The Human Side of Project Success: Trust, Partnership and Sustainable Social Impact

Note: This is an in-person only event at Victoria University of Wellington 139 Vivian Street, Te Aro Campus

About this event:

Project managers are increasingly being asked to deliver outcomes that extend beyond scope, schedule, and budget. Whether working in government, community development, infrastructure, health, education, or social services, there is growing recognition that sustainable impact depends not only on what projects deliver, but also on how they engage the people and communities they seek to serve.

Project management frameworks provide a strong foundation for planning, governance, delivery, and stakeholder management. Projects involving communities often require additional capabilities, including relationship-building, cultural responsiveness, trust development, and shared decision-making.

Drawing on practical experience working alongside ethnic communities from refugee and migrant backgrounds across Aotearoa New Zealand, this interactive session explores how project managers can strengthen community participation and create more sustainable outcomes through trust-based approaches.

About the Presenter:

Birgit Grafarend-Watungwa is the Chief Executive of HOST International Aotearoa New Zealand (HOST) and has more than 20 years of experience working in the settlement, integration, and community development sectors with former refugees and migrants. She has led and contributed to a wide range of initiatives focused on employment, social inclusion, community leadership, and strengthening partnerships between communities, service providers, employers, and government agencies.

Prior to joining HOST, Birgit spent 15 years with English Language Partners New Zealand in a range of management and leadership roles. She holds a Master of Arts in Cultural Anthropology and Sociology and a Bachelor of Applied Management. Originally from Germany and having lived in Zimbabwe before settling in New Zealand, she brings both professional expertise and lived experience of migration to her work. She is passionate about ensuring that the voices and experiences of former refugees and migrants inform policy, services, and community development.

PDU's Available:

• PDU's Available: 1.5

• PDU Claim Code:0129JMB71W

This event is hosted by the PMINZ Wellington Branch and kindly sponsored by Victoria University of Wellington - Wellington Faculty of Architecture and Design Innovation.