A representative of our Romanian partner organisation Pro Oeconomica, Dr. Réka Horváth held a presentation during the workshop in Hajdúszoboszló, in which she introduced the results of the nation report conducted in Romania. This concerned the local experiences on the level of knowledge project management, its toolset, and its applicability to private life among the general populace.
During the research, they were interested how old are children when first encountering the term project, and the elements of project management’s toolset. During nursery, no project management knowledge was found, however, grade school and pre-school, and the education of children of age 7-8 showed some of said education, within the area of counselling and advice (orientation). This is educated as part of personality development in 1-2 hours a week. The goal of the lectures is to increase student wellbeing and self-confidence, getting them to know their own capabilities better, create their willingness to cooperate, and to aid school-, career- and private life decision making. Students employ the toolset of project management during making their personal education- and career plan (goals, strategy of realisation, deadlines, resources, problems). Among 14 year old children, education also incorporates financial and economic knowledge, which they may face during their everyday lives, and they develop the students’ initiative as well. Students create project plans in groups, which are also realised, giving them further project management knowledge and experience. During high school and university, project management appears as a separate class entirely.
During the research, they didn’t focus on the classic project management toolset’s users and promoters (service providers) from adult education and counsel, but on those that help their clients use project management tools in their private lives. In this area, they identified multiple non-profit organisations, counselling firms, motivational trainers and coaches.
While reviewing literature, mainly the books, articles and studies of Romanian authors published either in Romanian or English, they mainly managed to identify material that deals with business or local development projects, and didn’t find any literature sources about the usage of the project management toolset in private life.