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Why Create a Successful Project Management Environment

Public Service Review: Health April 2006

Maven Training are a market leading training provider of PRINCE2™ and MSP™ training in the UK. As well as our standard PRINCE2™ and MSP™ courses we develop and deliver a range of bespoke project and programme management courses and skill-based workshops.

Our experience in providing project management training to the public sector including central government departments, local authorities and the NHS gives us an insight into the unique working environment and the challenges faced by this sector. A common theme across the public sector is the need for senior management to ensure the creation of a more supportive project management environment in a much wider sense than simply taking the role of a project sponsor. The creation of a successful project management environment requires providing adequate financial and personnel resources for project delivery coupled with the creation of a more supportive learning environment facilitating long-term project objectives.

Too often a short term approach is taken to managing projects, with inadequate financial and personnel resources resulting in project staff being stretched too thin and not able to set their sights on achieving project objectives. And more often than not project personnel are armed with a project management methodology without the supportive learning environment necessary to make the project a success which then leads to failure and a reluctance to get involved in projects in the future.

Creating an environment in which projects are delivered successfully is daunting, as it requires a significant investment in resources, including the level of staff, the size of training budgets and the need for IT systems that support the creation, collation and distribution of project related information.

The first step towards creating a successful environment for project delivery is to recognise that projects are different from the day to day work, and as such must be resourced separately. As part of the annual service planning exercise, consider the initiatives that are actually projects, and ensure that the budgets for these have been clearly defined. That is the easy bit! Next, you need to consider how the human resource element will be addressed, how are you going to ensure that the day to day tasks are still carried out since you are now short of resources as staff time is now committed to the project. The cost of this item must be included in the project budget. Whilst this pushes up the project budget in the short term, it has a significant positive impact on the delivery schedule of the project and leads to completion of the project earlier than would otherwise be the case.

The second step in creating a successful project management environment is to engender a supportive learning environment. This is not just training in a project management methodology, it means creating a culture where staff is not afraid to raise concerns over lack of knowledge, and where lessons from one project are collated and shared with other projects. Training must be thought through to ensure there is a pathway of continual learning, and that any project management training that is provided reflects the reality of how the project will be managed, rather than showing only a standardised methodology. Therefore you are agreeing, as an organisation how projects will be managed and treated, and ensuring that everyone is made aware of this approach.

A recurring example is that of clinical staff in the NHS often being asked to lead projects with little or no project management experience. Their selection is often based on clinical knowledge, seniority and their vested interest in the area which is to be impacted by the project. Recognition that they may not possess the skills to carry out the role for which they have been selected often triggers a placement on a PRINCE2™ training course. Further skill-based training to address how they will actually perform in the role is ignored as is the creation of a supportive project environment which facilitates knowledge transfer between various project members.

Failure to support the staff selected to run projects leads to poor project delivery, and the arrival of consultants specifically hired to sort out the project and put it back on its feet. This is great business for the consultants but loses the opportunity for the organisation to develop its own capability in project management.

Melanie Franklin
Managing Director
Maven Training Ltd

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