Speech by 2M Indranee Rajah at the Society of Project Managers 27th Annual Gala Dinner 27 October, Shangri-la Hotel

Thursday, 27 October 2022

Mr Bernard Ho, President of the Society of Project Managers
Distinguished Guests
Ladies and Gentlemen

Good evening.  For tonight, let me just share a few thoughts which hopefully are relevant to you.  As project managers, you play an integral role in the Built Environment sector.

You are very important in the sector because you ensure that construction works are productive, efficient, and remain on track to meet deadlines.  In doing so, you help project stakeholders – the developers, the builders, the contractors, and the consultants – all to save time and money through effective and efficient management.  Basically, you are the very important person who makes sure that the ship stays on course!

And you will continue to play a critical role as projects today become larger in scale and more complex, particularly in the current context of inflationary pressures and rising costs.

Projects completed on time will not only help developers sustain a steady pipeline and cashflow, but also ensure that contractors and consultants are paid in a timely manner.  Projects will also avoid incurring extra costs from having to lock in scarce construction resources. For example, a typical $50 million building project could incur an additional $250,000, or 0.5% of its construction cost, for each month of delay.  Your work also benefits the people buying or using buildings, given that they get to occupy them in good time. 

Project managers have also played a critical role in helping the Built Environment sector to weather the COVID-19 pandemic.  In particular, you coordinated processes across different project parties in ensuring compliance with safe management measures.  This not only helped keep our workers safe, but allowed construction works to continue.

Emerging from COVID-19

So what does the landscape look like now?  We see encouraging signs of recovery for the Built Environment sector.  Construction activity has returned to close to pre-COVID levels, and the manpower situation has stabilised. We understand that the sector is making progress on previous project delays.

For instance, we are on track to launch 23,000 flats both this year and next year, up from about 17,000 flats in 2021. And we can launch up to 100,000 flats from 2021 to 2025, if needed.  That is HDB flats that I am talking about.  As project managers, your role will be key in helping us catch up, and to provide a steady supply of homes for Singaporeans.

To this end, Minister Desmond recently launched “Our Housing Conversations”, under the “Build” pillar of the Forward Singapore (Forward SG) exercise.  We are seeking ideas on how we can move forward to transform our living environment, and house a nation.

We have had lively debates so far on keeping our housing estates liveable for all Singaporeans. This includes renewing our built infrastructure to meet the demands of an ageing population, and revitalising common spaces to bring people together.  I would like to invite all of you to contribute your views at our upcoming roadshows and discussions, and you can sign up MND’s website and social media platforms, to take part in the Forward SG exercise.  We need to hear your voice.

To support our aspirations in building our future Singapore, we will need to do more to transform the Built Environment sector. That is why we launched the refreshed Built Environment Industry Transformation Map (ITM) last month.

The ITM was a collective effort with industry partners. We were glad to have SPM’s support in developing these plans, through your active participation in the iBuildSG Tripartite Committee and the Working Committee on Collaborative Contracting.

The ITM focuses on a few areas, namely, integrated planning and design, where various project stakeholders collaborate digitally to optimise building design for downstream construction and maintenance.  Second, advanced manufacturing and assembly, which focuses on raising the adoption of robotics and automation to make construction more productive.  Third, sustainable urban systems, where we enhance building management alongside our moves under the Singapore Green Building Masterplan to reduce emissions.

Basically, we plan to change the way we design, build, and maintain over the entire building lifecycle, and achieve greater productivity and sustainability outcomes.

Project managers have an important role to play in these transformation efforts, especially in the area of collaborative contracting.  This refers to the alignment of goals amongst various project parties, as well as proactive and pre-emptive dispute resolution.  Mr Ho mentioned that he saw the number of disputes rising.  Hopefully with collaborative contracting, some of these can be forestalled.  And doing so can minimise costly re-works which project managers are typically tasked to rectify.

As the main intermediary between project parties, project managers are key to facilitating this mindset shift.  We are not going to be able to change mindsets without your help.  Therefore, you are a very very crucial player in terms of our transformation efforts.  For those of you who want to learn more or find out more about collaborative contracting,  you can sign up at the BCA Academy or get in touch with them to find out more.

Addressing Challenges Facing the Project Manager Profession

Even as the transformation of the Built Environment sector creates many opportunities, we also understand that the project manager profession continues to face challenges.  These include difficulties in attracting the younger generation to work in the profession, and the desire for greater professional recognition.  The other professional services are also facing similar challenges, and it is not just restricted to Singapore, it is a global issue.  But we recognise that this is happening, and the Government will work closely with SPM and project managers to address these challenges.

To encourage workforce transformation, we have worked with industry partners including SPM to put together the Built Environment Skills Framework, which firms can use as a reference to redesign jobs.  For instance, firms can incorporate in-demand skillsets including Building Information Modelling (BIM) for the project manager role.  And BIM allows for project stakeholders to collaborate on a digital 3D building model for design and construction. Incorporating these skillsets will help attract young talents interested in digital technologies.

SPM also launched its Accreditation of Project Managers (APM) scheme in November 2020.  Aligned to the Built Environment Skills Framework, the scheme allows clients to identify skilled project managers through accreditation. Such professional recognition in turn will create greater job opportunities.

I am pleased to note that SPM has accredited more than 700 project managers so far.  SPM is working to expand these numbers, having enhanced the scheme earlier this year to include junior associates.  So I want to encourage project managers who have not already done so to consider becoming accredited.

The Government is also progressively moving towards recognising accreditation as an alternative to academic qualification and years of experience in tenders for public sector contracts.

As we make a greater push to attract and retain talent, firms will also need to consider the changing landscape today.  Millennials and Gen Zs have a very different view of the workplace.  They put emphasis on flexible and meaningful work. You may have heard of the “Great Resignation” or the phenomena of “quiet quitting” or “lying flat”, as younger workers become disengaged from work where they find little to no meaning.

Many Singaporeans today are concerned with balancing work and family commitments, including their young children or elderly parents.  So parents are actually caught on both ends of the spectrum, with young children and elderly parents to look after.  In a post-COVID world, even the older workers are starting to question the need for rigid work structures and processes.

So we cannot simply dismiss these concerns as the foibles of a younger generation. The changes in aspirations and expectations are here to stay.

Given that talent is mobile, it is those firms which put the development and well-being of their employees at the core of their businesses that will gain a competitive advantage. And this is ever more so in today’s tight labour market.

So I encourage firms to look into making changes in the way you work.  To this end, the Human Capital Diagnostic Tool is an example of a useful assessment framework for firms to identify areas for improvement. 

You can also refer to the Tripartite Standard on Flexible Work Arrangements to put in place similar arrangements at your workplaces.  Flexible Work Arrangements does not equal work-from-home.  It is often used interchangeably, but it is not interchangeable.  Work-from-home is a subset of Flexible Work Arrangements. 

Flexible Work Arrangements is a much broader concept, and could mean for example, that you work three days in the office, and two days at home.  And you cannot be prescriptive about this because different professions and business sectors have different needs, and would organise their work differently.  The one takeaway I ask you to bear in mind is: Flexible Work Arrangements will be here to stay.

Investments in good HR practices will give the professionals the assurance that their work is appreciated, and they are supported in their careers. At the same time, these efforts will help the Built Environment sector continue to attract the brightest and the best.

Conclusion

In conclusion, let me thank SPM for your contributions over the years.

Even as we face challenges, there are also many exciting opportunities ahead of us. The Government’s commitment is that we will continue to walk this journey alongside with each and every one of you – where we work towards taking advantage of the opportunities, and overcoming the challenges together.

Thank you all very much.