Sector: Healthcare

Rectangle 31
By Daniel Blanco
June 15th 2026

IN PERSON | Breaking silos: The power of collaboration in major projects Highlight Report

This seminar will build on a series of discussions on collaboration that have featured in recent MPA events, such as ‘The Rise of the Delivery Partner’. These have all stressed that effective collaboration” is a key enabler to the success of major projects. But what do we mean when we say and hear the word “collaboration”? As with many words we can all have our own slightly different interpretations, which in itself can we a cause of issues. Also, is this the mythical silver bullet that if we get it right will ensure success every time? Or, are there times when it isn’t needed or indeed if applied badly can be counterproductive?

Combining input from academia, leading experts and experience from major projects this event will provide:

·       A basis for discussion from research on when collaboration can be counterproductive and how to recognise the right contexts for it
·       An exploration on why effective collaboration remains so hard to achieve
·       Examples of how technology tools can support and enhance collaboration in major projects, and
·       Two case studies on how collaboration has and is being achieved in practice, and the benefits it has brought.

Please note: This is a HYBRID event, offering both in-person and online attendance options. If you would like to join us virtually, please click here to register. Spaces for in-person attendance are limited and will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. If you prefer to attend virtually, you’ll be able to access the live stream and participate in discussions online.

By Myrna Rickards
February 12th 2025

When we get it right – a spotlight on success Highlight Report

 

While projects are often perceived as late and over budget, most actually meet intended outcomes and deliver to expectations. By reframing our thinking to focus on the successes, rather than just the failures in infrastructure delivery we can foster a more positive, solution-oriented approach that drives improvement and innovation.

This half day seminar will explore how highlighting successes can build delivery confidence, and encourages excellence, creating a replicable model for future projects. Bringing the public and politicians along on this journey is crucial for sustained support and investment confidence.

This event will help to challenge the perceptions of infrastructure project delivery. It will demonstrate how offering stakeholders a greater understanding of both the challenges and tangible benefits of projects creates a new level of trust that helps professionals navigate complex projects more effectively and secure vital support for future infrastructure.

 

Useful links mentioned in the ‘Project delivery performance reality check’ presentation by Dr. Paul Chapman OBE:

English Roads Major Schemes
Paper: Chapman, P., (2024) Project delivery performance: Insights from English roads major schemes, Project Leadership and Society Journal

Major Projects Association podcast hosted by Andy Murray with Paul Chapman and Nirmal Kotecha, former Head of Major Projects at National Highways: Project delivery performance: we’re actually quite good! Who knew and what changed? Sep 18, 2024
Public Accounts Committee (2007) Estimating and monitoring the costs of building roads in England
Nichols (2007) Review of Highways Agency’s Major Roads Programme
Swedish Rail and Road Project Performance
Chapman, P. (2024) Revisiting project delivery performance: Evidence from Swedish transport infrastructure, Project Management Journal
By Myrna Rickards
October 9th 2023

Annual Conference 2023 – In Pursuit of Outcomes: Foolhardy or Flippin’ Hard? Full Report

A quick scan of project management guidance, frameworks and methods will highlight the importance of ‘outcomes’. Taking an outcomes-based approach features prominently in every revision of Managing Successful Programmes (MSP) since it was first published in 1999 and more recently in the Construction Playbook, the Value-Toolkit, Project 13, the IPA Routemap, the Government Functional Standard for Project Delivery and HMT Greenbook… to name a few.

The UK is not alone in pursuing an outcomes-based approach. The former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan proposed in 1997 for the UN to place greater emphasis on results in its planning, budgeting and reporting: “with the aim of shifting the United Nations programme budget from a system of input accounting to results-based accountability”. This led to the launch of their Results Based Management (RBM) framework 1999.

Although not new, the desire to move to outcome-based projects is seductive given that delivering outcomes is the very reason for projects and programmes. But in practice, taking an outcome-based approach across the full project lifecycle and through the multi-organisation relationships has proven difficult. We often revert to specification-based or output-based approaches and methods. Indeed, a 2007 review of the UN’s RBM framework concluded that despite considerable investment in RBM by UNDP that they were still “largely managing for outputs rather than outcomes and that the linkages between outputs and intended outcomes are not clearly articulated”. The UNDP experience is not an isolated one and despite a general consensus that taking an outcome-based approach is desirable, projects remain stubbornly output-based ‘in practice’.

Join us at our 2023 Annual Conference where we will tackle this challenge and explore ways of overcoming the ‘as desired’ vs ‘in practice’ gap. We will ask whether an outcome-based approach can ever be realised in practice. We will consider whether we should target its application to specific parts of the project lifecycle (e.g. scoping) or specific parts of the project organisation (e.g. the sponsor) or whether it needs to be an ‘all in’ approach for it to work. We will look at how legal and commercial factors affect the alignment of work to outputs to outcomes and their relationships to social value.

