SPEECH BY 2M INDRANEE RAJAH AT SOCIETY OF PROJECT MANAGERS 30TH ANNUAL DINNER

It is a pleasure to see all of you again. You have very kindly invited me to previous Society of Project Managers dinners, and this crowd feels almost like family. I am very happy to join you to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the Society of Project Managers (SPM).

In the last thirty years, Singapore’s urban landscape has transformed significantly. From our iconic airport that welcomes everyone to Singapore, to our homes and neighbourhood where memories are made. Thank you all, for your contributions to our nation building efforts, turning our development blueprints into reality.

Looking ahead, we have ambitious plans for the next bound of Singapore’s urban transformation. This includes Changi Airport Terminal 5, which is a huge project, and the Greater Southern Waterfront. We will continue tapping on your expertise to partner other Built Environment stakeholders to make these plans come true.

Importance of Project Managers

As the projects are becoming increasingly complex, your role in managing them becomes not just important, but essential. You play a key role in keeping projects on time and on target. And this is no easy feat. Like conductors of a symphony orchestra, you keep the many moving parts of a building project in harmony — balancing safety, quality, and cost considerations, all while managing diverse stakeholders and ensuring timely progress.

If a project is not properly managed, it could lead to delays and give rise to financial loss in the millions, or even billions. Such delays would also adversely affect building users, for example, young couples waiting for their homes to start their families, or firms expanding their facilities to capture business opportunities.

As the Built Environment sector transforms, project managers are well-placed to catalyse deeper transformation. Let me briefly touch on three key areas where all of you can make a difference. First, championing digitalisation; second, fostering stronger collaborations amongst project parties; and third making Built Environment careers the careers of choice.

Championing Digitalisation

First, we will need to continue harnessing the power of digital technologies to improve the way we work. One key initiative is CORENET X, the one-stop digital platform for regulatory submissions. It will help projects to obtain regulatory approvals sooner by consolidating over 20 existing regulatory touchpoints across several agencies into three gateways, providing clearer and more coordinated responses from agencies; and more importantly, saving time from faster regulatory approvals and cost from reduced abortive work.

Since CORENET X was soft-launched almost two years ago, we have made good progress. Over 60 projects involving 100 firms have used CORENET X. Some early adopters shared that they enjoyed time savings of up to two months.

From 1 October 2025, submissions via CORENET X will be mandatory for all new projects with a Gross Floor Area of at least 30,000 square metres.

As project managers, you can help champion digitalisation efforts and help project teams make full use of CORENET X. For example, you may need to ensure that all project parties are properly onboarded on to the system, and incorporate the new regulatory approval process when charting out key project milestones. Some of you will also work with project parties to adopt Integrated Digital Delivery in your projects. This includes putting together a coordinated Building Information Model for CORENET X submissions.

I encourage all project teams to familiarise yourselves with CORENET X. For those who have used it, please share your feedback with us as we continue to improve CORENET X.

Fostering Stronger Collaborations

Second, as projects get more complex, project teams will need to work more collaboratively. One key enabler is collaborative contracting, which puts in place structures to align project parties to common project goals. It also offers a wider range of tools for project managers to shape better project outcomes.

For example, collaborative contracting provides an early warning mechanism to identify and resolve emerging issues upstream. It also offers ways for project parties to share risks and savings, so that we can encourage firms to use more innovative methods and technologies. I am pleased to share that more than 15 projects across public agencies and private developers are trying out different collaborative contracting forms.

Beyond formal contractual terms, it is also important to foster collegial working relationships and improve workplace well-being. The need to balance competing demands and manage various stakeholders have contributed to a high-pressure and demanding work culture, that could lead to burnout if not well managed.

This is why we developed the Built Environment Charter for Appreciation, Respect and Empathy, or BE CARE, for short. The charter outlines best practices to develop collaborative relationships that project teams can pledge to implement.

More than 30 firms have committed to piloting BE CARE, and I look forward to your active support. I encourage more project managers to familiarise yourself with collaborative contracting and BE CARE, and recommend your clients to give them a try. Interested parties may refer to BCA’s website for more details.

Making BE Careers the Careers of Choice

Finally, but most importantly, we must continue investing in our people. The BE sector must be able to attract and retain our fair share of the best and brightest talents to deliver on Singapore’s development plans and aspirations. We have so many plans in the pipeline, but if we do not have the people, we will not be able to make the plans a reality.

Once these young people join us, we must also engage and offer them diverse and meaningful career pathways to allow them to attain their full potential. I am glad that SPM has been a strong advocate in developing our project managers through various initiatives. For example, SPM recognises the excellent work of our current and aspiring project managers through the Outstanding Project Manager Awards and book prizes.

Congratulations to the recipients of tonight’s Outstanding Project Manager Awards, and I wish you continued success. For the students receiving the book prizes, I wish you all the best in your studies, and I look forward to your contributions to the Built Environment sector in the near future.

Another key initiative is SPM’s Accreditation of Project Managers scheme, which provides a tiered framework to recognise our project managers’ competencies and charts out development pathways for our project managers.

The scheme also helps service buyers, including public sector agencies, to identify project managers with the requisite expertise to meet their needs. I am heartened to hear that more than 1,000 project managers have been accredited since the scheme was launched in end-2022.

Beyond these, our Built Environment firms will need to create more conducive and attractive workplaces to meet the changing needs of our workforce. We cannot keep to the practices of the last few decades. The world is changing, the workplace has to change too, and the Built Environment sector needs to change as well.

This can be done through adopting progressive HR practices, such as by providing competitive remuneration and actively supporting employees in their career development. At the same time, you have to keep your eye on productivity, sso you need to balance that out. At the end of the day, it will take our collective effort to make Built Environment careers the careers of choice.

Conclusion

In conclusion, I would like to thank SPM for invaluable contributions to Singapore. From nurturing generations of project managers to supporting Built Environment sector-wide efforts, such as the Taskforce for Architectural and Engineering Consultants, SPM has been a steadfast advocate and strong partner of the Built Environment sector.

Congratulations on your 30th Anniversary and I look forward to the continued support and partnership as we shape the future of Singapore, together.

Thank you, and have a wonderful evening ahead.