Core Competencies for Construction Project Management

Abstract

Despite its prominent role in the global economy, the construction industry is still dealing with declining productivity, workplace safety, work disputes, etc. The human element, particularly construction project managers, is critical to resolving many of these long-standing problems. The ability to identify training gaps and link qualified construction project managers with the relevant projects requires a deep awareness of the competencies necessary for construction project managers. This study examines definitions of competency and its components, proposes a conceptual competency model for education and training application, investigates competencies required for construction project managers, and reveals essential knowledge areas and personality characteristics required for each skill. A systematic review of 63 references, published from 1955 to 2019, is conducted for definition examination. The examination reveals that definitions of competency, knowledge, skill, behavior, and behavioral competencies could be clustered into 4, 8, 4, 4, and 3 major categories. In addition, an investigation of ten existing competency conceptual models leads to a more comprehensive conceptual competency model for construction project management. The proposed conceptual competency model considers skills as a function of knowledge and personality characteristics. Another systematic review of 92 references, published from 1989 to 2019, is conducted to determine the competencies required for construction project managers. The review shows that skills, universal knowledge, domain-specific knowledge, and personality characteristics could be clustered into 21, 10, 10, and 12 major categories. A survey including 672 ranking questions is developed to explore construction academics’ perception of the importance of each recognized knowledge area/personality characteristic to each identified skill. This study proposes a conceptual framework for dividing the extensive survey into shorter sections, including 21 ranking questions. Next, the data, collected from 2,016 professors, post-docs, and students worldwide, is analyzed to identify the importance of each knowledge area/personality characteristic to each skill. The findings of this study can assist the construction industry in directing its efforts toward key competency development areas and catering training and professional development to the real needs of the workforce.