Exploring the Relationship Between Project Managers' Technical Competence and Project Success

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between project managers' technical competencies – education, certification, and experience- and the dimensions of project success (scope, cost, schedule, and stakeholder satisfaction) in the U.S. Information Technology (IT) industry. Considering the impact of project failures on the overall strategic goals of an organization, it is crucial to examine the reasons for the continued failure of IT projects, particularly regarding the technical capabilities of IT project managers. This study analyzed IT project success from the viewpoint of IT project management professionals overseeing project execution and delivery within the IT industry. This study utilized a quantitative, cross-sectional design and surveyed 110 IT project management professionals. Kruskal-Wallis test, One-Way ANOVA, and Mann-Whitney U tests were performed for the analysis. Statistical analysis revealed a significant relationship between education and stakeholder satisfaction and a partially significant relationship between no certification and project cost. Additional analysis found a significant relationship between overall project success assessment and experience, certification status, and project management training. Most importantly, project managers with fewer than 5 years of experience, those lacking a Project Management Professional (PMP) certification, and those with project management training are better prepared to deliver projects successfully. The study findings indicated that project managers' level of readiness to deliver projects successfully varied based on project manager qualifications, potential underutilization of emerging project management talent, and the effectiveness of project managers' technical competencies. As a result of the findings, revising hiring and promotion criteria for project managers, implementing a comprehensive stakeholder satisfaction methodology to evaluate project success, developing a strategy for assessing project managers based on their readiness, and establishing standardized onboarding and continuous learning opportunities aligned with project manager readiness levels can contribute to preventing project failures.