Three decades of
Project Management short courses
at Tuks
The first short course in project management, offered by the GSTM in collaboration with EUP (Enterprises University of Pretoria), was initially presented 30 years ago. This was both preceded and followed by some interesting developments.
Trends in project management and technology
Some notable long-term trends in project management are evident:
Scientific approaches to management evolved primarily from the work of the mechanical engineer Frederick Taylor (1856–1915), and the first formal project management technique, the Gantt chart, gained traction during the First World War. To manage large industrial and military projects, more sophisticated scheduling techniques were developed from the late 1950s. Until about 1990, project management was primarily viewed in the light of the “iron triangle” that mainly stressed scheduling, budgeting, and the control of quality, progress, and cost. By the 1990s, project management had found applications in multiple areas beyond large engineering projects. Also during the 1990s, academics and practitioners began to recognise project management as a multidisciplinary management field that encompasses knowledge from diverse fields, including, for example, financial management, organizational dynamics, and contract management.
Before the advent of personal computers, the mainframe computer was a crucial tool for project management. Although relatively simple microcomputers were already developed in the 1970s, the forerunner of the current personal computer, the IBM PC, was launched in August 1981, followed by the widespread use of the Internet in the early 1900s. These technological developments, along with a broader perspective beyond the “iron triangle,” led to the decentralisation of project planning and control, revolutionizing not only the project management discipline but also significantly changing the role of the project manager.
Standardization of the project management domain
The realization of project management as a much wider field than the “iron triangle” led to standardization of the project management subject matter: The first edition of the APM Body of Knowledge (BoK) was published by the Association for Project Management (APM) in 1992, the first edition of the PMBOK Guide in 1996, and the first PRINCE2 standard was also published in 1996. The first official version of the IPMA Competence Baseline (ICB) followed in February 1999.
Developments at the University of Pretoria
Visionary pioneers at the University of Pretoria noted the aforementioned trends and standardization. They recognized the need for professional project management in South Africa and the potential of this large, multi-disciplinary University to embark on a journey to become leaders in the theory and practice of project management. The University had at its disposal a leading engineering school and several other departments that were able to address all facets of the multidisciplinary project management subject matter. This included, for example, knowledge and skills in financial management, people management (teamwork, leadership, and communication), risk management, construction management, and contract management. The PPM (Programme in Project Management) was, therefore, launched in 1997, and the MPM (Master's in Project Management) in 1999. A PhD programme in project management followed and has led to leading research in several project management-related topics, such as project knowledge management.
To stay current with new developments, the short course, which was first taught in 1996, has undergone multiple updates over the past 30 years and has been available as a popular, fully online short course for several years. The first intake for 2026 starts on 9 February.
This online short course earns credit as the first of eight modules of the PPM, and the PPM is presented (a) entirely online as well as (b) over weekends (attending classes on Fridays and Saturdays in Pretoria), and (c) during midweeks (attending classes from Mondays to Fridays in Pretoria).
Similar to the short course established in 1996, the PPM and MPM, as well as other project management offerings, are regularly updated to encompass new developments and a broader range of topics, including Agile Project Management and aspects of Program Management and Project Portfolio Management. Developments in AI applications in project management are currently receiving attention.
UP faculty members and a dedicated team at EUP work tirelessly to maintain the University’s competitive edge in project management expertise.
