That's what happened to t i o n s across a variety of engi- H D R 's Baker. Ten years after neering disciplines said they had earning his graduate engineering any type of project management d e g re e in 1965, the company training program in place. But w a s moving into large-scale when individual project man- projects in such areas as rapid a g e r s were asked about their t r a n s i t . By virtue of the fact training programs, nearly three- that there weren't people within q u a r t e r s described them as the firm that had experience in none to minimal, while just these types of mega-projects, I 1 1 percent said they were g o t involved in managing extensive or comprehensive. It them, he says. His first assign- should be no surprise that only ment? HDR was called in at the 41 percent of project managers last minute to finish a critical q u e s t i o n e d in the survey said section of the Washington, D.C. they felt their organizations had rail transit system in time for prepared them for their role. the country's bicentennial cele- Birnberg says it is essential that bration in 1976. engineering firms do a better job For Baker and many other of developing and formally train- veteran project managers, get- ing future project managers. ting thrown into the field and Project management is the having to sink or swim worked d r i v i n g force today in engi- out fine. But most experts agree n e e r i n g , he says. It's not that on-the-job training by itself design, it's not technical issues. is not adequate. It is the ability to communicate