USAID selects Poli to teach Strategic Project Management in Serbia

HOBOKEN , N.J. ― Dr. Michael Poli, of Stevens Institute of Technology, served as a Workforce Development Specialist as part of the USAID Competitiveness Project in Serbia . Poli led the design and implementation of a two-day training session in “Implementing Strategic Project Management” to firms in target sectors. The program was presented five times (once in Nis , twice in Novi Sad , and twice in Belgrade ) and was delivered to a total of 145 company representatives. Additionally, a separate one-day Train-the-Trainer (ToT) session was organized for 25 future trainers in Project Management, who also participated in the two-day training sessions. The sessions were conducted between May 8 and May 26, 2008 .

In a meeting with Bojan Lalic, the Director of the Center for Cluster Development program, of the Technical Faculties at the University of Novi Sad in February, the USAID Project learned that a dialogue had been established with Poli to provide project management training to the incubator and firms in the area. It was proposed that Poli conduct an expanded short-course to groups of firms in Novi Sad , Nis and Belgrade so the course could be offered on a subsidized basis to 100 to 125 firms. Also proposed was a Training of Trainers session (ToT) with representatives of Serbian HR and related firms.

Poli has completed his training sessions with great success. One participant, Andrija Veskovicwrote to Poli, saying, “This is very effective way to help people and companies in Serbia to be more productive and be able to cope with projects complexity. Professor Poli not only has reach and valuable experience, but he has the skills to present the subject on interesting way keeping students attention on high level. His passion and desire to teach people make them able to improve themselves and way they do business, which was something that I was really glad about!”

Another attendee, Darko Milic, CEO of Zesium Mobile, said, “Thank you very much for lectures you were giving us in last two days. They were illustrative and full of passion. They easily shed light on direction for further investigation, learning and practicing in PM area. Hence, I am positively sure that they will help me in my personal development, as well as in development of company where I work.”

This activity was organized on a cost-sharing basis in cooperation with the University of Novi Sad Technical Faculties Center for Clusters (CfC). The CfC provided logistical support, including procurement of venues, in country transit, preparation and distribution of training materials, and preparation and administration of a questionnaire to evaluate the training immediately after it was delivered. The training was offered on a subsided fee of €50 per participant to allow CfC to offset some costs of the facilities and equipment.

CfC also assisted the USAID Competitiveness Project in selection of companies and trainers that participated in the trainings, with priority given to those small and medium size private companies from Serbia that participated in the Opportunities and Constraints Study (OCS) and identified Project Management as a critical need and/or contacted the Project for assistance (sector and geographic balance wi1l also be considered to the extent it is possible). Based on this arrangement, the Center covered the costs of facilities and equipment, printing, marketing the course, and catering during the training sessions.

All teaching materials became public domain in Serbia , supporting the goal that this training be replicated, and create a multiplier-effect in enhancing workforce development and at the same time assisting private edu cation development in Serbia .

Project Background and Summary

The USAlD Competitiveness Project is a USAID-funded program aimed at generating rapid, sustained, and broad-based economic growth in Serbia . The Project will be carried out under USAID's new multi-year Strategy for the Republic of Serbia , which calls for a sector-based approach to promote microeconomic growth. Additionally, The USAID Competitiveness Project will support and directly address several cross-cutting themes: cross-border integration, job creation, human and institutional capacity development, youth, gender, media/public information, and anti-corruption/governance. The Project is being implemented by Booz Allen Hamilton.

The USAID Competitiveness Project will conduct additional evaluation of training by means of periodic (six-month and 12-month) surveys to seek to quantify and assess the impact of this activity on company's sales and other determinants of business success. In addition, the Project will coordinate with World Learning to ensure this activity is properly recorded in their Forecast Database.

To advance sustainability, CfC representatives also participated in the ToT and plan to deliver similar trainings in the future. All 25 ToT participants, including CfC, signed a commitment letter obligating them to deliver at least one training session in project management to Serbian companies within 12 months of the training. This will further develop sustainability and advance the delivery of Project Management training on a commercial basis.

 

About Stevens Institute of Technology

Founded in 1870, Stevens Institute of Technology is one of the leading technological universities in the world dedicated to learning and research. Through its broad-based curricula, nurturing of creative inventiveness, and cross disciplinary research, the Institute is at the forefront of global challenges in engineering, science, and technology management. Partnerships and collaboration between, and among, business, industry, government and other universities contribute to the enriched environment of the Institute. A new model for technology commercialization in academe, known as Technogenesis®, involves external partners in launching business enterprises to create broad opportunities and shared value.

Stevens offers baccalaureates, master’s and doctoral degrees in engineering, science, computer science and management, in addition to a baccalaureate degree in the humanities and liberal arts, and in business and technology. The university has a total enrollment of 2,040 undergraduate and 3,085 graduate students, and a worldwide online enrollment of 2,250, with a full-time tenured/tenure-track faculty of 140 and more than 200 full-time special faculty. Stevens’ graduate programs have attracted international participation from China, India, Southeast Asia, Europe and Latin America. Additional information may be obtained from its web page at www.stevens.edu.  

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