IPMA Insights: Managing Projects with AI

SPEAKER:

Aco Momčilović, MSc in Psychology, MBA, Chair, IPMA AI Special Interest Group

DESCRIPTION:
Artificial intelligence has moved from experiment to everyday project work—but primarily as augmentation, not autonomy. Drawing on two international IPMA AI SIG surveys, related research, the IPMA AI Guidelines, and a future-focused contribution to IPMA’s 60th Anniversary Publication, Aco Momčilović explores where AI is already creating value, what drives responsible adoption, and why trust, verification, and human judgment are becoming core project competences.

Design thinking to shape PM solutions

SPEAKERS:

Emil Flatz, Nina Jelić, and Vedran Kasap, facilitators and experts in product design, UX research, strategy, and interaction design, affiliated with the School of Design at the Faculty of Architecture, University of Zagreb

DESCRIPTION:
The workshop will introduce design thinking as an approach to developing innovation that goes beyond aesthetics and traditional “design thinking” methods. The focus will be on better understanding users’ real needs, challenging the initial definition of a problem, and using rapid prototyping and testing to reduce the risks associated with developing products and services.
Through practical examples, participants will explore the principles of human-centered design, the development of user personas and user journeys, as well as the iterative process of developing and validating solutions. Particular emphasis will be placed on the role of design as a link between technology, users, and the broader system in which an innovation needs to function.

Sustainable Project Management

SPEAKERS:

Assoc. Prof. Lana Lovrenčić Butković, PhD, and Kristijan Robert Prebanić, PhD, from the Faculty of Civil Engineering, University of Zagreb

DESCRIPTION:
As ESG criteria increasingly shape business decisions, the projects companies deliver must answer to them too – this is where Sustainable Project Management (SPM) comes in. The introductory part of the workshop offers a brief overview of three key, recent IPMA publications on SPM, with particular focus on IPMA WISE (Wheel of Impacts on Society & the Environment) – a simple, free tool available to all IPMA members for assessing project sustainability according to the E+ESG principle.
The hands-on part follows: the model itself is explained, illustrated through a practical example, and participants get the chance to apply WISE to their own project. The assessment results produced by the project manager and team become a valuable input for the Sustainability Officer and management, directly feeding into the company’s ESG reporting – turning sustainability from an abstract requirement into a measurable, manageable part of every project.