Using a competency–based approach in Sustainable Rural Development & Project Management teaching

Abstract

This paper addresses the methodological process of a teaching strategy for training Sustainable Rural Development & Project Management in postgraduate programs. The learning strategy is applied in an international Postgraduate Program for Sustainable Rural Development — Erasmus Mundus Master of Science— with the participation of five Universities of the European Union. This master program is the result of a cooperative experience from one Educative Innovation Group of the Technical University of Madrid, UPM (EIG-Project), two Research Groups from the UPM and the collaboration with other external agents. The proposal is made up of different methods —intuitive, comparative, deductive, case study, problem-solving, Project-Based Learning— and different activities inside and outside the classroom. The learning strategy covers two different aspects: first, the integration of technical, behavioral and contextual project management competences in real projects; and second, the evaluation of the complexity of project management in real situations of rural development projects, in which such complexity is mainly given by social interactions and complex social networks. Reflections on the experience, difficulties found and main success factors in the learning strategy are discussed.

Full text

2012 International Conference on Education Reform and Management Innovation
Using a competency–based approach in Sustainable Rural Development
& Project Management teaching
DE LOS RIOS-CARMENADO, Ignacio1, a, SASTRE-MERINO, Susana2,b ,
YAGUE-BLANCO, José Luis3,c
1,2,3Technical University of Madrid. Avenida Complutense sn, 28040 Madrid, Spain
aignacio.delosrios@upm.es, bsusana.sastre@upm.es, cjoseluis.yague@upm.es
Keywords: Competency-based approach, Sustainable Rural Development, Project Management,
Project–Based Learning, engineering higher education.
Abstract. This paper addresses the methodological process of a teaching strategy for training
Sustainable Rural Development & Project Management in postgraduate programs. The learning
strategy is applied in an international Postgraduate Program for Sustainable Rural Development —
Erasmus Mundus Master of Science— with the participation of five Universities of the European
Union. This master program is the result of a cooperative experience from one Educative
Innovation Group of the Technical University of Madrid, UPM (EIG-Project), two Research Groups
from the UPM and the collaboration with other external agents. The proposal is made up of
different methods —intuitive, comparative, deductive, case study, problem-solving, Project-Based
Learning— and different activities inside and outside the classroom. The learning strategy covers
two different aspects: first, the integration of technical, behavioral and contextual project
management competences in real projects; and second, the evaluation of the complexity of project
management in real situations of rural development projects, in which such complexity is mainly
given by social interactions and complex social networks. Reflections on the experience, difficulties
found and main success factors in the learning strategy are discussed.
Introduction
The universities of the European Union are facing a deep change in their educational models,
stemming from different agreements reached in the EU to construct a European Higher Education
Area (EHEA) to be the basis of a new knowledge-based economy that responds to the challenges of
globalization and to the complexity of the situations [1,2]. The main document that guides the
process is The Bologna Declaration [3], which marks a turning point in the development of
European higher education and was signed by 29 countries which engage in coordinating their
policies to attain the Declaration’s objectives. The new framework represents a challenge to develop
new teaching innovation models, based on the competences and the aptitudes, and requires new
designs of the educative programs, new objectives and new teaching and learning methods. This
new teaching models must be designed to prepare professionals that not only can develop technical
solutions but also have behavioral competences to manage the complexity that the technological,
economic, social and political environments set and the enterprises require [4]. It is for that reason
that the professional competences according to the demand of the society constitute a key aspect for
the design of all education programs.
Project management is one of the topics that is taught in several disciplines. Thus, teaching and
learning was identified as a major theme in the international debate on re-thinking project
management [4,5]. Understanding the student experience will enable institutions of learning to
address pedagogic and education factors within project management to be more effectively in the
future [6].
While traditional project management approaches have put more emphasis on the rational models
focused on the technical project dimension, especially in the planning and the control [7,8], other
approaches prove the importance of social sciences in the models of project management,
integrating the behavioral competences of the organizations [8,9,10,11,12]; as well as the

