Internship options for students of undergraduate in Project Management in Kenya

Project management in Kenya has grown to find its place not only in universities but also in various organizations modelling their operations on execution of various projects. Introduced in early 2000s at the University of Nairobi, the course has produced graduates whose main background lies in managing various projects. Previously only viewed as a unit in various social science disciplines, project management has been degenerated into a full career course from undergraduate to doctoral level. Questions have been raised in various quotas that an undergraduate in project management does not have a specialization discipline. For example the argument is, how would a company engage a project manager in managing architectural work while they have little or no background in the area? And the answer is also simple in question – how would an architectural person manage several architectural projects with little knowledge in project management? It should be noted that students who are taken through a project management course at an undergraduate level have at least four options for their area of specialization. These areas of specialization should determine an undergraduate student’s focus on the various companies targeted for internship.

Areas of specialization

As a student of project management it is important to note, before seeking for internship that project management has at least four options considered as the field of specialization even if your university does not make conclusive consideration on this. These areas of specialization in project management are: Project design, develop, and implementation; Project management information systems; Monitoring and evaluation; and Project finance and accounting. Most students asks the kind of job they will be undertaking when undergoing internship, well, the areas highlighted, if the student completed their course to third year, are common knowledge and forms the areas of core activities the student will be involved in. For Project designing, developing and implementation the student will mainly be involved in works related to modelling new inventions, innovations, process re-engineering, and diffusion. In simple terms the student will be working with companies like ANDELA KENYA or GOOGLE KENYA managing inventions but not necessarily they themselves as the innovators. In Project Management Information System (PMIS) the student interns will be using information systems to manage multiple projects running at the same time in an organization. This is usually where real time data is required and the information used in ensuring the success of the projects. A good example is an intern working at the disaster operation center in charge of new household emergency projects and uses project management information system (PMIS) to control the flow of resources and the requirement list. For students who choose the Monitoring and Evaluation portfolio, the cake is cut as their core mandate is monitoring project stages and conducting the core evaluations required in every stage and at the end of the project. This specialization seems to be a common path taken by several students headed for internship. Students can also take the path of internship that specializes on project financing and accounting where the core activities is joining the

project financing section of a project and learning the ropes until the knot is tighter. To achieve this, it will be prudent for the student to learn further by getting a qualification in financing and accounting course. From the above specialization the student can then segregate the job market into the following areas as target internship fields in Kenya.

1. International and Local NGOs Implementing Projects

Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) both locally and international have been known to engage in projects that are directed towards alleviating the ills of the society through a non-profit objective. For a student seeking internship in project management therefore it is prudent to ensure that you research on the various NGOs operating within your area of interest which may range from: humanitarian; educational; healthcare; public policy; social; human rights; environmental; or other areas as dictated by the nature of projects being undertaken. The Kenya National NGOs Coordination Board maintains a register of all the NGOs operating in Kenya and makes this list available on their website as per the area of operation. When seeking for internship, download this list to have a glimpse of the number and kind of projects the NGOs in your target internship area are engaged in. As a precedence it is important for students to note that seeking internships in international NGOs will give them more impetus compared to the local NGOs but again if the local NGOs are funded by international agencies, the standards are almost similar. The latter is commonly available so long as the student is not keen on remunerations. Joining an international NGO like World Vision Kenya will give the student immense skills in project management as theories are put to practice and challenged at the same time. Some of the international and local NGOs for consideration should include the following:

International NGOs	Local NGOs
The United Nations	Zuia Mtoto Asipotee
USAID	Youth Opportunities Upheld Kenya
World Vision	Youth Agenda
Mercy Corps International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)	World Neighbors - Kenya Wezesha By Grace
Care International Kenya	Maji Na Ufanishi
Oxfam	Vijiji Project
Amnesty International	Uweza Foundation
Save the Children	Kalonzo Musyoka Foundation
International Rescue Committee (IRC) ……….and Many others	Jonson Sakaja Foundation …the list is long for opportunity

For a student seeking to strategise for internship it is important, if your focus is on the NGOs, to download the list online and select the target internship area in terms of the kind of industry of interest. This may be the health sector, education, information and communication, humanitarian, public police or any other relevant. Once this is done segregate and target only NGOs in that specific field for internship opportunities.

