The Colombo Plan Staff College (CPSC) in collaboration with the National Vocational & Technical Training Commission (NAVTTC), Pakistan has recently implemented the In-Country Program for Pakistan on Results-Based Project Management in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Institutions from May 22 to 26, 2023. The training program was held physically in NAVTTC Headquarters, Islamabad, Pakistan and was participated by a total of forty Pakistani TVET practitioners - principals, directors, administrators, and officials.

The program aimed to provide the participants learning on the dynamics, definitions, and processes in project management; provide an understanding of project planning, project implementation, and project evaluation as key phases in project management; learn to prepare project tree analysis, objective and propose solutions; and design and development of a project proposal using a project log framework matrix.

The program was jointly supervised by CPSC Director General, Prof. G.L.D. Wickramasinghe; NAVTTC Executive Director / Director General (Planning and Development), Dr. Khalid Mahmood; and NAVTTC Director (International Cooperation), Ms. Amina Gillani. CPSC Senior Faculty Specialist, Engr. Dr. Mian Khuram Ahsan, served as the Program Coordinator and Resource Person. Local coordination in Pakistan was led by NAVTTC Assistant Director (International Cooperation), Mr. Irfan Ahmed Ujan.

Resource persons that were engaged include: research consultant and former CPSC Governing Board-Engaged Faculty Consultant, Prof. Romulita C. Alto, Ed.D.; NAVTTC Director General (S&C / NSIS), Mr. Abdul Hafiz Abbasi; NAVTTC Deputy Director (Planning and Development), Mr. Naeem Yaqoob; Climate Change, Forestry Environment and Wildlife Department Deputy Director (Planning), Mr. Sami Bangash; former CPSC Governing Board-Engaged Faculty Consultant and current Principal of the Technical Teachers Training College, Peshawar, Dr. Hazrat Hussain; Government Polytechnic Institute Principal, Ms. Sara Khan; and Government of the Punjab Director (District RWP/Planning)/TEVTA, Ms. Farhat Jahan Raja.

Photo of the participants and guests during the opening ceremony

Lectures which focused on project management in TVET institutes were delivered by the engaged resource persons. Some of the key topic titles include: “Development, Issues, and Challenges for Result-based Project Management in TVET”, Project and the Project Life Cycle”, “Change Management and Leadership and Added Route to TVET Excellence in the 21st Century”, “TVET Stakeholder Analysis through Project Management Matrix”, “Project Problem Tree, Objective and Solution Tree Analysis”, “Results-Based Project Management Monitoring and Evaluation”, “Emerging ICT Applications in TVET Digitization”, and “21st Century Skills and IR 4.0 for Global Competitiveness and Innovation in the TVET”.

Photos of the resource persons delivering their lectures during the program

To make the sessions more interactive and lively, workshops, games and activities were also facilitated in-between the lectures. Some of the workshop titles include: “TVET Institute Management Issues and its Technical Analysis in Pakistan”, “Individual Assessment of Change Leadership Competency and Action Planning to Improve Identified Weaknesses”, “Risk Analysis Management in Fundamental for Initiating, Managing, and Executing a Project”, and “Digital Project Scheduling, Budgeting, and Monitoring and Evaluation”. The outputs of these workshops were presented during the last day of the training, where program facilitator Engr. Dr. Mian Khuram Ahsan gave his feedback, suggestions and critique of the participants’ outputs.

Photos of the participants during the workshop activities

During the closing ceremony, key speeches were delivered by the chief guests from CPSC and NAVTTC. Dr. Khalid Mahmood during his closing remarks, extended his appreciation to NAVTTC and CPSC for its continued collaboration to support Pakistan’s TVET systems and TVET practitioners. Engr. Dr. Mian Khuram Ahsan, likewise signified CPSC continued support by producing more collaborative training programs in the future for Pakistan. He also extended congratulatory messages to the participants for their cooperation and participation in making the program a success.