The School of Management and Languages recently hosted the 29th Working Session for the Global Alliance for Project Performance Standards (GAPPS) at the Apex Hotel in Edinburgh. The Working Session saw a number international project management experts from Singapore, Dubai, South Africa, Australia, USA, Canada, England and Austria to continue working on the development of global standards for the project management community.
About GAPPS
The GAPPS is a unique alliance of government, private industry, professional associations and training/academic institutes working together to develop globally applicable project management competency based standards, frameworks and mappings. Everything produced by the GAPPS is made freely available in the public domain for use by businesses, academic institutions, professional associations, and government standards and qualifications bodies globally. The aim is to facilitate mutual recognition and transferability of project management standards and qualifications.
Student Involvement
Three students Natalia Ruiz, Pierre Adamopoulos and Julia Piesker from the MSc Strategic Project Management programme at Heriot-Watt, and their Program Director Amos Haniff, attended the event. The group of students worked with the GAPPS delegates on refining global project management standards for roles of Project Sponsor and Project Controller, the mapping of global standards including the new ISO 21500 and the most recent version of PMI's Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge.
The students also had the opportunity to present their ideas to participants on how to promote the GAPPS.
Delegates highlighted the participation of Heriot-Watt students in the working session. Dr Lynn Crawford said: "I was delighted to work with the students, their confidence to state their views and engage in constructive critical conversation was very impressive." Dr Alicia Aitken said: "The group of Heriot-Watt students made a valuable contribution to the Working Session."
The arrangements of the Working Session was also conducted by School of Management and Languages Honours students Jan Sutherland and Jennifer Jones who were praised by Head of School, Robert MacIntosh for the smooth and efficient management of the event.