The Importance of Project Management in Achieving The Goal of Any Organization

As mentioned by Melinda Gates, co-founder of Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, in one of the Ted Talks, “What can nonprofits learn from mega-corporations like Coca-Cola, whose global network of marketers and distributors ensures that every remote village wants and can get an ice-cold Coke?” I also share the same believe that when non-profits adopt similar model then, vaccinations and toilets can be just as ubiquitous as coca cola in remote areas of the world. Project management professionals need to be knowledgeable on project essentials such as planning, cost tracking, return on investment analysis and also stakeholder engagement. As a result, stronger campaigns can be initiated with greater efficiency and ease.

This is the reason I believe in the immense importance of project management in achieving the mission or goal of any organization.It is a great pleasure for me to express my motive behind my decision to pursue Graduate Certificate in Project Management Program at Fanshawe College, Ontario, Canada. My name is Tenzing Dolma Nepali, born and raised in the capital city of Nepal, Kathmandu. I completed my Bachelors in Business Administration degree with distinctions in all the semesters and CGPA 3.68 out of 4.0. I was also a recipient of Director’s Merit Award consecutively for three years. During my final year of bachelor’s degree, I worked as a Special Area Project Officer of Rotaract Club of Thames International College, during which I was involved in planning, budgeting and stakeholder engagement of all project activities related to welfare of an orphanage home.

What started as a humble desire to work for a social cause eventually led me to join the development sector as a career in a non-profit organization, Action for Nepal, which works to ensure basic health and quality education in rural and remote districts of Nepal. My job as a Public Relation and Communications Officer involves me to liaise with the Program Manager and teacher coaches of our four-year project, Literacy Improvement Programme in Solukhumbu (supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade New Zealand through our partner organization, Himalayan Trust New Zealand).

The project was initiated with a mission to ensure quality literacy in schools near the Everest region of Eastern Nepal through collective effort of teachers, School Management Committee, the local government and parents. However, as much as our work towards this cause is vigorous, we are still quite lagging in project progress in terms of logistics, timeline scheduling, budgeting and it has been quite challenging due to geographical constraints and extreme weather in the villages of high region of Nepal. With such high stakes, and especially realizing the extent of its impact, knowledge on project management seems essential so that the funds are not underutilized and also the project schedule runs on time.

There were many instances when I felt a lack of proper knowledge on project management software tool hamper the project impact as expected by the project stakeholders. At the project’s Annual Review and Planning workshop, one of the challenges mentioned was that our teacher coach and Program Manager’s induction and monitoring visits to the schools had to be rescheduled a number of times due to unpredictable weather, difficult terrain and this becomes more challenging as all the schools are dispersed widely. This then also subsequently hampers the timeline of entire project and in long run it can also be detrimental in terms of project impact.

Furthermore, it can also affect the reporting time to the stakeholders as well, thus potentially damaging relationship with the project stakeholders. Such problem could be prevented or the developments could be faster and more effective with the application of a strategic approach and project management software tools. Furthermore, with a big wave of change coming through digital disruption in almost every sector, integrating technology with project management is also inevitable and knowledge on project management software tools seems imperative to run projects effectively and efficiently. The tools can help optimize project schedule, project budget and then ultimately also reach out to wider marginalized communities. Observing these project constraints first hand, I came to the conclusion to get my post graduate certificate in project management.

With the advent of Federal Government structure in Nepal which envisions inclusive growth, development works are also going to scale up and I believe there will also be huge demand of project management professional in Nepal. In this backdrop of new development trajectory in Nepal, young aspiring professionals like myself need to be updated with the project management technologies and trends so that substantial outcome can be achieved as envisioned. This is where the development strategy adopted by other federal nations like one of them being Canada can help in accelerating the development efforts in Nepal too. This is also one of the reasons, along with Canada’s reputation of world-renowned education and diverse culture that made me inclined to study in Canada. While searching for a suitable college, I was determined to join a college with a strong curriculum in project management.

Fanshawe College’s Project Management Graduate Certificate Program is a comprehensive program covering a wide range of subjects relevant to today’s project management professionals. Along with the rigorous curriculum, Fanshawe’s experienced faculty also made my decision stronger to join this course in Fanshawe. Among the experienced faculty at Fanshawe college is Dr. Mckenna, who is a professional program, project and agile development consultant. Furthermore, at Fanshawe, I wish to be a part of interesting, thought-provoking discussions and network with other aspiring project management professionals coming from all over the world.

Thus, I believe a post graduate certificate in project management at Fanshawe College would increase my capacity to take a leadership role in wide range of projects. I believe the course will also help me understand the application of ethical practice to project governance and apply critical thinking and analytical skills to a range of projects.Thus, I would like to request you to grant me study permit for May session at Fanshawe College situated in London, Ontario. If provided with this opportunity, it would be a huge leap into my vision to work as a project management professional in Nepal and contribute in making huge impacts in Nepal.