Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has revealed the conclusions and recommendations of the 7th Dubai International Project Management Forum (24-27 Jan 2022) under the theme: Towards the Future.
RTA held the forum in collaboration with the Project Management Institute (PMI), Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), and DP World.
“The 7th edition of the forum held 22 sessions comprising 5 key notes, 5 panel discussions, 2 on-stage panel discussions, 4 parallel sessions, and 6 masterclasses. About 1200 project management specialists from the region and beyond took part in the event, which attracted a diverse group of featured speakers, and project and business experts from the UAE and overseas,”
Said Moaza Al Marri, Executive Director, Office of RTA Director-General, Chairman of the Board Executive Directors; and Chairperson of the Higher Organising Committee of the DIPMF.
“The forum concluded to important findings which will support and enrich the concept of project management at the local, regional and global levels. They are focused on five key pillars: digital transformation, mega projects, risk management, future project management, and mobility and sustainability.
“On digital transformation, the forum recommended to carry out such transformation in a flexible and gradual approach and improve the quality of life by providing an integrated digital infrastructure and passionate individuals. It also called for a shift in dealing with information reporting from figures and numbers to storytelling patterns, and the use of new tools such as metaverse and virtual reality to replace traditional reporting.
For mega projects, it was recommended to study topics like the impact on society, improving the quality of life, and the social integration in more depth when planning large infrastructure projects. A call was made to develop comprehensive strategies to support more green and sustainable energy projects. It was also stressed that tolerance and harmony between the team members are essential to ensure the success of mega projects.
In risk management, the forum recommended considering future trends when identifying risks rather than just relying only on historical events. It also called on entities to use advanced technologies to direct or mitigate uncertainty and unknown factors.
In future project management, the forum recommended enhancing the ability to imagine, considering it one of the most required skills for the success of innovative projects. It was stressed that future projects need inspiring leaders and change-makers rather than conventional project managers. It called for transforming the Project Management Offices (PMOs) into smart digital PMOs that use big data and artificial intelligence to display information in real-time and forecast the future progress of projects.
In the mobility and sustainability aspect, the forum recommended that cities should engage with customers to capture their expectations to implement mobility-as-a-service (Ma’as) using the appropriate business models and adopting agile policies and legislation. It also called for optimizing the use of current budgets to achieve the optimal balance between mobility needs and sustainability for a better quality of life.
Al Marri noted that such findings would form a key introduction to the next edition of the forum in 2023.
“RTA is always keen to examine the recommendations of each round of the forum and ensure they are duly implemented. Complying with such recommendations would leverage the concept of project management in Dubai, which is shaping as one of the top cosmopolitan cities in the field of strategic project management in the region and the world over.
News Source: Dubai Media Office
