Speech by Minister Desmond Lee at Society of Project Managers' 28th Anniversary Gala Dinner

Sep 22, 2023

I’m delighted to join all of you at your 28th Anniversary Gala Dinner.

Evolving Roles of Project Managers

I last joined all of you at your 24th anniversary celebration in 2019. This was pre-COVID days. We have come through three extremely difficult years, not just for Singapore and the world, but for the construction sector in particular. Three very gruelling, difficult, challenging years that pushed us all to the limits, whether you are a project manager, a developer, a builder, a consultant, or a regulator. Everyone was pushed to the limits. We have come through the pandemic, but we continue to face other significant challenges.

External headwinds, like heightened geopolitical tensions and uncertain economic outlook have impacted construction supply chains and driven up construction costs. We will have to adopt a more meticulous approach to project planning, with resilience in mind; Recent technological developments in areas such as Artificial Intelligence and robotics, present, on the other hand, new possibilities for innovative solutions that could make our projects more integrated and productive; With the looming threats of climate change, we will also have to do our part to make all our projects a lot more sustainable.

Driving Transformation of the BE sector

That is why we launched the refreshed BE Industry Transformation Map last year, after a lot of work by partners from the private sector, the unions, our academic circles, and government. This Transformation Map articulated a vision for our sector to confront evolving challenges and harness emerging opportunities, but one that can only be achieved if the whole BE sector bands together and transforms across the value chain.

Indeed, for the many project managers who are here with us this evening, you play a crucial role in driving this transformation in two key ways – first, by facilitating collaborative contracting, and second, by making good use of technology and digitalisation in your projects. Let me elaborate a bit on both of these themes.

Facilitating Collaborative Contracting

First, let me talk about collaborative contracting. Prior to COVID, in our meetings on the Transformation Map, a lot of private sector partners shared with us that a sense of collaboration will bring people together and work in a different way. Contrarywise, the lack of collaborative spirit and preparedness to rely on contractual obligations with each other pulls in the other direction. Collaborative contracting seeks to align the goals across the players in a contractual value chain, so that we can share risks more fairly and equitably, and better tackle unanticipated events. 

We want to create a more conducive environment for collaboration by setting these common project goals right from the get-go. Issues can be flagged up early. And if there are problems we can use structured dispute resolution mechanisms to facilitate proactive project management and joint problem-solving. So, it is more than just a whole slew of new contractual obligations. It is actually a whole different frame of mind when approaching one another.

At the same time, with pain-gain sharing mechanisms, parties are empowered to innovate and embrace new technologies, different ways of doing things, with the assurance that risks and rewards are shared. Some builders shared with me to say: “What for we do better contracting? We help developers save money, but those gains are not shared fairly with us”. And enlightened developers have been quick to realise this: align the obligations and align the pain-gain sharing so as to maximise good outcomes.

Ultimately, this helps to build trust between contracting parties and nurture a more resilient value chain in BE, one that is able to better withstand external shocks that come our way. Indeed, during COVID, we saw that projects that did better than the others were ones in which alliances of firms familiar with one another, who already had that collaborative mindset because they understood each other almost non-verbally. That trust was there, contractual obligations notwithstanding. That, coupled with the digital spine that enabled them to be very efficient in turbulent times, distinguished those projects from others.

As the main intermediary among the different contracting parties, all of you here as project managers play an important and vital role in championing collaborative contracting, turn a form of words into a way of life. SPM has been an active partner in these efforts, and I would like to thank you for that. For instance, you provided valuable input in assessing the feasibility of this new contracting approach, when we developed the Option Module on Collaborative Contracting in the Public Sector Standard Conditions of Contract. And you continue to be an important member of our working committee on collaborative contracting to champion its adoption.

I know that going is not easy. It takes a lot of getting used to. Government must lead by example, and we still have a lot more work to do to ensure that even as we bring in these new clauses, our approach to our counterparties changes in its complexion. We are working at it, and we invite all the developers in this room to do likewise. That is collaborative contracting. Let’s give it a big push.

