You sent your project manager to PMI certification training last year.
Six months later, projects are still running late. Scope creep is killing your margins. Clients are still calling you, not your PM, when things go wrong.
What happened?
The problem isn't knowledge. Project managers know what to do.
The problem is the system.
The system prevents trained people from executing what they learned.
And if you're a Caribbean contractor who's invested in training only to see zero improvement in project delivery, you're facing the same problem.
Your PM knows what to do. Your system won't let them do it.
When Good Training Meets Broken Systems
Here's what happens when a competent project manager tries to execute a project in Jamaica's public sector.
Week 24: Project is scoped. Budget accepted. Then one bid comes in 30% below budget and the other two more than 50%. Procurement reissues the tender.
Week 32: Ministry of Finance freezes budget due to revenue shortfall. Project paused. PM can't make decisions. Authority sits five levels up.
Week 44: Elections approaching. Priorities shift.
Week 52: Fiscal year ends. Unspent funds return to Treasury. Project incomplete.
The bottlenecks:
Incentive misalignment: Procurement officers afraid to make decisions.
Authority layers: No power to act without approval at every turn.
Accountability gaps: No consequences for underperformance. No rewards for delivery.
Information friction: Failures buried, not addressed.
Which PMI module fixes that? None.
Your Business Has the Same Problem
Monday morning: PM needs to order materials. Supplier quote is $4,200. Schedule requires the order today.
But PM doesn't have purchasing authority above $2,000. Needs your approval.
You're on site. Phone's silent. Spotty mobile service. You don't see the email until Tuesday afternoon.
Materials arrive one week later.
Your system creates the delay.
Wednesday: Subcontractor is underperforming. Should be replaced. And, quickly.
But PM can't fire and hire independently. That needs your input. It's too important to delegate.
You're busy. Conversation delayed a week. Bad work continues. Schedule slips more.
Your system prevents them from acting.
Friday: Client requests change order. PM calculates: $12,000 for the addition.
Client calls you directly, "Your PM’s price is too high. Neighbour’s contractor quoted $8,000."
You don't want to lose the client so you tell the PM to ‘make it work’. PM revises to $9,500. Margin cut in half.
PM's pay doesn't change whether margin is 8% or 18%.
Your system undermines the margin.
See the pattern?
Your PM is constrained by a system that prevents applying what they learned.
Is Your System Ready for Training?
Before you send anyone else to expensive training, answer these five questions:
1. Does your PM have decision rights?
Can your PM approve purchases up to US$10,000 without asking you?
Can your PM replace underperforming subcontractors from approved list?
Can your PM approve client change orders within defined parameters?
If no: Your PM has responsibility without authority. Training teaches decision-making they can't use.
2. Does your PM have information transparency?
Can your PM see project costs and margins in real-time (or weekly)?
Can your PM access cash flow data?
Can your PM see equipment availability without calling around?
If no: Your PM is managing blind. Training teaches analytical tools they can't apply because data arrives too late.
3. Does your PM have aligned incentives?
Does your PM's compensation change based on project profitability?
Does your PM get bonuses for hitting margin targets?
Does your PM share in upside when projects finish ahead of schedule?
If no: Your PM has accountability without skin in the game. Training teaches margin protection they have no incentive to execute.
4. Does your PM have clear boundaries?
Does your PM know exactly which decisions they own versus which need your input?
Are approval thresholds explicit?
Are success metrics clear?
If no: Your PM operates in ambiguity. Checks constantly, creating bottlenecks.
5. Does your PM have accountability visibility?
Are project results (margin, timeline, quality) visible to everyone?
Are successes recognized publicly?
Are failures discussed openly?
If no: Your PM works where standards don't matter because nobody sees results.
If you answered "no" to three or more questions, your system is the constraint, not your PM's skills.
Training won't help. It'll make things worse. You'll have a PM who knows exactly what should happen and exactly why it can't.
What to Fix First: The 4-Week System Rebuild
Don't send anyone to training yet. Fix your system first.
Week 1: Give Decision Rights
Pick one PM. Give them real authority:
Purchasing: PM can approve up to $5,000 without checking
Subcontractors: PM can replace underperformers from approved vendor list
Change orders: PM can approve up to $5,000 using your established markup
What usually happens: First week, PM checks with you anyway out of habit. By week two, decisions flow. By week three, procurement delays have disappeared.
Track it: How many decisions did PM make independently? What was the time savings?
Week 2: Add Information Transparency
Give your PM real numbers:
Weekly P&L: Every Friday, PM sees revenue, costs, current margin, projected final margin
Real-time costs: PM sees expenses within 48 hours (materials, labour, subs)
Equipment availability: Shared calendar, PM books equipment directly
What usually happens: First week, PM shocked by actual costs. Second week, PM starts negotiating harder, catching overruns earlier.
Track it: Did margin variance decrease? Did PM catch budget issues earlier?
Week 3: Align Incentives
Change how PM gets paid:
Base salary: 80% of current comp
Performance bonus: Up to 30% of base for hitting targets:
10% for finishing at/above 15% margin
10% for finishing on schedule
10% for client satisfaction 9/10+
What usually happens: PM suddenly cares about margin. Client asks for free work? PM pushes back instead of saying yes.
Track it: Did margins improve? Did PM behaviour change on negotiations?
Week 4: Review and Adjust
Sit with PM and review:
What improved? Decision speed, cost management, PM ownership
What broke? Bad decisions, information gaps, incentive misalignments
What to adjust? Authority thresholds, transparency frequency, incentive structure
Now your system is ready for training.
Because now PM has:
Decision rights (can act on what they learn)
Information transparency (can see results)
Aligned incentives (benefits from executing well)
Clear accountability (outcomes visible and tied to compensation)
Training given to this PM will actually get used.
What Training Becomes (When the System Works)
Before: PM learns critical path method. Can't implement it because subcontractor scheduling is controlled by you, equipment allocation happens through phone calls. Framework is theoretical.
After system fix: PM has authority to sequence work, access to equipment calendar, visibility into material lead times. Implements critical path immediately. Projects finish on time. Training pays for itself in one project.
Before: PM learns earned value management. Can't access real-time cost data, has no incentive to protect margins. Framework is academic.
After system fix: PM sees weekly cost variance, gets bonuses for hitting margins. Implements tracking immediately. Catches overruns in week two instead of week eight.
The Jamaica Lesson (And What It Means for You)
Jamaica faces the largest infrastructure opportunity in recent history. Billions in financing mobilized.
The binding constraint isn't money. It's execution capacity.
And execution capacity isn't about training more project managers. It's about reforming the systems those project managers operate within.
According to the Independent Fiscal Commission, Jamaica needs:
More realistic budgeting (based on capacity, not aspiration)
Stronger project preparation (designs complete before projects start)
Procurement reform (streamlining processes)
Investment in institutional capacity (building systems)
The constraint isn't knowledge. It's the system.
Your business faces the same opportunity and the same constraint.
A reconstruction wave is coming. Financing is available. Projects need executing.
But if your PM can't act independently, can't see costs in real-time, has no incentive to protect margins.
You're structurally excluded from the opportunity.
System reform requires giving up control and making performance visible.
Start This Week
Don't wait until you've figured everything out.
Pick one PM on one project.
Give them one decision right they don't currently have.
Track what happens for two weeks.
Did decision speed improve?
If yes: Expand. Give more authority. Add more transparency.
If no: Diagnose. Adjust.
The Bottom Line
No amount of training fixes broken systems.
But fixed systems make training worth the investment.
So fix the system first. Then train.
In that order.