Sharing my presentation at the smart cities symposium of IPMA, March 2018 about the GPM (German Association for Project Management) refugee project. The project suggested a master plan approach for the governmental level; it issued a manual for the municipal refugee aid and carried out a pilot run qualification and certification of 5 Syrian refugees in project management and subsequently established a scholarship program. To summarize: empowering people to do the right things right on governmental level, on municipal level and on individual level.

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GPM´s Refugee Project:
How project management
contributes to mastering the
challenges of migration
Ina Gamp, GPM (German Association for Project
Management)
Smart Cities Symposium Berlin, March 22nd, 2018

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How we started
• Autumn 2015: The sudden and high influx of people seeking
for shelter revealed organizational shortages within the
German public sector.
• GPM constituted a team of experienced project managers with
the ambition to provide assistance by application of project
management:
• The german chancellor said “We can make it”.
• We said “We can make it – with good project management”.

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Objectives of the project
• Overall Objective: Making a not-for-profit contribution to
German refugee aid with the help of and through applying
project management
• support the use of project management for managing
challenges
• Help to establish networks between and promote
professionalization of helpers
• Promote qualification and certification of refugees in basic
project management knowledge

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Three pillars
Three subprojects delivered results:
1. master plan for mastering the national challenge – the team
suggested the use of the management tool and discussed it
with decision-makers from politics;
2. manual for the municipal refugee aid – issue and provision
of a comprehensive methodology manual;
3. pilot run qualification and certification of 5 Syrian
refugees in project management and subsequently the
establishment of a scholarship program

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Why project and programme
management after all?
Every single undertaking in refugee help in 2015/2016 was a
complex project:
• undertaking characterized essentially by its uniqueness
• Numerous tasks, players, stakeholders …
• High complexity and uncertainty
• Hierarchical structure of the authorities not adequately
responsive
All together: a network of projects requiring coordination

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Project management as a key
leadership competence
• Helps getting away from „extinguishing fires“ to planned and
sustainable approach and actions
• Enables to deal with complexity and uncertainty
• Makes connections and interfaces become recognizable
• Supports both operational and strategic actions
• Helps transfering „We can do it“ into „That´s how we do it“

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The Idea of a Master Plan
• Project management was comprehensively applied to the
national overall project.
• Resulting from this, the team identified a need for a masterplan
in the Federal Government's view.
• The team engaged in discussions with responsible personalities
from the politics

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Master Plan – The Benefit for Politics
• Uniting the players on a vision and common goals - the
awareness of the need of joint action is increasing and players are
given a common language and common frame of reference
• Providing a systematical analysis of stakeholder groups
• Providing active and systematic recognition of opportunities and
risks
• Designing and systematizing of tasks as well as recognizing and
perceiving synergy effects
• Early recognition of new needs for action
• Supporting the development of efficient processes

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Master Plan – The Benefit for Politics
• Identification of optimization potentials and conflicts in the existing
(informal) organization
• Recognizing and realizing the information and communication
needs of players and stakeholders
• Faster information and integration of new players using the project
overview
• Clues for a suitable multilevel governance

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Fast-acting methods with high
effectiveness – an example
Program-planning, -
monitoring, control
Analysis of the
stakeholders and their
goals – who wants to
achieve what?
Program goal
clarification and
prioritization
Structuring of tasks,
responsibilities and
dependencies
Scheduling, definition of
milestones
Risk & opportunity
management
Reporting: which
infromation in which
rhythm for whom?

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Example: Work Breakdown Structure
Arrival
First aid
Medical supplies
Accomodation
Specific needs of
individual groups
Status
clarification
Asylum procedures
Dealing with
rejected asylum
seekers
Deportation
Integration /
Assistance to
reconstruction
Work/Employment
Education
Language&Culture
Living situation
Security
Identification
Protection of asylum
seekers
Dealing with crime
Prevention of
radicalization and
counterterrorism
Medium and
long-term
opportunities
Fair international
economic policy
Demographic
development in
Germany
German labor
market and pension
policy
International
understanding and
cultural enrichment

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Pm Manual 07.01.17, 10:00
Flüchtlingshilfe: Klein-Winternheimer stellen Projekthandbuch in Berlin vor
Seite 1 von 5
http://www.allgemeine- zeitung.de/lokales/mainz/vg- nieder- olm/klein…winternheimer- stellen- projekthandbuch- in- berlin- vor_17368421.htm#
Klein-Winternheim
05.10.2016
Flüchtlingshilfe: Klein-Winternheimer stellen
Projekthandbuch in Berlin vor
Von Dieter Oberhollenzer
Viel beachteter Auftritt in der Hauptstadt: Projektmanager Frank Schmitt und
Ortsbürgermeisterin Ute Granold stellen in Berlin einen Leitfaden für die kommunale
Flüchtlingshilfe vor. Foto: www.paulhahn.de
ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG / LOKALES / MAINZ / VG NIEDER-OLM / KLEIN-WINTERNHEIM

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Manual for the municipal refugee aid
• project management handbook specifically for refugee aid.
• The motto is: „We help the helpers!“
• The PM Handbook and associated tools are available for free
download on the GPM website

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Film

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Planing the Summer party of
Start-with-a-friend
• Summer Party of the association „Start-with-a-friend“ in Berlin with
350 participants – Locals (honorary supporters) and refugees
• Use of the example to train the contents for the "Basic Certificate in
Project Management of the GPM"
• in addition to other activities like language courses, internships
• teaching sessions by experienced (voluntary) trainers
• exam paper adapted to language level B2

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Scholarship programme „Together in
Projects“
• Applications possible by newcomers and locals who work on a
joint project
• integration incentives for the newcomers, laying the technical
and linguistic foundations for a continuation of a degree course
in Germany
• Contribution to the entry into the skilled labor market and
developing skills for a possible contribution to the later
"reconstruction" in the home country.
• Volunteer locals can acquire project management skills whose
application makes one's voluntary work more successful and
satisfied.

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Basic Certificate in Project Management for
Refugees and locals

18. Thank you!
www.ipma.world