Session Four

Seminars

1. Delivering business transformation through Best Practice – filling that void between PRINCE2 and MSP on business transformation

Dell Evans    -  Vehicle Operator Services Agency
Rod Sowden – Managing Director, Aspire Europe Ltd

The Vehicle Operating Standards Agency is an executive agency of Department for Transport. VOSA is in the middle of a major transformation programme which will take it from engineering to an information led organisation with a number of major initiatives being driven by government Transport strategy and increasing customer demands.

VOSA had invested heavily in adopting Project Management in recent years, and in 2006 adopted Managing Successful Programmes launched a major refresh of the Programme Management Office. As part of this the Business Change Management issues they were facing came high onto the agenda.

Like many organisations, VOSA has experienced the transition, resourcing and performance difficulties resulting from projects. They have addressed the challenge of how to deliver business led change from programmes and projects and built upon the loose concepts that are detailed within MSP into rigorous operational controls through:

• Embedding Change Management at the project and programme level
• Establishing greater visibility and control to enable measured transformation.
• Establishing Change Management policies and procedures to ensure all programmes and projects maintain control
• Building a Business Change Management team that supported the programme and projects from the outset to maintain alignment and avoid the “fire fighting” activities that had happened previously.
• The training and mentoring programme to develop the Change Management team.
• Education and awareness of the broader operational community to support project led change
• Greater business engagement with benefits and business case development.
• Building an end to end lifecycle for ideas that ensure broad stakeholder engagement throughout

This approach has enabled the delivery of greater engagement between the project and programme community and the business operations, which has enabled greater visibility of change and it’s impact for all. The operational groups have now undertaken a full capacity plan to enable them to undertake accurate impact assessments of changes and align their resources to project needs over the next 12 months.

The presentation will explain how Aspire Europe Ltd have working to extend the Managing Successful Programme concepts of Business Change Management into a real world situation and integrated this into the Prince2 methodology that was deployed at VOSA.

2. Effective Deployment of an Enterprise Risk Management System

David Millman, Risk Systems Deployment Manager, Rolls-Royce plc

The challenges facing an enterprise system start with an understanding of the breadth and depth of the subject and organisation. The session will start with a few definitions and scope statements; not least of these is the interpretation of “Effective Deployment”.

Enterprise Risk Management covers more than project management, and obvious integration is with finance and business management. With each additional stakeholder the more difficult it is to deliver an acceptable system. The system design and perceived compromises are candidly shared. Attention is given to the Risk Breakdown Structure and categorisation to enable alternative views and reports.

Rolls-Royce decided to adopt a consistent deployment model that uses a template that embodies a maturity model. The resulting benchmark and target levels are used to shape and scale the schedule of improvements.
Within any system data integrity is a challenge and requires more than process adherence. The role players with appropriate accountabilities that ensure a sustaining operation are described, along with a review of the people and cultural issues encountered. Suitable training and coaching support underpin the sustainable operation.

Full exploitation of the benefits requires careful focused effort during the implementation and minimised costs. Software configuration and system management roles are appraised as part of the section on the implementation of Active Risk Manager software.

In summary the session covers the salient learning points from the implementation of an Enterprise Risk Management system, as encountered within a complex organisation that delivers profit from sales of complex products and services. 

3. Delivering more with less: how to get the best from people in projects

Janet Williams, Driver & Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA)
Resource, Capability and Capacity Manager for the Programme and Project Management Resource Pool

This session will explore the experiences of DVLA in the establishment of a Centre for Programme and Project Expertise (COPPE), including:

• The rationale for establishment of the COPPE: in response to the requirement for efficiency – delivering more for less
• Establishment of a Programme and Project Management (PPM) resource pool and job family: drawing together all PPM resources under one umbrella
• Improving capability of the project management community: tailored capability development interventions
• Coherent upward reporting to provide assurance and aid prioritisation of projects and resources
• Establishment of new ways of working:  creation of key roles – Head of PPM Specialism, Resource Manager and People Managers
• Supporting initiatives: reward and recognition, performance management, recruitment strategy, learning and development
• Creation of PPM Career Development Toolkit
  • Clearly defined PPM roles and responsibilities
  • Detailed role profiles
  • Assignment assessment forms
• Articulation of desired outcomes and performance measures

4. Climate Change: adding value to projects

Simon Ekblom, Bid and Project Director, Hay Group
Bob Black, Organisational Change Facilitator, People Skills Worldwide
Course Author and Instructor, Learning Tree International

This session explores the concept of project climate and the value that its appropriate creation can bring to successful project delivery.

