Topic: Project planning, estimating and scheduling

By Jonathan Norman
March 17th 2021

Reimagining Benchmarking Full Report

Over recent decades, asset owneers in sectors such as Oil & Gas and Chemicals have made a concerted effort to utilise high-quality datasets to drive improvements across the project lifecycle. This insight has helped organisations understand their own capabilities and how they drive performance and cost across a range of activities including robustness of business cases, the quality of front-end project development, analysis of execution risk & construction readiness, commissioning, and post project evaluation.

Asset owners in other parts of the Major Projects world, particularly in the public sector, have often struggled to fully embrace the power of Benchmarking. In the UK, leaders of many infrastructure progrrammes for example still suffer from a basic lack of data to support their decision making. Where Benchmarking is attempted it is not always integrated into a culture and process of continuous improvement, reducing its impact to the point wherre it can degenerate into an effort to squeeze front end costs in negotiations between owners and the supply chain.

As the world slowly recovers from the economic hit of COVID-19, projects leaders will be under huge pressure to improve performance and demonstrate that they are delivering value for money. There has never been a better time for the projects community to reimagine its approach to performance data and Benchmarking.

In this seminar, chaired by Ed Merrow of global megaproject consultants Independent Project Analysis, we will explore how Benchmarking can be used to inspire professionals in the public and private sector to take action that will deliver the value demanded by asset owners, governments and the public.

We will hear from:

  • Experts from a range of Major Project sectors on their experience of utilising Benchmarking through the project lifecycle as an integral part of a continuous improvement regime.
  • Benchmarking specialists about the practicalities of creating and maintaining high quality datasets that can generate valuable insight.
  • The UK Government’s Infrastructure and Projects Authority on its ongoing work to utilise Benchmarking more effectively across the public sector portfolio.

At the end of the seminar, attendees will have:

  • An understanding of the full range of benefits that Benchmarking can bring to major projects.
  • An understanding of the link between being an effective asset owner and the effective use of Benchmarking.
  • An insight into the processes and techniques needed to create, maintain and exploit data.

 

By Manon Bradley
April 25th 2019

The Urgent and Unforeseen Projects Handbook

These ‘Ten Tenets’, tailored for crisis and emergency scenarios, are designed to act as a guide to successful project initiation and execution for hard-pressed professionals on these exceptionally challenging projects. The  handbook also signposts readers to further information and case studies.

By Manon Bradley
August 25th 2018

Client Model drivers

Following the 2017 study into client models used around the globe the Association commissioned a further study to consider the drivers of different client models and their impacts.

By Manon Bradley
January 25th 2018

Future-proofing Major Projects

The theme of the Major Projects Association Annual Conference in 2017 was ‘Future-proofing major projects’. The objective of the event was to explore an uncertain major project world and to consider what tools we might utilise in order to be prepared to face the future.  This report summarises a number of different tool that can be used to explore uncertainty.

By Manon Bradley
November 25th 2017

Global Client Models

The purpose of this 2017 research into global client models was to capture the experiences of clients of major projects from a range of sectors and countries throughout the world. By explaining their models, examining the delivery  function responsibilities and considering the drivers for the approaches, this report aims to draw out important trends and lessons emerging from client models in international markets.

By Jonathan Norman
November 11th 2015

Energy Sector Transformations for a Low Oil-price world Full Report

After a 5 year period of unprecedented stability, global oil prices appear to have re-entered their normal commodity price cycle with a fall from over $100 to less than $60 in the last 15 months, with most predicting that prices will stay lower for longer than in the last price downturn in 2008. There have been at least 5 similar price fall events in the last 30 years, but will the response of the energy sector and host governments be different this time?

Energy sector investment plans are being scaled back with most companies significantly reducing, their capital investment programmes in new projects by an average reduction of approximately 30%. At the same time Operators are seeking to drive deflation into both capital and cash costs to secure competitive returns to investors and to shore up weakened balance sheets. Key questions facing the energy sector are:

1) What are the short and longer term impacts of this for Governments, Operators, and the Supply Chain?
2) Will there be a ‘mind-set’ shift to a drive for standardization on industry-led development project solutions, and will the sector learn how to collaborate more efficiently and effectively together (e.g. on technology, resource access, engineering process and solutions) to deliver more consistent competitive investment returns performance to shareholders and stakeholders?
3) Will the energy sector use the current price environment to re-invent itself as more efficient and less wasteful against a backdrop of still needing to be able to manage big risks in exchange for preferential returns?
4) Is today’s low price environment the catalyst the energy sector needs to address reform and evolution of energy sector practices and behaviours that could deliver more consistent and competitive long run performance?

Members from all sectors are encouraged to attend this seminar which will be addressing the topic of organisational and sectoral transformation within an environment of budget cuts.

Event timings 9.00 – 16.30. Detailed programme to follow.

By Jonathan Norman
November 11th 2015

Energy Sector Transformations for a Low Oil-price world Highlight Report

After a 5 year period of unprecedented stability, global oil prices appear to have re-entered their normal commodity price cycle with a fall from over $100 to less than $60 in the last 15 months, with most predicting that prices will stay lower for longer than in the last price downturn in 2008. There have been at least 5 similar price fall events in the last 30 years, but will the response of the energy sector and host governments be different this time?

