Oil and Gas industry raises the bar with RPP standard

Large corporates are championing APM’s Registered Project Professional (RPP) designation in a bid to raise standards of project professionalism in the oil and gas sector.

Following a six month programme launched last year by the ECITB and Offshore Project Management Steering Group (OPMSG), 16 exceptional candidates from a range of companies, including Subsea7, Wood Group, Petrofac, Aker Solutions, Apache and Maersk, were trained and subsequently awarded RPP status. This follows the success of Shell which is already using the RPP programme with its senior project professionals in the sector.

APM chief executive Sara Drake said: “Oil and gas is going through turbulence. Now, more than ever, it’s important that oil and gas project professionals can evidence their skills and standards. RPP status and APM qualifications are the best ways of doing this and they are recognised throughout the economy.”

The ECITB and OPMSG set out to take the lead in facilitating a higher ‘minimum’ standard for senior project professionals in the sector. RPP is an independently assessed and recognised level of project management competence for delivering complex projects through the management of others. Managers need to be able to demonstrate the capabilities of a responsible leader and the ability to use appropriate tools, processes and techniques.

“Other energy sectors such as nuclear and power generation are recognising and working towards a defined standard of competence, through the RPP model. We need to ensure senior oil and gas project practitioners are accredited and can deliver against core non-technical competencies such as leadership, behaviours, and communication, all of which are vital in delivering complex projects”, said Lynsey Benson, ECITB account manager for the Offshore Region and member of the OPMSG.

Training provider 20|20 Business Insight helped support and mentor the group.

RPP is just one of various high profile initiatives being delivered by the ECITB in conjunction with the OPMSG. Earlier in 2015 the ECITB launched a pioneering webinar series featuring leading experts and practitioners from the oil and gas industry to promote good practice. Combined with the RPP initiative, this is bringing awareness to the offshore sector of the need for a defined standard of competence.