International Project Management

Due to globalization, projects are becoming international in nature, and in many cases, the project manager is from a different part of the world from the owner/contracting firm, and from the location of the project itself. Managing a project with diversity in team membership, and cultural differences in the country where the project is being conducted, requires special leadership skills in addition to project management skills that are needed to successfully reach the demands of the triple constraints. While some project management skills and techniques are similar across situations, international projects have unique considerations.

Focus on the unique characteristics of international projects and consider the following:

1 – Explain the challenges and opportunities in developing a project statement of work with a diverse team; what unique challenges in managing time might be experienced, given that some cultures are different than the United States regarding time commitments; and how the international project manager might overcome technical and cultural issues.

2 – What leadership skills may be required more in an international setting than what is expected in the United States? What specifics steps are required to ensure the right project manager with the right skill set is chosen?

3 – Explain the issues in international project management relative to the following:

-project life cycle

-project management processes

-project integration management

-project scope management

-project time management

-project risk management