Project Managers Take Development Class

By Spc. Dustin Roberts

2nd HBCT PAO, 1st Inf. Div., MND-B

BAGHDAD - Multi-National Division - Baghdad leaders from the 2nd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, and supporting elements attended a class about the importance of project management at Camp Liberty.

The daylong course emphasized how the improved security in Baghdad can positively affect many contracts with Iraqi civilians in essential services.

"Services like sewer and electrical problems, medical clinic issues and emergency problems with schools are areas where we really need to make a lasting impact on the population to turn things around and improve quality of life," said Maj. Andrew Attar, Joint Project Management Office, 2nd HBCT. "We want to deny the enemy places of blight and places of hopelessness where they can recruit members."

Capt. Michael Morgan (standing), Joint Project Management Office, 2nd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Multi-National Division - Baghdad, teaches a class about improved systems and lessons learned in project management at Camp Liberty. The daylong class was a refresher for intermediate to advanced project managers.

Project management offices in the brigade focus on contracting jobs out to take care of the needed projects, stemmed from an agenda from Col. Joseph Martin, commander, 2HBCT, named the Commander's Emergency Response Program.

The program is designed to establish community improvement projects with the local governance and the Iraqi Security Forces in northwest Baghdad.

"We help to try to turn around these neighborhoods through these projects; to give people hope in the Iraqi Government and the Iraqi Security Forces," Attar said. "We want to make sure we are achieving the desired effects that our commanders need through these projects and becoming better project managers."

1st Lt. Nicholas Anderson (left), 4th Battalion, 42nd Field Artillery Regiment, operationally attached to the 2nd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Multi-National Division - Baghdad; Capt. Kelly Lanphere, 4th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, operationally attached to the 2nd HBCT; and Sgt. Randy Witzel, 926th Engineer Brigade, listen and read notes during a class about improved systems and lessons learned in project management at Camp Liberty. The daylong class was a refresher for intermediate to advanced project managers.

In order to improve the process of project management, Attar added that the class was crucial for development in the brigade.
To give insight to the attendees, finance and civil military operations members from the 4th Infantry Division and the 926th Engineer Brigade also attended the class.

"We're looking at the intermediate to the advance levels of project management; most of these guys have already gone through the basic training," Attar said. "So what we are looking at here is sharing the lessons learned across the brigade and getting ourselves to that next level of excellence in terms of how we do projects across Baghdad."

1st Lt. Daniel Miller (left), 425th Civil Affairs Battalion, Multi-National Division - Baghdad, and 1st Lt. Nicholas Anderson, 4th Battalion, 42nd Field Artillery Regiment, operationally attached to the 2nd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, listen and read notes during a class about improved systems and lessons learned in project management at Camp Liberty. The daylong class was a refresher for intermediate to advanced project managers.

The class participants spoke about project operations, such as file management, how to write scopes of work and bills of quantity in contracting, how to do quality assurance and quality checks on projects, how to deal with contractors, the biding process of contracting and how to pay contractors.

"What we've learned so far is the process, we go through in project management and the paperwork we have to go through," said 1st Lt. Fidencio Gamorano, 926th Eng. Bde. "I'm starting to learn a little bit more as far as how everything is set up so we can get on the right track."

Maj. Andrew Attar (standing), Joint Project Management Office, 2nd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Multi-National Division - Baghdad, teaches a class about improved systems and lessons learned in project management at Camp Liberty. The daylong class emphasized was a refresher for intermediate to advanced project managers.

Gamorano added that partnering with the Iraqi government and ISF to reach out to the people of Iraq is very important for project management.

"We get to give something back to the Iraqi people," he said. "A lot of these people want to work, and this is the best way so we can all learn from each other and work together."