2012 International Conference on Education Reform and Management Innovation
importance of integrating the contextual competences to consider the exogenous factors that
influence the projects [13,14,15,16].
Furthermore, the importance of complexity to the project management process is widely
acknowledged in the international literature by diverse reasons [17]: project complexity hinders the
clear identification of goals and objectives of major projects [13]; it helps determining planning,
coordination and control requirements [18]; it is an important criteria in the selection of an
appropriate project organizational form [19], of project inputs [17], and of a suitable project
procurement arrangement [20]; and complexity affects the project objectives of time, cost and
quality [21]. In the case of sustainable rural development projects, the numerous social interactions
[22] and the complexity of the social networks [23], is usually cause of difficult and complex
situations. Complexity requires reconsidering the project cycle from a more social and human
perspective [5]. This social and multidisciplinary perspective, demands leadership models [24]
aligned with the personal values and with the role of project management [25].
This paper presents an entire educational strategy completely adapted to EHEA, using a
competency–based approach in Sustainable Rural Development & Project Management teaching.
The methodology is developed by an Educational Innovation Group and integrates the competences
of project management —according to the International Project Management Association, IPMA
[26]—, the scientific foundations of Project-Based Learning and the complexity framework for
performance based competency standards for Global Project Managers [27]. The methodology is
developed like an innovative pilot experience and covers both undergraduate and graduate levels.
Research methodology
The strategy presented has been developed to promote students´ competences development, and it
has been carried out as part of an Educational Innovation Program (EIP), which is organized in
annual Educational Innovation Projects. This strategy is part of the adaptation process to the EHEA
in the UPM University and includes the promotion of Educational Innovation Groups (EIG), that
bring together a group of people that show a career, experience, training and a future project of
sufficient consistency, specifically in the fields of engineering and project management.
One of these EIG is called “EIG-Project”, and it starts with the main objective of conceiving a new
teaching dimension around Projects as educational elements suitable to generate an early
professional experience and training from competences. It aims at the development of individuals
skills, from the Project-Based Learning method, applied to the Undergraduate Thesis and Master
Thesis Project. Many professors and researches included in the EIG also belong to the “Research
Group on Planning and Sustainable Management of Local Rural Development (GESPLAN)”, which
develops lines of research applied in the context of Planning and Project Management of
Local/Rural Development, which complements the teach work and extends postgraduate studies.
The PIE has a variety of educational methods: intuitive, comparative, deductive, case studies,
problem solving and various activities like, group activities, cooperative learning, both inside and
outside the classroom, tutoring virtual and presence, project exhibitions, competition project teams,
etc.-, spanning from undergraduate and graduate levels. All these activities are part of the Project-
Based Learning fundamentals [28,29,30] as the best means to achieve effective competency-based
education [31,32] integrating knowledge, skills and values.
The methodology integrates teaching and research in a four level scheme, offering students a
gradual and growing formation in the competence fields: (1) During undergraduate studies, within a
compulsory project course, PBL methodology is applied, by analyzing real rural projects in teams,
which gives the opportunity to contact beneficiaries and stakeholders and have a close experience to
real life situations; (2) in the development of the final degree thesis, which consists of elaborating
an original project, in which students apply all the knowledge acquired in the whole undergraduate
program, and are tutored by one of the Group professors; (3) At graduate level, activities
complexity is increased in the Erasmus Mundus International Master (IPMA Registered
Educational Program) and (4) the model gets its full meaning in doctoral studies linked to a

