Project management technologies are actually soft technologies codified notably by standards bodies and professional organizations including the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), the Project Management Institute (PMI), the International Project Management Association (IPMA), AXELOS Limited and the European Commission, Centre of Excellence in Project Management (CoEPM²). These organizations develop standards of national or international interest including where appropriate, the operational specifications in the form of methodologies and/or implementation guidance and associated tools and techniques such as specialized computer software published notably by Oracle and Microsoft.
The optimum and efficient use of soft technologies is conditional on the employment or engagement of professionals with expertise and appropriate skills relating thereto. Conformity assessments (Certification Programmes) certify that the professionals have the knowledge and skills required for the proper application of technical and professional standards. It is in this context that several professional organizations offer international certification programmes for professionals and even organizations in reference to project management standards.
It is in this context that the technological gap of Africa in project management can be assessed using four (4) activity indicators in the sector.
- The participation of African countries in the technical committee ISO/TC 258. The technical Committee ISO/TC 258 is responsible for the development of international standards in the field of project, programme and portfolio management. This Technical Committee currently has 63 members of which 39 are participating members and 24 are observer members. Africa has only 7 members, including only 4 participating members (South Africa, Kenya, Uganda and Cameroon) and 3 observer members (Egypt, Morocco and Mauritania). Yet Africa has 39 ISO members including 27 member committees and 12 corresponding members.
- The number of PMI chapters in Africa. PMI is a professional organization that has 307 chapters in 207 countries and territories. In this professional network, Africa has only 22 chapters (Angola, Benin, Cameroon, Botswana, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Uganda, DRC, Rwanda, Senegal, , South Africa, Tanzania, Tunisia, Zambia and Zimbabwe).
- The number of member associations of IPMA in Africa. IPMA is a professional organization with 70-member professional associations. In this professional network, Africa has only 5 member associations (South Africa, Algeria, Egypt, Morocco and Nigeria).
- The number of accredited project management training programmes of universities and higher institutes. Established by PMI in 2001, the Global Accreditation Centre for Project Management Education Programs (GAC) has actually 178 project management training programmes for mostly Masters and PhD level of 84 universities and higher institutes worldwide that are accredited in 22 countries. Currently, only two (2) African universities have obtained the accreditation of three (3) Project Management Masters and post-graduate diploma. They are (i) the University of Pretoria, Graduate School of Technology Management (GSTM) and the Management College of Southern Africa – MANCOSA in South Africa.