Maximising the Benefit of the ‘Back-End’ in Project Management at Saudi Universities

  • Reem AlQahtani

Student thesis: Phd

Abstract

Saudi Arabia is actively pursuing its Vision 2030, which consists of three main pillars and 96 strategic objectives. These objectives are categorised into 13 programmes, encompassing 80 major government projects. The responsibility for implementing this vision lies with all sectors of the kingdom, including education institutions. Princess Nourah University (PNU) is among the universities that have aligned their visions with Vision 2030, resulting in the establishment or re-establishment of Project Management Offices (PMOs). However, most project managers (PMs) tend to focus on the initial stages of a project, neglecting the importance of the later stages and the connection between different projects within an organisation. This study discusses the implementation of Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 in education institutions, specifically Princess Nourah University (PNU), through the establishment of PMOs. Employing a qualitative approach based on Corbin and Strauss's Grounded Theory Methodology, data was collected through field observations and interviews with PNU's PMOs and the Ministry of Finance (MoF). The findings contribute to theory and practice by highlighting the importance of distinguishing between the project's back-end phase and backstage, emphasising effective roles, organisational process assets, and knowledge and experience for maximising knowledge transfer and lessons learned (LL). The research recommends incorporating the PMO and Knowledge Management Department (KMD) into the institutional structure to enhance collaboration and optimise the benefits of knowledge management.
Date of Award31 Dec 2023
Original languageEnglish
Awarding Institution
  • The University of Manchester
SupervisorFrancis Fenn (Supervisor) & Ian Stewart (Supervisor)

Keywords

  • Corbin and Strauss
  • Grounded Theory
  • Saudi Mystery of Finance
  • Saudi Vision 2030
  • PNU
  • Princess Nourah University
  • Lessons Learned
  • Project Backstage
  • Project Back-end Phase
  • KMD
  • Knowledge Management Department
  • Project Management Office
  • PMO
  • Project Management
  • Project Front-end Phase

Cite this

'