2012 International Conference on Education Reform and Management Innovation
Research Master. Since 2006 the strategy is complemented by a "Project Management” graduate
seminar in collaboration with projects engineering companies and supported by the Spanish
Association of Project Engineering (AEIPRO).
Project-Based Learning as a strategy in undergraduate activities. At this level the professors of
the undergraduate course “Projects” coordinate the students, gathered in teams so that they plan,
design and evaluate a project that meets real needs for a real client –private or public-. In this
process of approximation to reality, group activities and interactive workshops are made in class
using active methods to get the direct involvement of students, similar to a real professional project.
In these sessions the professor acts as counselor for the tasks performed by the students and the
learning incentive for active absorption of knowledge. The active method of learning by doing
[33,34] is presented in the area of project management with particular relevance, with a huge
potential for originality and creativity development that can be fully assembled with the scientific
and technical knowledge. At the end of the lecture period, different groups of students must present
and defend their projects with teachers and managers involved.
In this learning process, activities are integrated to the development of knowledge about the 46
project management competence elements described by IPMA [26], as well as some knowledge of
other behavioral and contextual elements.
STAR method and CIFTER instrument in graduate activities. As students reach graduate
levels, their knowledge on competence elements and complex situations is usually higher so the
methodology is adapted to accomplish more complex activities. Two instruments are used at this
level: first the STAR method to analyze case studies and later CIFTER instrument within
cooperative learning, to assess complexity.
STAR Method. This method is applied within the course in Design and Project Management. This
method consists of analyzing IPMA competence elements in a real case, considering the following
steps: a) describe a project situation (S) in relation to the competence elements, b) indicate the tasks
(T) and specify the activities (A) proposed to be done in that situation, and d) specify the possible
results (R) to achieve to improve the situation. By using this process, at this first phase on the
graduate level, it is intended to train students on two main aspects: thinking about implementing a
project report by integrating IPMA competences, and master how to communicate the interaction
among competence elements. This method is used by AEIPRO in the process of IPMA competence
certification [35].
CIFTER. On a second phase, students perform a series of cooperative learning activities to assess
the project complexity using the CIFTER instrument (Crawford-Ishikura Factor Table for
Evaluating Roles) under the concept of the Global Alliance for Project Performance Standards
(GAPPS) [27]. The same projects that have been considered in the first phase using the STAR
method are analyzed, so that students already have prior knowledge and results to assess the
complexity. Work is done first in teams and then comparisons and conclusions are shared in class
so students interact with other teams and get a broader learning experience.
Findings and results: Implementation of the model to the Master of Science in Local/Rural
Development Project Management
This section describes the methodology application in the Agris Mundus Master of science in
Local/Rural Development Project Management (MIDRL), 60 ECTS, which is inserted since 2005 in
EHEA like Erasmus Mundus Master of Science of the EU and includes a consortium of five
European universities and a partnership with 8 higher education centers from third countries of
Africa, Asia and Latin America. This international program is inserted since 2005 in an UPM
Educational Innovation Program (EIP) as a reference point of new perspective for developing
competencies, according to IPMA-NCB, for project management teaching in engineering higher
education [36]. The master is also verified as a Competence Development Program by IPMA. From

2012 International Conference on Education Reform and Management Innovation
the academic years 2004-05 to 2009-10, 137 students from 29 different countries and different
backgrounds have been trained.
The PBL methodology has evolved through collaboration agreements between UPM and public and
private institutions for the implementation of integrated rural development-local projects. These
cooperation agreements have been the basis for consolidating an approach to PBL that has been
developed to adapt the methodological issues in teaching real problems.
The MIDRL program's learning activities begin with a competences self-assessment [35] by
students, using the same questionnaire as requested in the IPMA certification process. This activity
information is a key concept to guide the development of learning activities. The results show
higher values at technical competences, which correspond to the logic of the developed
methodological strategy, as the undergraduate level activities focus on developing more technical
competences [26], essential for project management. At graduate level, activities are more focused
on developing contextual and behavioral competences, also increasing the complexity of the tasks.
For technical competences, many of the elements, -teamwork, problem solving, communication,
cost and funding, resources, information and documentation, project organization-, are above
average. However there are still many elements that require greater learning. In assessing contextual
competences at the beginning of the program, only the security, hygiene and environment elements
is above average, the rest of the competences are below.
As for the problems encountered during this self-assessment phase, perhaps the most important are
the students’ difficulties to reflect on their own knowledge and experience. This activity has
required a gradual effort to sensitize all teachers to see the need of change in the systems approach
to evaluation, - competences assessment rather than knowledge- by the adaptation exigencies to the
EHEA. Generally we can say that there are still some difficulties in incorporating assessment
competence systems in the training programs.
The self-assessment activity is repeated in the end of the master courses, to evaluate the progress in
the competence learning process based on the NCB competences by comparing the results. The
activity is part of the program quality assurance system, using learning evaluation processes of the
participants in the Master. This process is structured around two axes: a process of continuous
evaluation of students' individual character and a participatory group assessment to contrast and
discuss individual assessments collectively. It consists of two sessions, with students first and a
second with the Master management team. Analysis and reflection on the proposals and conclusions
of this process can draw a series of "lessons learned" to keep improving the competencies
integration in future editions. Table 1 summarizes the assessment results of knowledge acquired by
students after learning methodology.
Table 1: Summary of the evaluation of acquired knowledge by students
Level of knowledge
TECHNICAL COMPETENCES
INITIAL
FINAL
VARIATION
No knowledge
18%
0%
-18%
Some basic knowledge
42%
18%
-24%
Average knowledge
26%
55%
30%
A good knowledge
14%
27%
13%
BEHAVIOURAL COMPETENCES
No knowledge
6%
0%
-6%
Some basic knowledge
17%
8%
-9%
Average knowledge
51%
50%
-1%
A good knowledge
26%
42%
16%
CONTEXTUAL COMPETENCES
No knowledge
36%
2%
-34%
Some basic knowledge
39%
23%
-16%
Average knowledge
20%
50%
30%
A good knowledge
6%
24%
19%
Also through cases studies students examine the interactions of a large number of the NCB
competence elements [35]. The experience so far tested with cases studies, following the PBL
approach and STAR methodology, is ideally suited for students to link the technical and contextual

