School of Project Management (SPM) successfully continues its activities at Baku Higher Oil School (BHOS). It has been established with financial support from BP and its partners, organizational support from the Higher School and technical support from British company TwentyEighty Strategy Execution (Stratex). All SPM training modules are developed on the basis of teaching programs of The George Washington University, the USA. Representatives of state organizations and private companies express a strong interest in study at SPM, which helps the students obtain theoretical and practical knowledge of various aspects of project management. Upon successful completion of the study, the trainees are awarded with Master certificate from The George Washington University.

           Two SPM courses of core curriculum were conducted at BHOS new campus, which was officially opened with participation of President of the Azerbaijan Republic Ilham Aliyev in May this year. The Quality for Project Manager training for “Stream 16” group was conducted by John Pelham, one of the most experienced instructors of Stratex. The participants learned how to integrate project quality management into the entire project life cycle, plan effectively for project quality management, assess and improve their organization’s current quality capabilities to ensure that projects will meet specified quality standards, ensure customer satisfaction by monitoring results using project quality control tools. The trainees also attended practical lessons and participated in group discussions.

            At the same time, Stratex instructor Didier Estibals, who was invited to Baku to teach the module, conducted Risk Management course for “Stream 17” group. The trainees were taught to use a practical, eight-step process to manage project risks, identify threats and opportunities and weigh their relative value in their project, control multiple risks using limited strategies, and make risk and opportunity integral components of their next project plan.

           Upon the training completion, BHOS Rector Elmar Gasimov presented students of the “Stream 16” group Associate’s Certificates in Project Management. The certificates are jointly awarded by Twenty Eight Strategy Execution and The George Washington University upon completion of first three training courses of the core curriculum of Project Management program.