ESSAY-SOCIALIZATION, EVALUATION AND IMPACT

PHASE 5 - SOCIALIZATION, EVALUATION AND IMPACT OF THE SOCIAL TRANSFORMATION PROJECT

OPINION ESSAY

Presented by: Carlos Andrés Basto Tovar

Course Director Carlos Alfonso González Beleño

National Open and Distance University UNAD School of Administrative, Accounting, Economic and Business Sciences ECACEN Specialization in Project Management 2026

The principles and performance domains of the PMBOK® Seventh Edition: a strategic vision for strengthening rural road infrastructure projects The evolution of project management requires abandoning models focused exclusively on meeting schedules, budgets and deliverables, and adopting approaches that prioritize value creation, adaptation to the context and the participation of the stakeholders involved.

From this perspective, I believe that the PMBOK® Guide Seventh Edition represents one of the most important advances in the discipline of project management, because it transforms the role of the project manager into a strategic leader capable of integrating technical, social, environmental, and organizational aspects.

In the case of the project “Technical characterization of the access roads of the Las Planadas village, municipality of Mocoa, for the improvement of road drainage and accessibility” , the application of the principles and performance domains would not only strengthen the methodological management of the project, but would significantly increase the possibilities of generating sustainable benefits for the community.

The evolution of the PMBOK® responds to a new reality For many years, project management was understood primarily as a set of processes aimed at controlling scope, time, and cost. While this approach allowed for the standardization of project management, it also revealed limitations when it had to respond to dynamic contexts characterized by uncertainty, technological changes, budget constraints, and evolving social needs.

The Seventh Edition of the PMBOK® proposes a paradigm shift that I believe is appropriate. Instead of simply asking "how to manage a project?", it invites us to answer "how to generate value through a project?". This conceptual difference profoundly alters the way we plan, execute, and evaluate any initiative.

From my perspective, this transformation is especially relevant for public and social projects, where success cannot be limited to meeting administrative

indicators. A project may be executed within the established budget and completed on schedule, but if it does not solve the problem for which it was conceived, it can hardly be considered successful.

This reflection is precisely what applies to the project developed in the Las Planadas village. The objective is not only to diagnose the condition of a rural road, but also to produce reliable technical information that allows for the formulation of solutions capable of improving mobility, strengthening the agricultural economy, and raising the quality of life of the population.

The principles of the PMBOK® as the foundation of responsible management One of the aspects I value most about the Seventh Edition is the incorporation of the twelve principles as permanent benchmarks for decisionmaking. I believe these principles transcend the methodological realm and represent essential professional values for any project manager.

The principle of responsible management is especially important when developing infrastructure projects financed with public funds. In these scenarios, every decision must be based on technical criteria, transparency, and ethical commitment, preventing private interests from prevailing over collective needs. stakeholder -oriented principle . For many years, it was common to design projects from a purely technical perspective, with the community participating only as the ultimate beneficiary. However, experience shows that the most sustainable solutions are those built collaboratively with those who know the land and experience the problems firsthand.

In the project developed in the Las Planadas village, this principle is demonstrated through the application of surveys, interviews, direct observation, and opportunities for interaction with the community. More than a methodological strategy, this participation constitutes a mechanism to ensure that the proposed improvements truly address local needs.

I also find the principle related to value creation particularly insightful .

Organizations often focus their efforts on delivering products without analyzing

whether these products produce real transformations. In contrast, the PMBOK posits that true success lies in generating sustainable benefits for stakeholders.

From this perspective, the value of the project lies not only in preparing a technical diagnosis of the road infrastructure, but also in providing inputs that facilitate future investment decisions aimed at improving accessibility, reducing transportation costs and strengthening the economic development of the village.

Performance domains strengthen a comprehensive view of the project The incorporation of performance domains represents, in my opinion, another of the great strengths of the PMBOK® Seventh Edition. These domains allow us to understand that project management cannot be fragmented into independent activities, but must be approached as an integrated system.

