Mbabane- The 70 government parastatal officials who have completed Advanced Project Management training have been challenged to use their newly acquired skills to turn ideas into viable projects that can contribute to economic growth and create jobs.
The challenge was issued during the certification of the officials following a five-day training programme facilitated by Imsimbi MSQ Solutions and organised by the Public Enterprise Unit in partnership with the Eswatini Public Enterprise Association (EPEA).
Rather than allowing the training to end with certificates, the Minister for Finance Neal Rijikernberg urged the awarded students to apply the knowledge gained to identify, plan and manage projects that can produce tangible results.
The legislator said the country needed people who could think beyond conventional approaches and develop practical ideas capable of creating economic opportunities.
He challenged the officials to consider what could be done differently to create more activity in the economy, including exploring opportunities that could involve the private sector.
To illustrate the point, he referred to the possibility of establishing a cheese-processing plant, saying projects of this nature could create opportunities to add value and generate economic activity.
The challenge, he said, was to take an idea and develop a proper plan showing how it could be implemented and managed.
“Use the skills that we have. When you see an idea, it has a plan, how to manage this process here. Anything is possible,” he said.
The officials were told that effective project management could help improve outcomes by ensuring that projects are properly planned and implemented.
Acknowledging the demands faced by the participants, the Minister lauded the officials who had to balance the five-day programme with their normal work duties, family responsibilities, classes and assignments.
The certificates, he said, represented not only completion of the programme but also the competencies and determination demonstrated by the participants.
The officials were encouraged to continue developing themselves professionally and to share the knowledge acquired with colleagues in their workplaces.
The programme brought together officials from different government parastatals, with the Public Enterprise Unit and EPEA seeking to strengthen project management capacity across public enterprises.
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