We will explore such issues and opportunities by hearing contrasting experiences from several case studies (that push boundaries) from Heathrow’s third runway, the Lower Thames Crossing, the Atomic Energy Agency’s STEP programme, the New Hospitals Programme and the East Bank Programme which is regenerating parts of East London around the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. As is customary at our conference we will seek practical conclusions that members can apply in their own organisation, such as how to better frame projects and set up their execution strategies using outcomes. Delegates will be invited to contribute, through a workshop, to the development of our ‘outcomes in practice’ report.

Please note, the date for the 2023 Annual Conference has shifted from 2-3 October to 9-10 October. 

Due to limited availability, this event is open to Main Reps and/or nominated representatives only. Please email sascha.flint@majorprojects.org if you have any questions.

 

By Myrna Rickards
March 1st 2023

Shaping transformations to deliver at pace and embed change Full Report

This event was previously titled ‘Taking the Medicine – Learning from Pharma and Life Sciences’.

It is important for companies to challenge the way their industries operate.

The insight you can gain from other sectors is endless and taking the time to consider the challenges other industries face, and how to overcome them, will enable businesses to think more creatively and develop richer solutions.

It’s never been a more appropriate time to reflect on the success of the pharmaceutical industry. The most recent accomplishment, developing a vaccine for COVID-19 in record time, is just one example of how robust planning, focused supply chain management, and cross-sector collaboration can deliver outstanding results.

There are many holistic learnings from this and similar projects that are applicable to all organisations, regardless of size, industry or market. For example, pharmaceutical companies are well versed in securing project funding, failing fast in development, creating partnerships and transforming end to end in a highly regulated environment. By considering these and other strengths, we can better understand how they can be replicated in other sectors.

The aim of this event is to spark ideas and initiate conversations that inspire fresh perspectives for planning and executing major projects in other sectors. The afternoon will consist of two panel discussions in exploring key themes of  accelerating delivery and championing change. We will also put a spotlight on the development of Megalabs in Leamington Spa, and discuss key takeaways from this momentous project which has transformed the UK’s diagnostic facilities.

By Jonathan Norman
April 1st 2021

Procuring for Broader Social and Economic Value Full Report

Do current procurement practices enable supply chains to deliver solutions innovatively and provide their expertise effectively? Are supply chains able to deliver broader value than the subject matter of the contract that was procured?

Procurement is changing.

Join us to learn about the procurement and delivery approaches some of the current major projects are adopting to embed societal, environmental and economic benefits into their projects and the potential impact of the incoming public sector procurement regulations.

Since the development of the Infrastructure and Project Authority’s Routemap document suite in 2016, the procurement of infrastructure is changing focus from a specific asset or capability transaction to embrace the acquisition of broader benefits.

It is apparent that every infrastructure project has the potential to release greater economic and social value than the asset or capability that is being procured. Benefits such as local employment, sustainable supply chains and positive environmental impact on local communities.

The Government’s Green Paper: Transforming Public Procurement recognises the UK’s new internationals status and gives an opportunity to adapt the public sector procurement approach allowing greater focus on promoting transparency, local industry and society. This builds upon the works set out in the Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012 and the Cabinet Office publication Taking Account of Social Value in the Award of Central Government Contracts in 2020.

Publications such as the Construction Playbook and the ICE Maximising Social Value from Infrastructure Projects have played a part in championing this message. How can we as industry professionals adapt our procurement and contracting approaches to meet this challenge and ensure success? Current economic situations such as the COVID pandemic and its impact on business and individuals serve to highlight the increasing need to address value in procurement.

We’re delighted to confirm Martin Rowark, Partner, Gardiner & Theobald as Chair for this event. We will explore:

  • Methodologies used by different major projects to get the most value out of supply chains.
  • Examples of how social value benefits have been embedded into Procurement processes.
  • Potential outcomes of the Green Paper: Transforming Public Procurement.
  • How best practice in the procurement and delivery of major projects is continuing to evolve.
By Jonathan Norman
April 29th 2015

Determining and Delivering the Benefits of Major Projects Full Report

Charities understand the nature of clearly articulating the benefits of their appeals. They don’t talk about building wells; they talk about clean drinking water so that fewer children die. At the opposite extreme, filmmakers are rarely expected to consider the benefits of watching their film so long as it is entertaining.

Major projects are a mechanism for realising benefits that are of a national significance yet we often find that clearly articulating these benefits is difficult, poorly evidenced and rarely followed through. Following an engaging debate in March 2014 on the true value of major projects, we turned to the UK Government’s Green Book on how to prepare and appraise proposed programmes or projects to obtain best public value. What we found was that the guidance did not fully capture the wider benefits that can accrue to the very largest projects. There was also little practical assistance available for measuring non-quantifiable benefits.

This one-day seminar looks across a wide variety of sectors and aims to share knowledge and contribute to the improvement of benefits identification and realisation. We will be hearing from experts across the different sectors, and looking into the key role that Major Project Sponsors need to play so that their projects can deliver true value to their stakeholders.
Mr Tim Banfield, Director of Strategy, Major Projects Authority has agreed to chair this event.

