PPM News

20 August 2024

Earlier today, PMI South Africa Chapter and the University of Pretoria took a significant step forward by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen their ongoing collaboration. The MoU is designed to offer students enhanced opportunities to develop their projectmanagement skills and knowledge. Under the initiative, aspiring project managers will have access to workshops, seminars, networking events, and direct support from industry professionals—all aimed at preparing students for successful careers in project management.

Additionally, the enduring mentorship relationship between PMI South Africa Chapter and the University of Pretoria remains a cornerstone of this partnership. Experienced project management professionals will continue to offer students valuable insights and practical guidance, fostering their growth and development in the field.
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1 August 2024

We are thrilled to congratulate Dr Suzaan Pretorius, one of our esteemed delegates who completed the Programme in Project Management in 2007, on her recent appointment as a Senior Lecturer at the Graduate School of Technology Management (GSTM), University of Pretoria.

Dr Pretorius' journey is a testament to her unwavering determination and commitment to excellence. Her academic career began in 2015 when she joined GSTM as a part-time lecturer, driven by a passion for research. In 2016, she was appointed as a researcher at the same institution.

After completing her doctoral degree in 2019, Dr Pretorius was appointed as a Postdoctoral Fellow at Graduate School of Technology Management, a role she held from 2020 to 2022. Her research has taken an intriguing turn as she now investigates the influence of Artificial Intelligence on Project Management Maturity and its potential impact on the Project Management Office.
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19 April 2024

Enterprises University of Pretoria annually hosts a formal ceremony to award University of Pretoria certificates to people who have successfully completed comprehensive skills development programmes of the GSTM (Graduate School of Technology Management). The awards included the much acclaimed and industry relevant Project Management, Engineering Management, Asset and Maintenance Management certificates. In 2024, the ceremony took place on 19 April, and 102 certificates were awarded to people who have successfully completed the Programme in Project Management (PPM). Of the 102 certificates, 44 were awarded for the Online PPM, 30 for the Weekend PPM, and 28 for the Midweek PPM.
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26 February 2024

Monday 26 February 2024 marked the 200th time that a comprehensive programme in project management (PPM) kicked off, this time with 60 enrolled course participants. The first intake of the PPM (Programme in Project Management) was presented in 1997 in collaboration with what is now called EUP (Enterprises University of Pretoria). Ever since, the content has been revised to keep abreast of new developments.

The GSTM believes that the approximately 10’000 people who have done the PPM, continues to contribute to improved management of Southern African projects. The project management careers of these individuals also benefit from having completed the PPM. An additional benefit for the participants is that the PPM has – has been presented more than 26 years – become well known in industry.
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2 February 2022

Johannesburg- Legendary DJ Oscar Sibonginkosi Mdlongwa, better known by his stage name Oskido, has announced that he has gone back to school.

Oskido, who has not only been spinning the decks for over 26 years, but also owns a record label company, Kalawa Jazzmee, took to social media to let his fans and colleagues in the entertainment industry know of his latest project.

He stated proudly that he enrolled at the University of Pretoria for a five-month Project Management Programme that will see him attend classes from 8am to 5pm, one week per month.
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20 July 2019

Prof Herman Steyn is known for advising people that, if they can find a better course to develop project management skills than the PPM (Programme in Project Management) of the University of Pretoria, they should enrol on it.

The PPM was established in 1997 and is revised regularly to keep up with the latest developments in the field. It is the project management course of choice of several organizations and has been presented in-house at several companies. It has, for example, been presented 9 times in-house at Group Five Ltd. In total, more than 8000 people have done this course since 1997. The PPM is therefore well known by employers and adds value on the CVs of professionals.

The PPM is a product of the Graduate School of Technology Management (GSTM) of the University of Pretoria – the leading institution in Project Management in the country. The GSTM also offers the only master’s degree course in Project Management on the African Continent that is accredited by the Global Accreditation Center of the PMI (Project Management Institute).
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18 July 2019

The Programme in Project Management (PPM) has been registered with ECSA (The Engineering Council of South Africa) for quite a while and is now (since April 2019) also registered with the South African Council for Natural Scientific Professions (SACNASP).