Just as the environmental climate can take us by surprise, we will look at how to take a pro-active approach to designing a project climate rather than being drenched by a cloudburst. One absolute is that project climate will occur; our view is that there is significant value in designing the climate rather than being surprised without an umbrella!

Process on its own will not deliver a successful project, neither will people. Our viewpoint is that by combining people and process within a designed climate we have the best chance for project success.

We aim to show how consideration of project climate and people management skills can be used to leverage more from the PRINCE2™ approach.  There exists a misconception that the constituent parts of project climate and the value they bring are either impossible or too difficult to measure, but the fact is they exist and they make a real difference. We’ll share some ideas with you for identifying, developing and measuring these project dimensions, and how to demonstrate value.

Throughout our discussion we will identify the areas of project climate and suggest ways of how to quantify them, enabling you to add value to current and future projects and potentially begin to influence things on much broader scale

5. A look at the new APMG product – PPMSuccess Tracker and its use

Alan Harpham, chairman of APMG and Keith Williams of Change Track Research

We will share information about a new product being jointly developed by APMG and Change Track Research from Australia.  We will talk with the help of the Accredited Consulting Organisations that have been piloting it in various parts of the world including the UK on real projects.  We will also share how it has been working for these users in practice and any planned further developments for the product based on their experience.

Birds of a Feather Sessions

1. Risk Management – It’s not rocket science! (Or is it?)

Rubina Faber, Director , Regal Training Ltd

There can be nothing worse than sitting listening to a room full of people talking in what appears to be ‘another’ language. One you don’t understand.

Each industry, methodology, group or team, can appear to have a language divide. Yet, dig under the surface, and, (if you’re brave enough to ask ‘Could someone just explain that to me?’) you’ll find that it’s not as complicated, or as different, as you originally thought.

The importance of having a common understanding for those involved in project and programme management has gone a long way to ensuring the success of PRINCE2 and MSP respectively. With team members who previously spoke about their ‘P.I.D.’s’ and ‘Blueprints’ and received a glazed look in response, are now finding themselves in a community that can more readily speak to each other.

Risk is a term used in everyday language, and is a key thread that runs through all best practice guidance. How we can we ensure that it is commonly adopted and shared? What do we actually mean when we talk about a ‘Risk Management Policy’ and a ‘Risk Framework’? Are they the same thing?

Management of Risk (M_o_R) with its latest edition helps to bring a clearer understanding of what risk management means. This session will look to address answers to the questions above and more; questions you maybe never thought to ask.

This session contains a brief overview of the new M_o_R manual and encourages participants to discuss the following;

• The bury my head in the sand approach ‘Why worry it might never happen’
• Explores the idea of risks as ‘opportunities’ and not just ‘threats’ 
• Considers the risks in customer/supplier relationships
• Sharing ideas about risk management practice (good, bad and ugly)  

In addition to exploring the latest version of the M_o_R manual, participants will benefit from the experiences of others and hopefully appreciate that ‘Risk is not rocket science; although it could be!’

2. Respecting the People Issues when Managing Successful Change

Howard Rowley, Novare Consulting Ltd

The pace of change is accelerating, becoming more complex and demanding. All organisations need to embrace the challenges of business change. Novare Consulting provides leadership, support and coaching to overcome these challenges resulting in stakeholder satisfaction and business performance improvement

Based on our extensive experience it is usually the leadership and people issues that provide the greatest challenges to managers involved in business change.
All too often people issues are neglected in a highly charged, fast-moving business change initiative.

We will focus on how successful change can be delivered by respecting the people issues rather than ignoring them.

