BP, partners invest over $2M in project management training in Azerbaijan

By  Trend

BP, together with its partners developing the Azeri-Chirag-Gunashli block of fields and the Shah Deniz field, invested more than $2 million in the School of Project Management (SPM), designed to train professional project managers from 2011 to 2018, BP Azerbaijan Vice President for Communications and External Affairs, Strategy in Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey Bakhtiyar Aslanbayli said.

Aslanbayli made the remarks at the fifth graduation ceremony at SPM in Baku April 6.

SPM is a joint project implemented by the Baku Higher Oil School in cooperation with the UK TwentyEighty Strategy Execution Ltd based on the Master's program of the George Washington University with the organizational support of BP and partners. Fifty-two graduates received master's certificates at the ceremony.

SPM was established in January 2011 and since then 377 people have graduated it.

Delivering speech at the event, rector of the Baku Higher Oil School Elmar Gasimov said that 24 employees of the Baku Higher Oil School attended this program.

The project is being implemented in stages. One of its main goals was to train local specialists. This goal was achieved within the fourth phase. To date, the training staff entirely consists of local specialists.

“The school was established to help improve the existing level of project management, as well as develop the project management skills in the long term,” Gasimov said. “One of the main achievements of the project was its nationalization.”

SPM consists of several modules, namely, project management, management and communication, risk management, budget planning and control, application of management tools and preparation for the examination of a project management specialist.

SPM operates in cooperation with Khazar University and ESI International.