Topic: People & capability

By Jonathan Norman
June 16th 2021

The Sponsor – One of the most misunderstood roles in Major Projects Highlight Report

If there was a theme tune for sponsors it would probably be the haunting 1964 song by Nina Simone (and later covered by The Animals) – ‘Don’t let me be misunderstood’ – as many sponsors experience confusion over the remit of their roles by those they need to work with.

This confusion and misunderstanding is partly caused by sponsorship being implemented differently across different sectors and different organisations – driven by the types of projects they undertake (e.g. infrastructure vs. transformation); the number of projects in an organisation; the delivery model; and delivery risks. There are people whose full-time job is to be a sponsor; those who juggle their sponsor or SRO roles with their operational roles; and then there are projects that have several sponsors – a sponsor in a client organisation and another sponsor in the delivery organisation.

The misunderstanding of the sponsor role poses lots of questions: What does good look like? Is there a difference between the role of an SRO and the role of a sponsor? Is it a job, role or function? What needs to be in place for effective sponsorship? What is the right amount of time sponsors need to carry out their role effectively? Are there good frameworks for sponsorship? How do we address common challenges?

In this event we will look at the importance of sponsorship; different models of sponsorship; how to have those early fearless conversations which shape projects; and the role of the sponsor in creating a sustainable future. We will also hear experiences from younger sponsors in different organisations about what they do day-to-day; and what they need to develop, grow, be valued and heard.

By Jonathan Norman
June 16th 2021

The Sponsor – One of the most misunderstood roles in Major Projects Full Report

If there was a theme tune for sponsors it would probably be the haunting 1964 song by Nina Simone (and later covered by The Animals) – ‘Don’t let me be misunderstood’ – as many sponsors experience confusion over the remit of their roles by those they need to work with.

This confusion and misunderstanding is partly caused by sponsorship being implemented differently across different sectors and different organisations – driven by the types of projects they undertake (e.g. infrastructure vs. transformation); the number of projects in an organisation; the delivery model; and delivery risks. There are people whose full-time job is to be a sponsor; those who juggle their sponsor or SRO roles with their operational roles; and then there are projects that have several sponsors – a sponsor in a client organisation and another sponsor in the delivery organisation.

The misunderstanding of the sponsor role poses lots of questions: What does good look like? Is there a difference between the role of an SRO and the role of a sponsor? Is it a job, role or function? What needs to be in place for effective sponsorship? What is the right amount of time sponsors need to carry out their role effectively? Are there good frameworks for sponsorship? How do we address common challenges?

In this event we will look at the importance of sponsorship; different models of sponsorship; how to have those early fearless conversations which shape projects; and the role of the sponsor in creating a sustainable future. We will also hear experiences from younger sponsors in different organisations about what they do day-to-day; and what they need to develop, grow, be valued and heard.

By Jonathan Norman
February 11th 2021

Productivity – The Performance Lifecycle Full Report

The 2008 financial crisis was followed by a decade of stagnant growth in productivity in the developed world. This productivity crisis was creating a serious value for money challenge for major and mega projects even before COVID-19 made such an enormous dent in government and corporate finances.

Productivity is a measure of the effectiveness of the use of resources.This seemingly straightforward concept can be difficult to apply to major projects. The simplest productivity measure of all, the volume of a product generated for every unity (e.g. labour and capital) is vital insight for improving a manufacturing process but may be less useful for a major programme trying to create different types of value and deliver a strategic outcome for its sponsors.

This conceptual difficulty has not stopped sectors such as construction targeting ever increasing standardisation and the adoption of manufacturing style production systems as the route to productivity growth – with limited success. Others have homed in on the quality of front end planning as the great enabler, leaving open the question of how high performance is to be maintained as the project moves through the lifecycle.

To cast light on this challenge, in 2018 the Association for Project Management carried out a review of published evidence on the links betweeen project management and productivity. This suggested some alternative or complementary avenues including; developing measures of productivity linked to outcomes; focusing in on practices and behaviours associated wih better productivity and linking these to macro-level outcoms; a better understanding of top-down and bottom-up process for managing innovation, and building capabilities to manage the risk and opportunity that are inevitable in complex major projects.

Through a series of discussions and case studies, this seminar will explore:

  • Different ways to define and measure productivity in major projects and programmes.
  • Opportunities at different stages of the lifecycle to stimulate and maintain improved productivity.
  • Key enablers – e.g. behaviours, practices and competencies.
  • Balancing innovation and getting the basics right in the search for productivity gains.
By Jonathan Norman
February 11th 2021

Productivity – The Performance Lifecycle Highlight Report

The 2008 financial crisis was followed by a decade of stagnant growth in productivity in the developed world. This productivity crisis was creating a serious value for money challenge for major and mega projects even before COVID-19 made such an enormous dent in government and corporate finances.

Productivity is a measure of the effectiveness of the use of resources.This seemingly straightforward concept can be difficult to apply to major projects. The simplest productivity measure of all, the volume of a product generated for every unity (e.g. labour and capital) is vital insight for improving a manufacturing process but may be less useful for a major programme trying to create different types of value and deliver a strategic outcome for its sponsors.

