By Roselyn Ganyaglo
Ghana could soon introduce stricter controls over who manages public projects, as the Project Management Institute (PMI) Ghana Chapter intensifies calls for legislation to regulate the profession.
Speaking at the launch of the Institute’s 15th anniversary in Accra, PMI Ghana President, Frank Owusu-Asamoah, urged government to ensure that only certified and competent professionals are entrusted with national projects. He warned that weak execution continues to drain public funds and stall development.
“Blending experience with professional certification is critical to delivering projects to global standards,” he said, adding that “strong leadership and clear legal backing are key to ending the cycle of abandoned initiatives.”
Since its establishment in July 2011, PMI Ghana has helped transform project management in the country from a niche concept largely associated with construction into a key discipline driving performance across multiple sectors.
The Institute believes the next step is firm regulation to improve accountability and outcomes. Mr. Owusu-Asamoah stressed that Ghana’s development should be measured not by the number of projects initiated, but by those successfully completed. “National development depends not on how many projects we start, but on how many we complete successfully,” he noted, urging institutions to prioritise accountability, collaboration and results that deliver lasting value.
The Institute is also pushing for a shift in how success is defined in project delivery. According to Mr. Owusu-Asamoah, traditional metrics such as cost, scope and timelines are no longer sufficient if projects fail to deliver real impact. “Projects that look successful on paper can still fail stakeholders if they don’t deliver meaningful outcomes,” he cautioned.
He added that millions of cedis are lost on projects that meet technical targets but miss their intended purpose, insisting that a value-driven approach can deliver better results at lower cost.
Meanwhile, former Chairman of the PMI Advisory Council, Moses Tetteh, raised concerns about the growing number of abandoned buildings in Accra, attributing the trend to poor planning and overly ambitious projects.
“We are locking up capital and wasting land because of poorly structured projects. There is the need for phased development backed by enforceable policies,” he said.
As part of its 15th anniversary celebrations, PMI Ghana has lined up a series of activities including a PM Olympics, a students’ hackathon and a national conference. The event also featured the swearing-in of three new board members, underscoring the Institute’s commitment to strengthening leadership and advancing project management excellence in Ghana.