2. Real Estate Industry

Most students have been made to believe that construction projects are the only project management core skills acquisition area during internships and many have targeted this area without knowing that it is just one of the subsection that constitute project management. In Kenya the real estate industry is now booming with major constructions projects undergoing in various sections of the country. This constructions ranges from major donor funded public infrastructure development projects to individual businesses and personal projects. The real estate industry has over the years grown to absorb project management professionals in ensuring the real estate projects are delivered within the required scope, cost and quality. It is in this sense therefore that a project management with interest in real estate can pursue companies and organizations involved in real estate development. The various real estate companies in Kenya where a project management student can pursue internship are numerous and without discriminating any one of them, a few common within the researcher’s scope of knowledge are:

•  Villa Care Kenya
•  Homes Universal
•  Knight Frank
•  Hass Consult
•  Llyod Masika
•  Azizi Realtors
•  Suraya Property Group
•  Dinara Developers
•  Homescope Properties
•  Ryden International

These are the big players in the industry and every student seeking internship in project management focusing on construction project or real estates, then these should be their initial choices. Whether they offer internship opportunity remains a task student will be able to answer during the process.

3. Project Management Consultancy Firms

Most project management professionals seeking to venture into business using their skills and knowledge in the same would most certainly start project management consultancy firms. In Kenya these consultancy firms are growing by the day and depending on the interest of the student seeking internship, there are numerous firms specializing in project environmental management; project monitoring and evaluation; project management information system; projects finance and accounting; projects modelling and design; and many other areas. These consultancy firms in Kenya should form a project management student’s internship optional area and narrow the search to the area of interest. The most notable project management consultancy firms, and again without discrimination in Kenya, includes:

•  Contrafrique Engineering & Building Services
•  Derrick Flatt Associates
•  First Rate Projects
•  Frontier Investment Management Africa
•  Limojade Management
•  M & M Construction Consultants
•  Maly Consulting
•  Mentor Management
•  Mosaic Homes
•  Motech Primes
•  Mt Kenya East Pilot Project
•  Mwanzoni
•  Ocra Company
•  Peman Consultants
•  PSRM Consultants
•  Que Management & Engineering Consultants
•  Techno International
•  Team Management Services
•  TMS Consulting Group
•  Tome Consult
•  Vex Engineers
•  Crystal Project Management Kenya
•  Redtie Project Management Consultants
•  Amazon Consultants
•  …..Many others with no presence online.

As indicated earlier, it should be noted that the project management consultancy firms are numerous and mainly focuses in various field of project management with a foundation in a core specialization which in many instances includes architecture, construction engineering, environmental science, management accounting, information technology, and agriculture.

3. Non-Project Management Firms having Project Management Department

Many companies and organizations are embracing management by projects as a method of execution of objectives to meet their missions and vision. In this essence therefore, many organizations and companies have established project management departments to push for their various projects within the tenets of the organization or company. The big question would be how the student seeking internship would know whether a company or organization have this department. The process of finding out is the same as that involved in finding out whether they have internship opportunities. As the person in need, the student should not tire up when seeking for internship opportunity and the motivating value should be the internship target area of specialization as it will define the student’s larger accomplishment in life.

Finally students seeking internship should not have an attitude that the companies have numerous opportunities and they were waiting for your application to act. The search for internship, in cases where the institution does not have a prior arrangement as is always the case, is tiring and discouraging and only the fittest survive. If as a student you survived the first three years of your study, then internship is an opportunity to show the world that you are becoming mature and ready for the job market. The remuneration during internship is also a big question as most students would want paying internship opportunities while the employers see the process as a cost saving venture since the student is learning. INTERNSHIP FOR STUDENTS IS A PROCESS THAT INDUCTS THE LEARNER TO THE INDUSTRY OF STUDY AND PUTS THE KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS TO PRACTICE WHETHER PAYING OR NONPAYING.

About the Author:

Benard Lango, PhD Projects Management, MA. Projects Planning & Management, Bsc. IT

An accomplished researcher in the field of public safety service delivery specializing in PMIS use in disaster management, Author of several books and articles, A trainer in public safety management, a policy developer in the area of disaster projects management. An Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Environmental Audit (EA) Lead Auditor registered with NEMA Kenya. A Member of the Environmental Institute of Kenya (EIK), A practicing member of Professional Trainers Association of Kenya (PTAK), A member of the Project Management Institute (PMI) the regulatory organization of the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) 

benard.lango@gmail.com, www.benardlango.org