The annual PRY/Project Professionals summit was held at the Hotel Kakola now for the fourth time. This distinctive property is located in the scenic Port Arthur in the city of Turku, Finland’s west coast. Formerly a prison, Kakola has been transformed into a luxurious hotel. The inspiring ”Kakola vibe” was felt by the 29 participants from Finland and abroad. In addition to our Finnish project professionals, we were pleased to welcome guests flying to Finland from Iceland and Saudi-Arabia. In addition, we had participants originally from Mexico and Ukraine, now living in Finland, in the summit.
Teksti Suvi Hirvonen-Ere
This year’s theme was the PMO, with Dr. Robert Joslin from Switzerland as the speaker. Dr. Robert Joslin is a management consultant, instructor, and founder of the Association of International Project Management Officers (AIPMO). He has previously contributed to PRY as a speaker in PRY webinars. Now, PRY was pleased to offer this opportunity to explore these challenging topics in greater depth.
Applying PMO knowledge in practice
The two-day program consisted of morning lectures and afternoon workshops. The program covered a wide range of content and objectives. Prior to the summit, participants were requested to complete a preliminary survey. Following this, the 29 participants were divided into six teams. I had the pleasure of collaborating with a team comprising participants from Saudi Arabia, Iceland, Mexico, and Finland. The composition included three male and two female participants, creating a truly diverse international team.
The summit commenced with informative lectures and a review of the responses concerning PMO maturity, organizational impact, and insights from the PMO-MI study to establish a data-driven PMO. These insights were followed by expert discussions among peers regarding the role of PMOs as strategic enablers. A root cause analysis was conducted to identify the underlying causes of performance challenges. This analysis was followed by an assessment of tensions, opportunities, and development areas within organizations. We then proceeded to explore various methods to enhance PMO and PPM performance through targeted development design.
The intensive first day was concluded by a networking dinner offering a pleasant setting for socializing and professional interaction.
Following a delicious dinner and engaging conversations, and after a restful night’s sleep in the former prison cells, we began the second day feeling revitalized. The comfortable beds and a hearty breakfast contributed to our positive experience. We utilized this energy in learning about complex projects.
The morning’s session focused on the causes of failure and strategies for addressing them. Furthermore, it was interesting to hear the news regardingmegaprojects from around the globe. Additionally, we gained insight into the methodology for managing projects of this nature. In addition to their size, Dr. Robert Joslin emphasized their context, which plays an important role in what is considered ”big.” As he explained, megaprojects often present a range of challenges for CEOs, including environmental, sustainability, economic, technical, and novelty considerations, as well as the ability to address these factors in various combinations. Megaprojects seem to fail to meet their predetermined success criteria (cost/time).
The lectures were followed by collaboration in a team project, utilizing the methodology learned during the day. Our project work was built on spaghetti and marshmallows – great fun!
Teamwork, exchange of ideas and new connections
Let’s hear from the participants to share their experiences of the most useful aspects of the Kakola event:
- Sandra Gestsdóttir from Iceland found the workshop beneficial, as she was considering between three PMO model options for her organization, and the workshop helped to make the decision.
- Angel Romero, originally from Mexico, now living in Tampere, found the teamwork in workshops and the exchange of ideas to be highly beneficial.
- Assem Alhobaiter from Saudi Arabia found the workshop’s practical nature to be beneficial, as it allowed him to apply his knowledge learned during the summit to a real project.
Last but not least, participants found the summit as a valuable opportunity to strengthen existing connections and establish new ones. Especially, theyemphasized the importance of learning from their peers. As my team members Tiina Mac Laverty and Hanna-Leena Tikkanen – with whom we built a model of a solar power satellite called Vaappu – put it, it was important to recognize that others are facing similar challenges, finding solutions, and knowing that you are not alone.
I wish to thank PRY/Project Professionals, the speaker Dr. Robert Joslin, my team members and all the participants for making the summit a great one, I look forward to seeing all old and new friends again in the 2026 summit.
