UPR-RUM to offer project management, transformational leadership certifications
The institution and Puerto Rican company Team 1144 have partnered for the initiative.
The University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez Campus (RUM, in Spanish) has launched the Institute for Project Management and Transformational Leadership under the School of Business Administration and will offer internationally recognized certifications in Project Management, Program Management, Project Management Office (PMO) and Change Management.
The programs were all designed to address Puerto Rico’s socioeconomic panorama.
The initiative was announced during a recent agreement signing between RUM and Puerto Rican company Team 1144, which specializes in project management training.
“Team 1144 is the exclusive representative in Puerto Rico for project management for nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), which establishes the standards in international management and project management for NGOs that work in support of the government,” said Roberto L. Seijo-Vidal, dean of the host school.
“The institute will work with this methodology and also on program management, setting up a project management office,” he said. “Projects fail repeatedly not because of the technical knowledge we may have, but because of the lack of leadership skills, so it will include an important component on that aspect, among other strengths.”
“We believe that in the context of Puerto Rico, where there are many funds for recovery, the institute gains importance as a national project,” he added.
Puerto Rico has more than $120 billion in public and private investment for the development of infrastructure initiatives, which is why it needs professionals prepared to lead them, officials said during the launch.
“We’re extremely pleased with the launch of the institute together with the RUM. We want to help transform Puerto Rico by preparing managers and leaders so that we can achieve a true transformation, providing them with the appropriate tools, skills and abilities, as well as the necessary knowledge so that they can be at the forefront of these projects and that they are of value to our island,” said Nesty Delgado, president of Team 1144.
According to Delgado, global statistics from successful companies show that seven out of 10 projects fail due to managers lacking the necessary skills, the absence of a management office to assist with governance and the underutilization of exponential technologies and artificial intelligence.
He added that all of these deficiencies are covered by the institute’s certification, which is considered the only one that contextualizes the content to Puerto Rico’s current situation and that aligns project management with the requirements and processes of the Federal Emergency Management Agency; the Central Office of Recovery, Reconstruction and Resiliency and the Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery program for effective project proposals, design, planning, implementation and closure.
The School of Business Administration’s Continuing Education and Business Services Unit (Educon) will coordinate the seven-month program, offering up to five professional certifications for leading construction, technological, educational and organizational projects.
Participants will take courses on the Team 1144 digital platform, allowing them to progress at their own pace within the designated time frame. Live virtual reviews will also be available via Zoom, providing opportunities to interact with instructors, officials said.
