice in Ireland, Féilim Harvey stated: “We are delighted to partner with the Ireland Chapter of PMI to launch the inaugural National Project Awards. With such unprecedented levels of change within the business and political environment at the moment, fostering a community of truly excellent project managers is of critical importance to Ireland’s competitiveness and our ability to maintain our agility in this changing environment. It is important that we recognise the significant asset our top class project managers represent to Irish business and these awards shine a spotlight on the achievements in project management, profiling best practice in the field throughout Ireland.”

Membership of the Ireland Chapter of PMI has grown by 16% in the past 12 months, to over 1,250 members. There are currently over 50,000 employed in project management across Ireland, in sectors such as IT, public sector, construction, pharmaceuticals and manufacturing.

For full details on the National Project Awards see projectawards.ie.