The rise of project management and its future in the AI era | with the University of Liverpool

In this episode, Dr Jennifer Davies joins me to talk about the increasing demand for project management skills in today's rapidly changing business landscape. We talk about career paths available to graduates, discuss the importance of strategic thinking and creativity and the growing need for both technical and soft skills, particularly in the context of AI applications

Participants

In order of first appearance:

• Emily Slade - podcast producer and host, Prospects
• Dr Jennifer Davies - lecturer in project management, deputy director of studies MSc project management operations and supply chain management

Transcript

Emily Slade: Hello and welcome to Future You, the podcast brought to you by graduate careers experts Prospects. I'm your host, Emily Slade and in this episode, Dr Jennifer Davies joins me to talk about the increasing demand for project management skills in today's rapidly changing business landscape. We talk about career paths available to graduates, discuss the importance of strategic thinking and creativity and the growing need for both technical and soft skills, particularly in the context of AI applications.

Dr Jennifer Davies: Hello, I'm Dr Jennifer Davies. I'm a lecturer in project management. And I'm also director of studies for the project management Masters programme at the University of Liverpool Management School. That is both for the on campus version of the programme and also online. I'm also a keen researcher. My main areas of research are digital transformation, supply chain sustainability. And I mainly focus on this in the context of creative industries. So that's my, my background is running projects within the creative industries, both music and fashion.

Emily Slade: Lovely. So just to begin with, can you give us a brief description of what is project management?

Dr Jennifer Davies: Project management is all about making wonderful things happen. In my opinion, it is the art and I do not say that word lightly the art and science of organising and managing resources, including people, of course, effectively to complete specific project goals and objectives. And these are typically done within defined constraints such as time, quality, and budget, and this is what separates it from business as usual activities.

Emily Slade: Perfect, thank you. So why is project management more important than ever, in today's fast-paced business environment?

Dr Jennifer Davies: Project management is absolutely crucial for handling complex projects efficiently, aligning business strategies with project goals and adapting quickly to changes and challenges in the market. At the moment, a lot of these changes and challenges revolve around emerging technologies, specifically AI. An interesting stat that I heard the other day, which came from reports from both McKinsey and Forbes, is that project management increasingly, is one of the most in demand skills in the business world. And I think it was Forbes found that it was the fastest growing in terms of the demand for that skill. So it's a great time to be studying project management.

Emily Slade: Absolutely. So I was about to ask, why should you study it, but you've pretty much just summed it up there. But please do expand - why should you study it?

Dr Jennifer Davies: I think project management is quite unique as a discipline, because it sort of transcends industry and sector. So it's great for people who maybe aren't 100% sure of what industry or sector they want to work in yet. Because you know, you can learn these skills, which are highly transferable. And project managers are in demand in every sector, it's hard to think about an industry which doesn't need good project managers. So I think that's what makes the discipline very unique and attractive as a prospect to study.

Emily Slade: Yeah, definitely. What's the best project you've ever worked on?

Dr Jennifer Davies: The best project I have ever worked on personally, was a collaboration between the fashion brand that I used to own, the British Library, and the British Fashion Council, and Selfridges. And so we became the first ever fashion designer to be able to do a show at the iconic British Library in London. So that was a real interesting project, because it had all these cultural and historic aspects. There's obviously a big public stakeholder element to the project. And we had to make sure that it was, you know, safe and worked within the confines of what we were able to do in the library itself. We had the CEO of the library, in attendance and people from Vogue magazine. So it was like a merging of these two worlds. But it created such a fantastic event. And one which made the pages of Vogue magazine, and I think the CEO of the library was was so excited because he was personally mentioned in Vogue, which I think was a first. But that project really went from there and became a sort of series of projects, really. And we ended up collaborating with Selfridges, and using archival prints in our designs that then ended up on the shop floor in Selfridges in these beautiful display cases. So I think that was a great project to be involved with not only because of its complex nature and tight deadlines, and budget constraints and things like that, but also because it really involved a big strategic element of project management. And that's what I always encourage my students to think about, you know, you're not just focusing on the nuts and bolts of making the project happen, you have to step back from the project and think strategically and think what else can happen out of this, which will be of benefit to all parties involved. So it became a big series of projects, really, which was, which was fantastic. And it came from a very small seed of an idea. So I think it was probably my favorite project I've worked on.