Upon successful completion of the PPM, both ECSA members and SACNASP members can claim 5 CPD points.

The Online Short course on Project Management Principles and Practices is now also registered with both ECSA and SACNASP and members can claim CPD points upon completion of the short course. This online (distance education via the Internet) short course provides a convenient way for people who need ECSA or SACNASP CPD points. The course is recognized and earns credit as the first module of the Programme in Project Management (PPM).

17 July 2019

On 27 June 2019 Dr Taryn Barnard, the lecturer teaching Project Procurement Management on the PPM, received the prestigious Nedbank 200 Young South African’s Award in the Education category.

We are proud of her, congratulate her with this achievement and wish her luck with the rest of her career.

IN 2018 Taryn Bond-Barnard was awarded the global young researcher of the year award by the International Project Management Association (IPMA). The award recognised the exceptional research she had done in her field and her PhD research into project communication, trust, collaboration and success. She has been subsequently invited to serve on the IPMA Research Group until 2021 with the focus on promoting and providing support for the IPMA Global Research Awards. Bond-Barnard has also been chosen for the Tuks young researcher leader Trogramme (TYRLP) and received the University of Pretoria graduate school of technology management teaching and learning award in 2018.
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18 September 2018

The International Project Management Association (IPMA) is a global project management association with 40,000 members in more than 60 countries.

IPMA annually rewards two top researchers in project management from the global project management research community. One of these annual rewards goes to the “Young Researcher of the Year”.

The 2018 Global Research Award as Young Researcher has been bestowed on Dr Taryn Bond-Barnard who teaches Project Procurement Management on the PPM.

Taryn is a Senior Lecturer at the GSTM (Graduate School of Technology Management) of the University of Pretoria where she teaches project management at post-graduate levels (honours and master’s degree programmes). She also teaches the following Examination Preparation courses for PMI (Project Management Institute) certifications: Project Management Professional (PMP) and PMI Certified Project Management Associate (CAPM).
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6 June 2018

Enterprises University of Pretoria (Enterprises UP) has recently kicked of its first round of certificate ceremonies for 2018 to acknowledge those delegates who have put in the hard work and dedication to successfully complete their training programmes and short courses for the 2017/2018 season. The first ceremony took place on Wednesday, 9 May 2018 at the CSIR International Convention Centre in Pretoria with delegates, family and friends celebrating their successes.

The evening was opened by Professor Elma van der Lingen, HOD: Graduate School of Technology Management, as she reflected on delegates’ achievements and also further congratulated by Professor Mike Ward, course leader on the Executive Education Programmes presented in collaboration with the Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS).

Apart from the course leaders, course presenters and other academics and experts involved in presenting these programmes, they were joined by special guest speaker, Ms Palesa Ramashala, Managing Director of Excellence Business Consulting and certified Managing Successful Programmes (MSP) practitioner.
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6 June 2018

Since its inception in 1997, the PPM (Programme in Project Management) course has made very significant contributions: With thousands of people who have attended one of the 160 times that this 20-day programme has been presented, it is arguably the best-known project management training available in South Africa.

Section 13 (a, b, c) of the Project and Construction Management Act (Act No. 48 of 2000), mandates the South African Council for the Project and Construction Management Professions (SACPCMP) to accredit project and construction management educational programs within any department, school or faculty in institutions of higher learning.

One of the latest recognitions of the PPM skills training course of the University of Pretoria is its validation by the South African Council for the Project and Construction Management Professionals (SACPCMP).

In a letter dated 28 May 2018 from Mrs Mohajane, the Coordinator: Programme Accreditation & CPD of the SACPCMP, Enterprises University of Pretoria has been informed about the validation of the course.
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23 November 2017

From left to right: Ms Anneli Delport, Prof Tinus Pretorius, Dr Taryn Barnard, Mr Corro van Waveren, Dr Lynn Keeys, Dr Dolf Steyn, Prof Herman Steyn, Dr Jean Cooper.