Stakeholder engagement fosters ongoing communication with the community, local authorities, and entities responsible for road infrastructure, promoting participatory processes throughout all stages of the project. team mastery reminds us that results depend as much on technical skills as on the ability to work collaboratively. In research projects, this involves effectively coordinating activities such as data collection, statistical analysis, qualitative interpretation, and proposal formulation.

Another particularly relevant area is planning , understood as a dynamic process that must be updated as new environmental conditions arise. In areas like Mocoa, where climatic phenomena constantly modify the conditions of the road infrastructure, rigid planning would quickly lose its usefulness.

Furthermore, the domain related to uncertainty takes on considerable importance. Heavy rainfall, geological instability, and budget constraints represent ongoing risks that must be analyzed from the initial stages of the project to formulate preventative strategies.

Taken together, these domains promote a systemic vision that favors integration between technical, social and organizational aspects, increasing the project's capacity to adapt to changing scenarios.

Application of the principles and domains to the Las Planadas path project I believe that the application of the principles and domains of the PMBOK significantly strengthens the technical characterization project developed in the Las Planadas village.

The principle of leadership guides the coordination of the research team, facilitating the planning of activities, the distribution of responsibilities, and the making of decisions based on technical evidence. quality principle ensures that the instruments used —surveys, interviews, checklists and direct observation— produce valid and reliable information for the diagnosis of road infrastructure.

Adaptability allows the methodology to be adjusted in response to adverse weather conditions, access restrictions , or new needs identified during fieldwork.

Furthermore, the measurement domain facilitates the construction of indicators related to the state of the road, drainage conditions, community perception and accessibility levels, strengthening the analysis of results. delivery domain guides the project towards the formulation of a viable technical proposal, beyond the simple collection of information, seeking to generate concrete benefits for the community.

Finally, the project work mastery integrates all the methodological activities developed during the research, ensuring coherence between the objectives, the methodology and the results obtained.

A critical look: Is applying the PMBOK® enough?

Although I consider the PMBOK to be one of the most solid frameworks for project management, it is also important to recognize that it does not represent a universal solution .

One of the main concerns is that some social projects may face difficulties when the guide is applied in an overly prescriptive manner. Rural areas have cultural, economic, and environmental dynamics that cannot always be standardized using a set of general principles.

Furthermore, value creation depends on external factors beyond the project manager's control. In the case of the Las Planadas community, for example, the future implementation of the works will depend on the availability of public resources, institutional decisions, and government priorities.

However, these limitations do not diminish the usefulness of the PMBOK. On the contrary, I believe that its very flexibility allows the principles and domains to be adapted to the specific conditions of each project, avoiding rigid interpretations that could limit its practical application.

Conclusion The PMBOK® Guide Seventh Edition represents a necessary evolution in the discipline of project management by replacing a process-centric view with a principle-oriented approach focused on value creation and continuous adaptation. In my opinion, this change is a more appropriate response to the complexity of contemporary projects, especially those related to territorial development and public infrastructure.

In the project for the " Technical Characterization of Access Roads to the Las Planadas Village ," the principles and performance domains constitute a strategic tool for strengthening planning, promoting community participation, managing environmental risks, and formulating technically sound and socially relevant proposals. Their application not only improves the quality of project management but also increases the likelihood that the results will translate into concrete benefits for the population.

From my perspective, the greatest contribution of the PMBOK® Guide lies not in providing a set of rules for managing projects, but in offering a management philosophy that places people, context, and value creation at the heart of all decisions. This vision is especially relevant for initiatives like the one developed in the Las Planadas community, where the project's success should be measured by its ability to contribute to the community's well-being, strengthen rural mobility, and promote sustainable territorial development.

Literature Hernández Sampieri, R., Fernández Collado, C., & Baptista Lucio, P. (2018).

Research Methodology (7th ed.). McGraw-Hill Education.

Project Management Institute. (2021). A guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) (7th ed.). Project Management Institute.

Project Management Institute. (2021). The Standard for Project Management. Project Management Institute.

National Roads Institute. (2022). Drainage Manual for Roads. Ministry of Transport.

National Planning Department. (2022). Adjusted General Methodology (MGA Web): Conceptual and methodological manual for the formulation and evaluation of public investment projects.