Using Technology and Digitalisation

Second, using technology and digitalisation. For instance, through digitalisation, you can have real-time access to information, like project progress, status of approval, and logistical updates. This can help you make informed decisions in managing your projects wherever you go. We can also overlay schematics and technical documentation onto the real-world environment, using augmented reality to inspect and detect flaws more efficiently.

As project managers, you can lead the way in digitalising and innovating to make our construction projects more productive and our construction worksites much safer. Boustead, for example, implemented a common digital collaboration platform for its projects to share information and coordinate between different stakeholders. Mr Daniel Boay, a project manager with Boustead, shared with my colleagues that the common digital collaboration platform allowed him to collect and track critical data for quality and design issues, all in one place. He was able to monitor progress using near real-time data and report the progress to stakeholders. Mr Boay also made use of virtual reality to help his clients visualise spatial designs. Together, these have helped him communicate more effectively with his stakeholders. Moving forward, I understand that Boustead is looking into predictive data models to identify safety issues and risks or non-compliance issues and rectify them upstream.

All of you here today are integral to seizing these opportunities. We will need your help to drive innovation across the BE value chain in your alliances ang groups, and on the ground. This will be an ongoing process of refinement and discovery. As you implement these processes and technologies in your projects, your project teams would likely encounter teething issues and challenges. But don’t give up. Your feedback and practical suggestions on how to improve will help our entire industry become more effective.

Continuous Upgrading and Upskilling

Let me speak a little bit on the need to continuously upgrade and upskill. The Government will work alongside professional associations like SPM to help our project managers upskill, reskill, and drive industry transformation.

For example, in May this year, my colleagues at BCA published a report to enhance the understanding of how industry transformation will impact various job roles, including project managers. The report identifies how key technology trends can impact a project manager’s work and gives guidance on how project managers can adapt to these changes. This is available on BCA’s website and can help you to identify key skillsets that we think you might need to acquire as our sector undergoes change.

The Government is also working with professional associations and Institutes of Higher Learning to support training needs. As the dedicated Continuing Education and Training (CET) Centre for the BE sector, the BCA Academy offers training programmes in key transformative skillsets, such as collaborative contracting and digital technologies. Our Institutes of Higher Learning and professional associations, like SPM, also offer trainings and seminars to refresh your skillsets. You can sign up for project management-related courses such as the Master of Science (Project Management) and Professional Certificate in Digital Project Management at NUS, or Specialist Diploma in Integrated Project Management at the BCA Academy. You can also tap on training subsidies from SkillsFuture for eligible courses.

We also want to make sure that the new skills you pick up are adequately recognised. This is important. This will ensure that we create progressive pathways for project managers to grow and thrive in your careers. SPM launched its Accreditation of Project Managers (APM) scheme in November 2020. I am glad to know that more than 800 project managers, 808 to be exact, have been accredited since.

One of them, who I understand is here, is Mr Rajasegaran Ramasamy, who works for SIPM Consultants. Mr Rajasegaran had built up his experience and expertise through smaller projects, and received his accreditation as a Professional Project Manager last year. He can now take on projects that are more complex and of higher value, including bigger projects in our public housing. The APM scheme also enabled Mr Rajasegaran to expand his networks and grow professionally through seminars and events for accredited persons. For example, he has been able to tap on the wealth of expertise from other professionals, especially during the COVID period. I am glad to hear that this has benefitted Mr Rajasegaran and many others like him. I encourage all of you to consider tapping on these initiatives too.

Conclusion

Let me close by acknowledging SPM for your continuous effort in supporting the BE sector’s transformation and your contributions to building the Singapore we know and love.

To the 15th SPM Council that will be inaugurated this evening, I wish you all the best. I look forward to your contributions, to working closely with you in supporting the project management profession and the BE sector. Working together, I am confident that we can realise our vision of a transformed, productive, and efficient BE sector.

Thank you and good evening.