Our birds of a feather session will discuss the key elements of change:

• Individual Change
• Team Change
• Organisational Change and
• Key qualities of Change Leaders

Within these elements we will describe practical approaches for managing change successfully such as:

• Winning Hearts and Minds
• Understanding the emotional change and uncertainty that affects people in a changing environment
• Encouraging the right behaviours through performance management, competency and skills training
• Embracing the dynamics of change
• Transition into a stable operating state

In conclusion, as purported by “Making Sense of Change Management” by Esther Cameron and Mike Green (Kogan Page), Change Leaders should remember to:

• Get your rewards strategies right
• Link goals to motivation
• Treat people as individuals and understand their emotional states
• Believe that people want to grow and develop

Novare Consulting are an APM Group Accredited training organisation for Change Management.

3. To what extent can online assessment support the training needs analysis, the benchmarking or the selection process of project managers?

Dr Andrew Delo, Managing Director, Provek Limited

Are you wondering how to determine which of your project managers need training and in which areas?  Or, do you wish to know how the capability of your project managers compares to that of others?  Or, perhaps you want to know who are most likely, from a range of candidates, to fit the requirements of a project role.

Online assessment of project managers can give a fast, comprehensive and inexpensive means of profiling them regarding their training needs or fit for a job role.  But how much reliance should be put on the results and how does it relate to other forms of assessment?

The session will engage delegates through a quick review of the various assessment approaches available that will lead into a qualitative review of their advantages and disadvantages.

A comparative review and a discussion of how results from these different approaches compare and contrast will be facilitated using examples from recent client applications.  These approaches will include CV review, online assessment, structured interviewing and assessment centres.

Examples of using online assessment for training needs analysis and selection will be described with a particular emphasis on the practical issues raised with impersonal assessment.

It is intended that delegates will leave the session with a better knowledge of the pros and cons of online assessment, the benefits that the approach can deliver, and its limitations.  Where appropriate, delegates will be asked to share their own experiences of using different assessment approaches for project managers

4. PRINCE2 Refresh - your opportunity to get involved in this interactive session

Andy Murray, Outperform and Zoe Peden, TSO supported by OGC

5. PRINCEOPOLY the ultimate PRINCE2 Game

Drs. R. Moret, Director of the PRINCE2 Academy, PRINCE2 Consultant

The PRINCEOPOLY game is developed to practice the PRINCE2 method and the normal project management skills in a real life situation.
There are a lot of trainings for the theory about PRINCE2 and the general project management skills but to really practice it in a real life situation was not yet provided.

In this BOF session you will play a demonstration round of the PRINCEOPOLY Game to experience how the game works.

The PRINCEOPOLY game is about building a city with a project team. The project team will need all the project management skills and the parts of the PRINCE2 method to realize the city.

The purpose is to practice and learn the different PRINCE2 project management skills.

As project team you will develop the different city areas from the start. During the game the project management team:

1. Will work under high pressure;
2. Is confronted with project risks, issues that need to be taken care of;
3. Is confronted with typical pitfalls in projects.

After having played PRINCEOPOLY you have trained the different project management skill and the PRINCE2 method and are aware of the pitfalls in projects.

What is learned?

1. How to manage a project with project management skills with PRINCE2 in the different roles;
2. How to use product based working in the execution stage of a project;
3. How to do a Project Start Up and come to a Project Initiation Document;
4. How to react on issues and risks;
5. After each stage the game will be evaluated to improve the different skills of the project team.

To win the game

• You have to be able to use the project management skills effectively;
• You have to use the PRINCE2 parts of project based working;
• You have to work together;

6. Is ‘Agile MSP’ an oxymoron or a superfluous adjective?

Jenifer Stapleton, MSP Registered Consultant, Outperform UK Ltd

How can an organisation embed a formal method such as the OGC’s Managing Successful Programmes and gain the agility in their investment portfolio of programmes and projects necessary to address today’s pace of change?

When formulating how to achieve corporate goals, defining the organisation’s strategy is the easy bit.  But getting your organisation aligned behind the strategy proves time and time again to be more difficult.

A strategy that cannot be implemented yields little or not value.  There needs to be a clear link between investments in programmes and projects and the organisation’s strategic direction. 

