APM webinar given by Dr Paul Chapman on Building project leaders to deliver HM Government's major project portfolio

1. Major Projects Leadership
Academy
Dr Paul Chapman
Saïd Business School, University of Oxford
Webinar for the Association for Project Management
Wednesday 15 April 2015

2. Agenda
2
The Partners
The Challenge
The Commitment
The Learning & Development Initiative
The Impact
Final Reflections

3. The Partners
Major Projects Authority, Cabinet Office
A collaboration between the Cabinet Office and HM Treasury, the Major Projects
Authority (MPA) acts as the government’s project watchdog, improving project
performance through the provision of resources for civil servants, standardised
assurance for Ministers, and transparency for taxpayers.
Saïd Business School, University of Oxford
A young, vibrant, and innovative business school deeply embedded in an 800 year
old world-class university, addressing long-horizon phenomena by delivering
cutting-edge education and ground-breaking research that transforms individuals,
practice, and society.
Deloitte
The largest professional services network in the world, Deloitte offers an
extraordinary range of expertise and skills to respond to clients’ rapidly changing
needs from global restructuring to governance.
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4. The Challenge
“Transforming Major Project Delivery in Government”
The UK Government Major Project Portfolio has a combined whole-life cost of around
£500billion. With poor Major Project performance long being a bugbear of efficient
Government the MPLA was set the aim of “Transforming Major Project Delivery in
Government”.
An Embedded Human Resource Requirement
Major Project leaders are needed across Government, so the challenge was to build
technical and commercial know-how, and to develop and retain the leadership and
professional capability within Government.
Intended Programme Impact
Develop already capable and skilled Senior Civil Servants into a cadre of world class
Major Project leaders capable of delivering projects on time and on budget.
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5. Challenge: Major projects are more diverse than
would first appear
Mega-events:
sports, culture
and politics
Big science:
science,
infrastructure
and politics
Megaprojects:
Energy:Social programmes
Enterprise: business growth
physical
infrastructure,
concrete, IT
and politics
mostly
politics?
Crossrail
Elon Musk, SpaceXAire Valley Leeds Enterprise Zone
The Stadium, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park Doesn’t happen
like this anymore
Sellafield nuclear plant
Diamond Light Source, Oxon
obesity education
Wind farm
Transformation:
change, people
and IT
Capital eqpt:
capability,
performance
and politics A380
NHS Change
Model HMS Dragon (T45)
“This is not a ship”

6. The Commitment
Strong Ministerial and Permanent Secretary endorsement
Introduce mandatory leadership development across the entire Major Project portfolio
Recognition of the expert standing of Major Project leaders.
Engage Extensive Experience Across the Partnership
No single partner had the capability to deliver the required impact so the true
collaboration was necessary to enable an intellectually rigorous approach to be delivered
effectively.
Scale, Pace and Agility
Scale - Commitment to Civil Service Reform Plan objective that all 320 project leaders
undertake the MPLA.
Pace - Ensuring all participants had begun the programme by the end of 2014
Agility - Quickly responding to the needs of Government and ensuring the ongoing
relevance of the MPLA to participants.
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7. The Learning & Development Initiative
• Launched 2008
• Students are major
programme
managers and high
performing talent
from around the
world and across
sectors (260 people
on 6 cohorts so far)
7
UK Government Major Project
Leadership Academy
“Substantially improve delivery of
major projects by ….
commencing training of all
leaders of major projects through
the Major Projects Leadership
Academy by the end of 2014”
(320 people on 12 cohorts)
MSc Major Programme Management
• Part-time over 24 months; eight courses
plus dissertation (120 days)
• Details at: www.sbs.ox.ac.uk/mpm
• Part-time over 12 months; three
modules (30 days)
• Launched 2012
• Participants are UK
Government Major
Project Leaders
http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Civil-Service-Reform-Plan-acc-final.pdf

8. The Learning & Development Initiative
• Launched 2008
• Students are major
programme
managers and high
performing talent
from around the
world and across
sectors (260 people
on 6 cohorts so far)
8
UK Government Major Project
Leadership Academy
“Substantially improve delivery of
major projects by ….
commencing training of all
leaders of major projects through
the Major Projects Leadership
Academy by the end of 2014”
(320 people on 12 cohorts)
MSc Major Programme Management
• Part-time over 24 months; eight courses
plus dissertation (120 days)
• Details at: www.sbs.ox.ac.uk/mpm
• Part-time over 12 months; three
modules (30 days)
• Launched 2012
• Participants are UK
Government Major
Project Leaders
http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Civil-Service-Reform-Plan-acc-final.pdf

9. The Learning & Development Initiative
The Programme Design
Commencing with a pilot cohort, the programme design includes three, one-week residential
courses in Oxford with participants committing a further fifteen days to preparation,
assignments, master classes and reviewing a Major Project.
See next slide: Programme Design Overview.
Learning Methods
Anchored in theory, the learning retained a strong practical relevance through team and case
study exercises, and face to face exposure to world-class project leaders.
Despite delivery at scale, the essential focus on individual learning was ensured through
coaching and tailored support against personal development plans.
Throughout, the institutional partnership worked in tandem with a partnership between
individual participants and the programme team.
Indicators of Progress
Commit and engagement by participants was noted as a ‘tell tale’ and acted upon.
Participant feedback was sought to ensure that the necessary quality was maintained.
Written assessments provided an input on the ability of participants to internalise the course
material and content.
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10. Programme Design Overview

11. The Impact
Acquisition of learning by participants
Results from the written assessments demonstrate that participants have internalised the
course material and content.
Application of new skills or behaviours by participants
The MPLA is meeting its aim of returning world class project leadership capability to
Government.
Results at organisational level
“Two years ago we were delivering around one third of projects on time and now it is up
nearer two thirds.” - Sir Bob Kerslake, the then Head of the Civil Service
Financial ROI
78 participants have graduated with the first four MPLA cohorts, collectively realising
savings of £347 million.
Participants’ reactions: immediate post-programme
participant feedback shows the MPLA has been well received, with 87% rating the
programme as ‘very good’ or ‘excellent’.
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12. MPLAimpact - Government’s perspective
“From what I have seen it is an
excellent course ... together with
other things we have done it has
led us to improve our confidence in
delivering projects on time and on
budget.
- Sir Bob Kerslake, Head of the
Civil Service
“The MPLA is helping to make sure we have the
right people with the right skills to deliver on time
and on budget … That’s why I’ve decided that all
senior leaders will need to take this course before
the Treasury gives the green light for any major
project.”
Danny Alexander Chief Secretary to the Treasury
Tony Graham (MoD;) Stefanie Murphy (DECC);
Dr Paul Chapman; Sir Bob Kerslake
Danny Alexander, Chief Secretary to the Treasury
12

13. Final Reflections
The MPLA is enabling Major Project Leaders to deliver through:
• Providing a deeper understanding the anatomy of Major Projects
• Supporting major project leaders to take ownership of their work
• Influencing the wider ‘operating environment’ across government
• Contributing to policy making by considering how policies will be delivered at
early stages, so setting up them up for success
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14. Agenda
14
The Partners
The Challenge
The Commitment
The Learning & Development Initiative
The Impact
Final Reflections