Advancing Project Manager Competency Validation: A Stakeholder-Driven Approach Using Structured Democratic Dialogue

This study advances competency validation in project management by integrating Structured Democratic Dialogue (SDD) with a stakeholder-driven evaluation framework. While traditional competency models prioritize standardized assessment, they often fail to capture context-specific and relational aspects of competencies in dynamic project environments. This study addresses that gap by applying SDD to co-construct a competency validation framework, revealing systemic interdependencies among critical competencies. Findings contribute to project governance theory, reinforcing the role of participatory validation mechanisms. The approach provides actionable insights for policymakers, professional bodies, and researchers, ensuring competency frameworks remain adaptive, empirically grounded, and stakeholder-informed.