The seminar addresses six key questions:
• How is benefits realisation currently being performed? What are the limitations and challenges?
• What knowledge regarding benefits realisation for projects from one sector can be valuable to projects from other sectors?
• Is there something ‘special’ about realising the benefits of major projects?
• Where does the UK stand on its ability to realise benefits, and what can we learn from other countries?
• What does good sponsorship look like, and how can it assist benefits realisation?
• How can major project stakeholders with disparate agendas be aligned around the benefits?

By Jonathan Norman
April 29th 2015

Determining and Delivering the Benefits of Major Projects Highlight Report

Charities understand the nature of clearly articulating the benefits of their appeals. They don’t talk about building wells; they talk about clean drinking water so that fewer children die. At the opposite extreme, filmmakers are rarely expected to consider the benefits of watching their film so long as it is entertaining.

Major projects are a mechanism for realising benefits that are of a national significance yet we often find that clearly articulating these benefits is difficult, poorly evidenced and rarely followed through. Following an engaging debate in March 2014 on the true value of major projects, we turned to the UK Government’s Green Book on how to prepare and appraise proposed programmes or projects to obtain best public value. What we found was that the guidance did not fully capture the wider benefits that can accrue to the very largest projects. There was also little practical assistance available for measuring non-quantifiable benefits.

This one-day seminar looks across a wide variety of sectors and aims to share knowledge and contribute to the improvement of benefits identification and realisation. We will be hearing from experts across the different sectors, and looking into the key role that Major Project Sponsors need to play so that their projects can deliver true value to their stakeholders.
Mr Tim Banfield, Director of Strategy, Major Projects Authority has agreed to chair this event.

The seminar addresses six key questions:
• How is benefits realisation currently being performed? What are the limitations and challenges?
• What knowledge regarding benefits realisation for projects from one sector can be valuable to projects from other sectors?
• Is there something ‘special’ about realising the benefits of major projects?
• Where does the UK stand on its ability to realise benefits, and what can we learn from other countries?
• What does good sponsorship look like, and how can it assist benefits realisation?
• How can major project stakeholders with disparate agendas be aligned around the benefits?

By Jonathan Norman
April 29th 2015

Determining and Delivering the Benefits of Major Projects Short Report

Charities understand the nature of clearly articulating the benefits of their appeals. They don’t talk about building wells; they talk about clean drinking water so that fewer children die. At the opposite extreme, filmmakers are rarely expected to consider the benefits of watching their film so long as it is entertaining.

Major projects are a mechanism for realising benefits that are of a national significance yet we often find that clearly articulating these benefits is difficult, poorly evidenced and rarely followed through. Following an engaging debate in March 2014 on the true value of major projects, we turned to the UK Government’s Green Book on how to prepare and appraise proposed programmes or projects to obtain best public value. What we found was that the guidance did not fully capture the wider benefits that can accrue to the very largest projects. There was also little practical assistance available for measuring non-quantifiable benefits.

This one-day seminar looks across a wide variety of sectors and aims to share knowledge and contribute to the improvement of benefits identification and realisation. We will be hearing from experts across the different sectors, and looking into the key role that Major Project Sponsors need to play so that their projects can deliver true value to their stakeholders.
Mr Tim Banfield, Director of Strategy, Major Projects Authority has agreed to chair this event.

The seminar addresses six key questions:
• How is benefits realisation currently being performed? What are the limitations and challenges?
• What knowledge regarding benefits realisation for projects from one sector can be valuable to projects from other sectors?
• Is there something ‘special’ about realising the benefits of major projects?
• Where does the UK stand on its ability to realise benefits, and what can we learn from other countries?
• What does good sponsorship look like, and how can it assist benefits realisation?
• How can major project stakeholders with disparate agendas be aligned around the benefits?

By Jonathan Norman
March 31st 2009

Managing Complexity in Major Projects Full Report

Complexity means many things to many different organisations. It is rapidly becoming one of those overused yet much misunderstood pieces of terminology.

This conference sees Complexity in Major Projects as: the multifaceted nature of stakeholders, the diverse nature of requirements, the intricacies of multi level systems of systems design and architecture, and the challenges of integration, test and acceptance. In turn, these complexities translate into major change programmes as the projects go into service and transition into the operational phase.

All these factors are overlaid by complex financing, contracting, ownership and organisational issues as well as the management of extended supply chains, alliances and partnerships. There may also be complex legacy systems and a high level of dependency with neighbouring systems too. Naturally, none of the issues are static and the management team have to deal with constant change as well. Indeed, the very nature of the Project’s outcome may be a variable.

All of these factors shape the way such projects should be procured and managed and this conference seeks to explore both the challenges and the solutions.

By Jonathan Norman
September 28th 2005

23rd Annual Conference – Sensible clients get sensible projects Full Report

This year’s annual conference explored issues surrounding the interface between key players in major projects: the client, those involved in the supply chain and the end user of the asset created by the project.

Contributors gave an insight into their views and experiences as client, project manager and end user in major projects across different industry sectors, including the NHS, construction, defence, transport and the performing arts, and results of a specially commissioned research project on client/supplier relationships were outlined.

The presentations were followed by group discussions, which resulted in the identification of ways in which each of the roles of the ‘the client’, ‘the supplier’ and the ‘end user’ could be improved.