Emily Slade: Yeah, that sounds wonderful. That sounds really, really cool.

Dr Jennifer Davies: It was fun. I really enjoyed it and the British Library were amazing to work with. They gave us access to the archives, and we were able to look at all these different Elizabethan designs and things like that. So yeah, it was a very sort of culturally rich project, which, you know, also worked commercially really well too.

Emily Slade: Yeah, fantastic. So that's a brilliant example of just one path that you could go down with these skill sets. But what other sort of career paths are available?

Dr Jennifer Davies: Yeah, that's a great question. So I think project management really does offer a really diverse selection of career paths, you can go down across industries, so including IT, construction, healthcare, entertainment. So roles typically range from, you know, when when you're sort of graduating from the Masters programme, project coordinators, project assistants, or junior PMs, and then right through to senior project managers, portfolio and programme directors. And there's the opportunity to specialise in areas like risk management or agile project management methodologies. So people can become what's called scrum masters, which takes its name from the rugby scrum where you work on sprints to work through problems and adapt things very quickly. So a vast array of industries, vast array of roles, it really is a great discipline for that.

Emily Slade: What sort of skills would you need in order to succeed in future as a project manager?

Dr Jennifer Davies: Great question. And this is changing all the time. At the moment, because of the emerging technologies that we're seeing coming to the fore. Future project managers need a blend of technical skills, such as proficiency in project management software, and increasingly, this is integrating artificial intelligence, crucial soft skills like leadership and communication. And the ability to, as I said before, think strategically, think conceptually. And, you know, I think people often have this misconception that project management is just about good organisation. Now, there's a big creative element to project management as well. And I don't just mean in terms of creative industries, I mean, in terms of creative thinking, as a key part of strategic thinking. Just to go back to the AI sort of related tools. Specifically, the integration of AI tools can streamline project planning, automate routine tasks, enhance and support decision making through data analysis. In my opinion, it is absolutely essential that project management students are getting to grips with using these kinds of tools, because I think it will give them a competitive edge in the jobs market. This is something I'm very passionate about infusing into our programmes. I heard something very interesting recently, from a very well published professor in the field of product management that said, 'Every project is now an IT project to some degree'. And increasingly, that involves AI.

Emily Slade: Perhaps this is to broader question, but what sort of person would suit becoming a project manager?

Dr Jennifer Davies: I'm not just saying this is like a get out of answering the question directly. But I really think there's aspects of project management that are suitable for every personality type. So whether you're extroverted, more extroverted or introverted, whether you're highly conscientious and detail oriented, or like I said before, the more creative conceptual type, you know, there is a role for you within project management 110%. So, yeah, I think I really don't mean that to dodge the question. I mean that because that's what I honestly believe. We do a lot of work in the programme, looking at personality types, and things like that, and what makes somebody more inclined to pursue a particular pathway. I think that's the great thing about project management is that it offers something to everybody and caters to different people's strengths.

Emily Slade: Yeah. And I suspect there's such a flexibility, as you've already mentioned, where you may begin your career in project management in one industry, and as you say, completely convert over to another for a separate project and that openness in that flexibility, that's really exciting.

Dr Jennifer Davies: Yeah. But I think as well, you know, most projects involve people. And so people management is a big aspect of project management. And so you have to believe in people coming together and making incredible things happen often against all odds. So that can be a really exciting environment to work in. So yeah, I think it's very appealing for for that reason. But that doesn't mean to say that you have to be like a big extrovert people person to be a great project manager you absolutely do not have to and there's a sort of quiet and more observant style of project management, which I think can be just as effective.

Emily Slade: So how does the University of Liverpool's MSc Project Management programme prepare students?