OGC’s Managing Successful Programmes (MSP) is a vision-based method, and therefore is purpose-built to create such links.  There is nothing intrinsically bureaucratic in MSP, yet embedding MSP (and PRINCE2 to support it) can introduce ‘rules’ and process which make organisations inflexible.  For example, if it takes four months to plan and gain approval for a new market opportunity you may have missed it by the time you start!

So, how do you deal with opposing requirements of increased governance and increased flexibility?  Can you have consistency (a level 3 maturity indicator) without stifling innovation?  Can you empower project teams and maintain cohesion across your portfolios?

If you are responsible for your organisation’s PPM capability, responsible for a portfolio or programmes, manage a significant programme or provide projects/programme infrastructure you may well have been asking yourself such questions. If so, join the debate.

The workshop is facilitated by Jennifer Stapleton, recently recognised by PMI as one of the most influential women in project and programme management for spearheading DSDM and other agile methods.  Jennifer is an MSP Registered Consultant and is uniquely positioned to show how organisations become Actively Agile while still using formal methods.

7. Create your business case for using MSP

Chris Venning, MSP author, and Anne-Marie Byrne, OGC

8. The art of delivering complex programmes
Immediate insights and takeaways

Tim Phillips, Director, Moorhouse Consulting

Much programme and project management knowledge has been codified into frameworks and bodies of knowledge.  While extremely useful these frameworks are theoretically based and detailed and don’t directly address the key issues facing programme managers today.

In this ‘birds of a feather’ session, programme and performance leaders, Moorhouse Consulting will provide a series of practical ideas, based on many years of collective experience, on how to address some of those thorny ‘real life’ issues which prevent successful delivery.

Whilst this session is not a panacea for ailing programmes, it is designed to share practical programme management ‘wisdom’ that can be taken away and used immediately.

During this 45 minute session we will look at some essential tips including:

1. Marketing a compelling case for change
2. Building a common vision
3. Getting a champion
4. Smart communications
5. Creating momentum
6. Making a winning team

You will leave this session armed with new insight and practical ‘top tips’ to help you ensure best practice programme management.

9. Delivering your outcomes through partnering - a Masterclass

Nigel Stock, Managing Consultant, Atkins

Delivery chains for major public sector programmes are often complex - involving a whole range of organisations some of which may be quite autonomous and not directly within the governance framework of the funding body. Further, as the drive for increased efficiencies in service provision continues, organisations are turning to strategic partnerships in an attempt to extract better value from commercial suppliers. What both these situations have in common is the need to work closely with another organisation in a way that goes beyond a relationship that can be adequately defined in purely contractual terms.

Our experience is that the success or failure of these partnering approaches depends on a range of factors beyond those described in the current best practice.

This session will focus on an exchange of experiences and views on making a success of partnering in the delivery chain. Participants should have some experience of partnering or delivery management spanning a complex chain of suppliers. This will be an interactive session with the opportunity to learn something from each other.

The facilitator will guide the discussion and share his own experiences and knowledge from working in both public and private sectors.

10. Will software help overcome cultural change demanded by 21st Project Management?

Nick Wilson, Managing Director, Programme Express supported by 1st Milestone Ltd

Over the last few years, stakeholders and managers have increasingly called for greater accountability and transparency in the communication of information relating to projects and project programmes.  A number of initiatives have emerged geared at providing principles for such disclosures, ranging from ODPM and OGC “Best Practice” quality processes in the UK Public Sector through to legal disclosures required more broadly under the Sarbannes Oxley and Basel II standards.

Such requirements indicate a fundamental need for changes in project management controls in order to obtain appropriate disclosure data.  For many organisations this will mean a rapid realignment of their existing project management processes to be able to provide common data reports to allow easy comparing and contrasting of planned, progressing and completed parcels of work.  As the reviewers of such information become themselves more able to analyse the information provided, greater demands for clarity will increasingly be put to the information suppliers.  Details of multiple KPIs, Earned Value Analysis and general performance details will be mandatory.

For many organisations this will result in massive cultural change which could be potentially very harmful.  Simply demanding information will put unnecessary pressures on the information providers as they attempt to respond to new demands.  This session will investigate how the use of software will help overcome this cultural change by providing a framework to capture best practice, to ensure common language and reporting, and to automate the delivery of decision support information to the appropriate level.

Go to session 1