Gaps in construction project management education programmes within sadc: Lessons for educators

In English speaking SADC countries, like in a number of English Commonwealth countries, individuals become construction project managers in what may be described as by accident . It has become a norm that those with technical skills (e.g. Architects) are requested to run construction projects as project managers under numerous titles due to their technical speciality. However, the technical part of a construction project is often the smallest and easiest part. Technical success does not necessarily lead to construction project success and most projects are mismanaged This sorry state of the Southern Africa construction industry has created demand for training in construction project management (CPM). Various institutions of higher learning , have responded by providing training in construction project management in order to address the accidental construction project management syndrome . However, taking a closer look at various programmes in construction project management, there are strong indications to suggest that the offering institutions may not be fully aware of what is required and are often misled by the various project management knowledge bases, floated around by various associations. The paper takes a turbulent journey to identify knowledge base gaps of selected CPM programmes from four higher learning institutions in Southern Africa to provide an indication of the gravity of the hypothesised problem. Based on the analysis, an appropriate CPM programme framework is developed and recommended for higher institutions in the SADC region.