WSP Finland, a consultancy specialising in the built environment and infrastructure, worked with Kumura to create a structured learning pathway that supports project managers throughout their career development. Kumura has since become part of IQI.
“IQI is a customer-focused partner that continuously develops its services. They have listened to our needs and responded to them genuinely. The training programmes are highly refined while still allowing an appropriate degree of customisation.”
Andrea Colussi
Development Director
“We deliver a large number of customer projects and have drawn on the expertise of an external partner specialising in project management to develop the way we work. IQI is a leading provider in this field and has a broad range of trainers for different needs,” Colussi says.
WSP Finland employs more than 650 specialists across the country. People move between roles, new project managers are recruited and experienced professionals progress to new responsibilities.
The need for project management training is therefore continuous.
Long-term collaboration enables a deeper understanding and more focused training
Colussi values the fact that, through their long-standing collaboration, IQI’s trainers have developed a strong understanding of WSP Finland’s business environment and ways of working.
Each programme is tailored to WSP Finland’s operating practices, and this customisation has become increasingly effective as the collaboration has developed.
“At the same time, we do not insist that the training should be based solely on our own perspective. IQI’s experience of working with many different organisations also benefits us,” Colussi explains.
Employee feedback shows that the project management training has been considered both relevant and valuable.
“After every programme, we review the feedback together with the trainer. We then use it to determine how the next programme should be developed.”
At WSP Finland, feedback is not reviewed merely as a formality. It is genuinely used to focus and improve the content of future programmes. This is one of the reasons why the training consistently receives excellent feedback.
The ABC Project Management Model supports a consistent approach
WSP Finland also uses IQI’s ABC Project Management Model, tailored to the company’s specific needs. Colussi describes it as a mature and well-developed solution.
The model reflects extensive development across different needs and has been proven in practice in a wide range of organisations.
“The ABC model is an excellent fit for our business environment, and we have clearly benefited from it. Applying the model effectively requires the right capabilities, and IQI’s training has helped us build them,” Colussi says.
Developing a learning pathway for project managers
WSP Finland wants employee development to have a clear impact and to be systematic and goal-oriented. To support these objectives, WSP Finland and IQI jointly developed a structured learning pathway for project managers.
“We had a clear vision of what we wanted from the learning pathway. IQI brought the experience and expertise needed to respond to that vision and create an effective model with us,” Colussi explains.
Many organisations treat training as a series of isolated activities commissioned in response to individual needs. Under Colussi’s leadership, WSP Finland has adopted the same broader perspective as IQI: success in project delivery requires both processes and capabilities to become a source of competitive advantage.
This can only be achieved through a learning pathway that inspires people to develop their capabilities and supports individual professional growth.
According to Colussi, the pathway is highly flexible and includes different levels through which project managers can progress during their careers at WSP Finland.
“People have different backgrounds and levels of experience. Because the pathway consists of separate modules, we can focus each person’s development on the areas where they need the most support or want to deepen their expertise.”
When necessary, the pathway can also prepare new project managers for the role from the fundamentals onwards.
“The learning pathway has been extremely well received across our organisation. There was a clear need for it, and the way it has been implemented has been very successful. With IQI’s support, we have also made significant progress in developing our project culture.”