2012 International Conference on Education Reform and Management Innovation
elements to the rural development projects area, with the productive sector needs and the real
problems at rural areas. From this formative point of view, personal competences are also
developed such as, teamwork, communication, leadership, commitment and motivation, self-
control, self-confidence, openness, creativity, results orientation, efficiency, consultation,
assessment values, adaptability and innovation in problem solving [30].
Actual cases are chosen so that there are situations to improve, from which competence elements
are identified, tasks arise and relations between competence elements from three dimensions
(technical, contextual and behavioral) are extracted. The case used to analyze the complexity in the
development project management is the Leader Project applied in two different contexts, Spain and
Mexico, which students are familiar with, know the conceptual basis and have previously visited
some of the results during field trips (Leader Program is an European Policy for rural development
based on a territorial approach, creation of new local participative government structures and a
decentralized management [22]).
In a second phase, within the same Masters subject, as part of a specialized workshop, students
complete a new cooperative learning process aimed to deepen in the complexity of project
management. For this activity, students use the same case study method previously discussed
(Leader Project), and CIFTER. These analyses are done in work teams with cooperative learning
[33]. With the results, each team prepares a report that is communicated orally and is the basis for
the discussion of learning, joint discussions and exchanges. A comparison of team performance
increases learning, establishing interdependencies between results and conclusions jointly
developed, which affect the development of personal skills [34].
Conclusions
The methodology described, with a competence-based approach is the result of an experience of
Project Based Learning (including STAR methodology and CIFTER approach) that has been
validated and specifically suited for the development of technical, contextual and behavioral
competences. The learning methodology links teaching with the students professional background,
and is founded in cooperation, active participation and interaction, offering multiple possibilities for
the competence development in the global and international context. The success of this approach is
the belief that students are not passive recipients of knowledge, but should become engaged in an
experience with real content. This pre-professional experience promotes students to integrate the
knowledge they have learnt and apply the new knowledge in a rural development project.
Complexity in this kind of projects is mainly given by social interactions and complex social
networks that require the development of behavioral and contextual competences. The students
themselves have stated an improvement in their own technical skills (with an improvement of 43%),
behavioral skills (an improvement of 15%) and particularly in contextual skills (with an
improvement of 49%).
This methodology is based on the identified need to integrate processes and activities that help
develop personal competences, learning to work together, enhancing students’ personality and
bringing them closer to the reality of complex situations. These processes foster the spirit of
innovative research and creative ability to generate new knowledge, increase their motivation and
eagerness to learn and solve problems. The strategy and its instruments -agreements with
institutions, PBL, STAR methodology, CIFTER, interaction with external actors- open new spaces
for educational innovation and competence development.
The EHEA and competency-based approach has shown to be an opportunity for educational
innovation, establishing new connections among the university and professional world, taking as
reference standards which are internationally recognized in the field of project management and
project management complexity. The fundamentals of GAPPS and IPMA are inserted into the
higher education programs to facilitate this international framework of competence-based training.
This integration also allows linking training with professional certification systems, offering greater
employability of future graduates [37]. Using the model, the Technical University of Madrid has
confirmed a clear position for incorporating rural development project management skills, and

2012 International Conference on Education Reform and Management Innovation
concrete objectives that guide the way to the European Higher Education Area, the quality of the
education and the links to professional certification. The model is applied from a new framework
that incorporates an interdisciplinary team that links teaching and applied research, with an
Educational Innovation Group and Research, Development & Innovation groups, as recognized
structures supported by the UPM to promote innovation in education and collaboration between
different schools and to develop a whole educational strategy from undergraduate to graduate level.
Moreover, the assessments made during the evaluation process allow drawing some general
conclusions from a series of "lessons learnt" to refine the strategy. Main difficulties are related to
competence assessment mainly for the different conceptions of each professor, the greatest burden
of work involved in ongoing evaluation, and because students are not used to this evaluation
system. One of the main strengths considered is the multidisciplinary and multicultural character of
participants at Master´s level enriched by the presence of professionals from various disciplines.
The development of behavioral competence with cooperative learning activities is especially valued
and considered necessary to successfully address the complexity of the projects.
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