Project management in the public sector

2024-09-19 06:33:22

Have you ever wondered how it is that the public sector works so well in our country? You may have already noticed that compared to other countries, Here, the administration is rather efficient.

Project management and efficiency in public service

Coincidentally or not, we noticed that a project management certification was often required in public sector job offers.

The American organization PMI (Project Management Institute), which was the first to theorize on the subject, defines a project as “a temporary enterprise initiated for the purpose of providing a unique product, service or result.” This definition implies that a certain number of parameters (cost, resources, planning, quality, risks, etc.) are framed and monitored meticulously to prevent any slippage, with a specific aim in mind: the product, service or result generated by the project.

Enough theory, but with these elements in mind, we will reflect on the following question over the coming weeks: Could the use of project management in the public sector, in Switzerland and more particularly in Geneva, be the source of its efficiency?

Our investigation into the public service

Without aiming to be exhaustive, we will investigate various public institutions (or similar), in Geneva, but also in Bern.

We invite you to join us during the interviews that we will conduct with the people who manage projects, whether at the municipal, cantonal, federal or international level.

We will try to highlight the similarities observed but also the specificities – the idea is obviously not to draw hasty conclusions on a subject as vast as it is complex, but rather to have a first overview and to confirm or deny our assumptions.

At each meeting, we will specify:

  • the reason why we decided to meet the interviewee and what my assumptions were;
  • the main points that we have retained following our discussions, with an emphasis on the good practices observed but also the challenges to be met!

Responsiveness of public services: a first hypothesis verified

Already, a first hypothesis has proven conclusive: All our contacts were very responsive and showed great availability to answer our questions, despite their busy schedules. The average response time to our emails, even though our first contacts were often the press or communications departments, was 24 to 72 hours, and we were often able to secure appointments, online or in person, with the right people, in just a few days!

We deduce one thing from this: the expression “falling into the mysteries of administration” has no place in Geneva!

We would therefore like to warmly thank our interlocutors for their availability and we look forward to seeing you next week for the publication of our first interview with Virginie Todeschini, Head of the Cross-functional Projects Unit at the Culture and Digital Transition Department of the City of Geneva !

Photo credit: undefined undefined via iStock

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#Project #management #public #sector

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