Dr Jennifer Davies: Well, I'm delighted to say that the project management programme both online and on campus was recently accredited by the Association for Project Management (APM). So this means that the programme meets the highest standards that the APM expect of future project professionals. So we really look to combine theoretical knowledge with practical applications and making sure that students understand how theory is applied in practice. So one of the things that APM complimented us for particularly was the holistic approach to project management that we take. So if you look on the course pages, you will see that we offer modules in operations management strategy, strategic procurement, risk management, and new for the on campus programme in September will be the introduction of an AI and ethics module. And I think that, again, is one of the unique things about project management is that project management can sit within a specific business function, or it can transcend and sit above it and have these different touch points with these different disciplines. So I think having that foundational understanding of those disciplines is super, super important for being a well rounded project manager, in my opinion. So I think our programmes do a really good job of drawing upon the expertise of our departments, you know, we have world leading scholars researching in these different areas. And it's fantastic that, you know, this, the students who enroll on our programs, get these insights of what's going on cutting edge in industry.

Emily Slade: Yeah. And that really gives them an edge in the competitive jobs market.

Dr Jennifer Davies: 100% Yeah, that's, you know, it's a wonderful thing to go in and sort of hit the ground running in an industry having that knowledge of these different disciplines. As part of your overall project management skill set, I would probably just add, I think you should study project management, if you're a doer, if you feel compelled to make things happen. Project management is definitely the right course for you, you know, it's the cohort, the present cohorts are doing incredible things across a range of different disciplines. So we have a medical doctor who's on the programme, who's doing wonderful things, integrating AI into his project management to help with pharmacovigilance. We have people working in tech, and we've had students taking part in the AI project management challenge.

Emily Slade: Yeah, wonderful. What is the top piece of advice you would give for someone looking to study project management?

Dr Jennifer Davies: To embrace the development of both technical and soft skills. So making sure that you stay adaptable and continuously learn, because that's absolutely key to success in this field, and definitely get ahead of the curve when it comes to AI applications in project management.

Emily Slade: So you've mentioned both the online and the on campus versions of the course, what are the primary differences and who would sort of suit which version?

Dr Jennifer Davies: So the online project management programme very much mirrors the on campus programme. So the materials similarly have been developed by the professors that work within our department. So the project management Masters programme sits within the operations and supply chain management group here at the University of Liverpool. So top professors have developed the online programmes. And you know, as I said, It mirrors what they deliver in our on campus programmes. I would say also, that the online version of the programme is great if you need a bit of flexibility with your learning. So if you're working a job and you want to do the programme part time, again, maybe the online version is a bit more adaptable in that sense. That being said, you can study the on campus programme part time over two years also. But yeah, I think obviously, the on campus programme is is great that you get to engage with your cohort and and speak to the guest speakers directly one on one. So yeah, I mean, both is different, but they're tailored to meet specific needs of what our learners want.

Emily Slade: Amazing. You've mentioned guest speakers, what type of speakers have you had?

Dr Jennifer Davies: We've had a really diverse range of speakers come and visit us this year, we've had Jeremy Bassinder, who is the generative AI lead for UK and Ireland for IBM. And that was wonderful because he was able to show our students how AI is going to be applied in a project management context. We've hired one of our alumni Reliance Wilson, who's working as a project manager for the NHS working on some major projects across the city region. We've got AtkinsRealis, who are a massive employer of project managers. And we've also got someone coming in a couple of weeks time from Sellafield, which is part of the nuclear decommissioning authority. And that's a really fascinating one, because there you're talking about projects that span sometimes 25 to 100 years. So I think that's going to be a really fascinating session. So we try and get, you know, lots of different voices from across project management coming in to speak to our students.

Emily Slade: Amazing. That's brilliant. Thank you so much for your time today.

Dr Jennifer Davies: Thank you, Emily. It was a pleasure speaking with you and good luck to all the students who are going to be applying.

Emily Slade: Thanks again to Jennifer for her time, if you do want to find out more about the course, you can click all the links in the description. Make sure you give us a follow wherever you get your podcasts, and if you’re enjoying Future You make sure to leave us a review. If you want to get in touch, you can email us at podcast@prospects.ac.uk. You can find more postgraduate courses on the website at Prospects.ac.uk, or find us on Instagram and TikTok, all the links are in the description. Thanks very much for listening and we'll see you next time.

Notes on transcript

This transcript was produced using a combination of automated software and human transcribers and may contain errors. The audio version is definitive and should be checked before quoting.

Find out more

• If you're enjoying Future You, head to iTunes and leave us a review.
• Read about project management and how to become a project manager.
• Introducing online MSc Project Management at the University of Liverpool.
• Apply for the Project Management MSc.