The rural sector nowadays has a transcendent role in the care and preservation of the environment which highlights the need for projects to support research, innovation and knowledge to attain economic growth and sustainable development.

IPMA Smarter Rural Special Interest Group members are focused on growing rural development and engaging with communities and experts from around the world who share similar ideas and challenges.

SIG Global Head

Spain
SpainJesús Martínez-Almela
Bioagroprojects Biotech PPM
Principal

SIG managing team

  • Jorge J. Peart Mijangos, Consejos Agropecuarios de México, México
  • Luis Vindas Montero, INDER-Instituto de Desarrollo Rural, Costa Rica
  • Roy Williams, RW Consultants, Panamá

SIG Advisory Board

  • John Atkinson, Corporateambassador I.E., Ireland
  • A.Sivathanu Pillai, PMA, India
  • Vladimir Obradović, University of Belgrade, Serbia
  • Lixiong Ou, Northwestern Plytechnical University, China
  • Ben B. Peters, CEPMO Municipallity of Cape Town, South Africa
  • Ignacio De los Rios Carmenado, UPV-Polytechnic University of Madrid, Spain

Our SIG Strategy: as a SIG is built from a group of stakeholders who share a common concern or passion, it is critical to define a clear focus for a SIG. This strategy proposes a shift in focus, and this is captured in the change of the name from the Smart Rural SIG to the Smarter Rural SIG. It is understood that the core focus of IPMA SIG’s is on the integration of PPPM within the particular thematic area of each of the individual SIG’s (e.g. Smarter Rural with Smarter Cities in particular but also any other IPMA SIG as well with potential synergies).

Our SIG Vision: “Enhancing the liveability, workability and sustainability of Rural Context through project, programme and portfolio management by utilising enablers (e.g. connected technology, infrastructure, finance etc.)”

Our SIG Mission: “Enable project, programme and portfolio management competence development, knowledge sharing, standardisation and network building among those who are passionate about building Smarter Rural”

Why join?

It is expected that the wider range of stakeholder will find value in content focussed on growing rural development as well Rural Smarter SIG as the opportunity to engage with public servants, academics, researchers and related industries from around the world who share similar challenges. It is expected that most of the Smarter Rural SIG customers will come from this group. It is also expected that this group will be a key contributor to events.

SIG focus areas

  • Infrastructures
  • Finance
  • Competence development (education and certification)
  • Systems thinking
  • Contributing to United Nations Sustainable Development Goals

The focus of the Smarter Rural SIG can also be understood by describing the key questions it will seek to explore:

  • How can PPPM-Project, programme and portfolio management be utilised towards the sustainable development of Smarter Rural?
  • What are the key challenges experienced in the endeavour to enhance workability, sustainability and liveability in the rurality and how can PPPM be used to address these?
  • How can PPPM be used to transform the vision and strategy of a rurality into reality?

SIG target groups

  • Worldwide Organizations (UN, FAO, UNOPS, ec)
  • ”Rurality Galaxy”: population, farmers, agrifood industries, government bodies
  • Academy, researchers, consultants