This conceptual difficulty has not stopped sectors such as construction targeting ever increasing standardisation and the adoption of manufacturing style production systems as the route to productivity growth – with limited success. Others have homed in on the quality of front end planning as the great enabler, leaving open the question of how high performance is to be maintained as the project moves through the lifecycle.

To cast light on this challenge, in 2018 the Association for Project Management carried out a review of published evidence on the links betweeen project management and productivity. This suggested some alternative or complementary avenues including; developing measures of productivity linked to outcomes; focusing in on practices and behaviours associated wih better productivity and linking these to macro-level outcoms; a better understanding of top-down and bottom-up process for managing innovation, and building capabilities to manage the risk and opportunity that are inevitable in complex major projects.

Through a series of discussions and case studies, this seminar will explore:

  • Different ways to define and measure productivity in major projects and programmes.
  • Opportunities at different stages of the lifecycle to stimulate and maintain improved productivity.
  • Key enablers – e.g. behaviours, practices and competencies.
  • Balancing innovation and getting the basics right in the search for productivity gains.
By Jonathan Norman
October 9th 2020

Annual Conference: Harnessing Emotional Intelligence in the Successful Delivery of Major Projects (Part 2) Short Report

This year’s Annual Conference topic is Harnessing Emotional Intelligence in the Delivery of Major Projects. There is significant research that supports the hypothesis that Emotional Intelligence (EI) drives better business performance and if we accept that, then the logic holds that EI should lead to better delivery of projects and their outcomes. The conference will explore this hypothesis, bringing EI to life via speakers and case studies from the major projects sector.

This is part 2 of a 2 part VIRTUAL Annual Conference.

Click here to view the keynote interview with Sir Mark Rowley

By Jonathan Norman
October 9th 2020

Annual Conference: Harnessing Emotional Intelligence in the Successful Delivery of Major Projects (Part 2) Highlight Report

Click here to view the keynote interview with Sir Mark Rowley

This year’s Annual Conference topic is Harnessing Emotional Intelligence in the Delivery of Major Projects. There is significant research that supports the hypothesis that Emotional Intelligence (EI) drives better business performance and if we accept that, then the logic holds that EI should lead to better delivery of projects and their outcomes. The conference will explore this hypothesis, bringing EI to life via speakers and case studies from the major projects sector.

This is part 2 of a 2 part VIRTUAL Annual Conference.

By Jonathan Norman
October 9th 2020

Annual Conference: Harnessing Emotional Intelligence in the Successful Delivery of Major Projects (Part 2) Full Report

This year’s Annual Conference topic is Harnessing Emotional Intelligence in the Delivery of Major Projects. There is significant research that supports the hypothesis that Emotional Intelligence (EI) drives better business performance and if we accept that, then the logic holds that EI should lead to better delivery of projects and their outcomes. The conference will explore this hypothesis, bringing EI to life via speakers and case studies from the major projects sector.

This is part 2 of a 2 part VIRTUAL Annual Conference.

Click here to view the keynote interview with Sir Mark Rowley

By Jonathan Norman
September 15th 2020

Annual Conference: Harnessing Emotional Intelligence in the Successful Delivery of Major Projects (Part 1) Short Report

This year’s Annual Conference topic is Harnessing Emotional Intelligence in the Delivery of Major Projects. There is significant research that supports the hypothesis that Emotional Intelligence (EI) drives better business performance and if we accept that, then the logic holds that EI should lead to better delivery of projects and their outcomes. The conference will explore this hypothesis, bringing EI to life via speakers and case studies from the major projects sector.

This is part 1 of a 2 part VIRTUAL Annual Conference. 

Click here to view the keynote interview with Sir Mark Rowley

By Jonathan Norman
September 15th 2020

Annual Conference: Harnessing Emotional Intelligence in the Successful Delivery of Major Projects (Part 1) Full Report

This year’s Annual Conference topic is Harnessing Emotional Intelligence in the Delivery of Major Projects. There is significant research that supports the hypothesis that Emotional Intelligence (EI) drives better business performance and if we accept that, then the logic holds that EI should lead to better delivery of projects and their outcomes. The conference will explore this hypothesis, bringing EI to life via speakers and case studies from the major projects sector.

This is part 1 of a 2 part VIRTUAL Annual Conference. 

Click here to view the keynote interview with Sir Mark Rowley

By Jonathan Norman
September 15th 2020

Annual Conference: Harnessing Emotional Intelligence in the Successful Delivery of Major Projects (Part 1) Highlight Report

This year’s Annual Conference topic is Harnessing Emotional Intelligence in the Delivery of Major Projects. There is significant research that supports the hypothesis that Emotional Intelligence (EI) drives better business performance and if we accept that, then the logic holds that EI should lead to better delivery of projects and their outcomes. The conference will explore this hypothesis, bringing EI to life via speakers and case studies from the major projects sector.

This is part 1 of a 2 part VIRTUAL Annual Conference. 

Click here to view the keynote interview with Sir Mark Rowley