Energy sector investment plans are being scaled back with most companies significantly reducing, their capital investment programmes in new projects by an average reduction of approximately 30%. At the same time Operators are seeking to drive deflation into both capital and cash costs to secure competitive returns to investors and to shore up weakened balance sheets. Key questions facing the energy sector are:

1) What are the short and longer term impacts of this for Governments, Operators, and the Supply Chain?
2) Will there be a ‘mind-set’ shift to a drive for standardization on industry-led development project solutions, and will the sector learn how to collaborate more efficiently and effectively together (e.g. on technology, resource access, engineering process and solutions) to deliver more consistent competitive investment returns performance to shareholders and stakeholders?
3) Will the energy sector use the current price environment to re-invent itself as more efficient and less wasteful against a backdrop of still needing to be able to manage big risks in exchange for preferential returns?
4) Is today’s low price environment the catalyst the energy sector needs to address reform and evolution of energy sector practices and behaviours that could deliver more consistent and competitive long run performance?

Members from all sectors are encouraged to attend this seminar which will be addressing the topic of organisational and sectoral transformation within an environment of budget cuts.

Event timings 9.00 – 16.30. Detailed programme to follow.

By Jonathan Norman
November 11th 2015

Energy Sector Transformations for a Low Oil-price world Short Report

After a 5 year period of unprecedented stability, global oil prices appear to have re-entered their normal commodity price cycle with a fall from over $100 to less than $60 in the last 15 months, with most predicting that prices will stay lower for longer than in the last price downturn in 2008. There have been at least 5 similar price fall events in the last 30 years, but will the response of the energy sector and host governments be different this time?

Energy sector investment plans are being scaled back with most companies significantly reducing, their capital investment programmes in new projects by an average reduction of approximately 30%. At the same time Operators are seeking to drive deflation into both capital and cash costs to secure competitive returns to investors and to shore up weakened balance sheets. Key questions facing the energy sector are:

1) What are the short and longer term impacts of this for Governments, Operators, and the Supply Chain?
2) Will there be a ‘mind-set’ shift to a drive for standardization on industry-led development project solutions, and will the sector learn how to collaborate more efficiently and effectively together (e.g. on technology, resource access, engineering process and solutions) to deliver more consistent competitive investment returns performance to shareholders and stakeholders?
3) Will the energy sector use the current price environment to re-invent itself as more efficient and less wasteful against a backdrop of still needing to be able to manage big risks in exchange for preferential returns?
4) Is today’s low price environment the catalyst the energy sector needs to address reform and evolution of energy sector practices and behaviours that could deliver more consistent and competitive long run performance?

Members from all sectors are encouraged to attend this seminar which will be addressing the topic of organisational and sectoral transformation within an environment of budget cuts.

Event timings 9.00 – 16.30. Detailed programme to follow.

By Jonathan Norman
June 12th 2013

London Games – What Went Well? Full Report

It is widely accepted that all aspects of the London 2012 Games went well, and there are many reasons why the London 2012 Games can justifiably claim to have been the best ever. A year on and, as the glory fades, greater evidence is sought of the lasting legacy from the £9.3 billion expenditure. Prior to the commencement of the Games the Prime Minister stated “Legacy has been built into the DNA of London 2012. But by definition, of course, the true legacy of London 2012 lies in the future,” he said. “Though much has been done, I am acutely aware that the drive to embed and secure the benefits of London 2012 is still to come. That is our biggest challenge. It’s also our greatest opportunity.”

The analysis of the Games success factors has been unprecedented. Considerable effort has been made by Government and the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) to capture the learning through studies and reports which are lodged in a specially created Learning Legacy web site. Various bodies have produced their own legacy assessments including the Institute for Government’s assessment of what Government can learn from the success of the London 2012 Games.

Since 2006 MPA have held seminars which have addressed the planning and delivery of the games facilities and associated infrastructure. This seminar will look back at the six weeks of games and examine the three key topics of transportation, communications and security and examine how the planning and operations determined the success and if the reasons can be replicated. The seminar will hear from those directly responsible for these specific topics and will be chaired by Antony Oliver, who as Editor of the NCE, has closely watched both the delivery and execution of the London 2012 Games.

By Jonathan Norman
September 6th 2012

Delivering Public Projects – What is best practice? Full Report

Public Projects are best defined as those that fall within the responsibility of the Major Projects Authority and are generally those within the oversite of central government at both an individual and a portfolio level. Major Projects Authority is a relatively new collaboration, (circa April 2011), between the Cabinet Office, HM Treasury and Departments with the fundamental aim of significantly improving the delivery success rate of Major Projects across central government. Major Projects Authority is mandated to develop the Governments Major Projects Portfolio in collaboration with government departments to provide Integrated Assurance and Approval Plans for each Major Project or Programme and to carry out Starting Gate Review, or equivalent, for all new Projects/Programmes.

David Pitchford the Head of the Major Projects Authority (our Chair for the day) has four main responsibilities. Managing The Governments Major Projects Portfolio, Integrating Assurance and Approvals, Ensuring that Consequential Assurance and Intervention happens in a timely manner and providing Transparent Reporting. We are fortunate to have heard already from Ian Watmore at the beginning of 2011 ‘Identifying and Managing Project Success’ (the topic of an event Seminar No 161 is available on the website) when he outlined the journey for Major Projects Authority and in September 2011 – ‘Productivity Challenge for Trans-formational Change Programmes’ (the topic of our 29th Annual Conference is available on the website), when collectively we had an update from the Major Pro-jects Authority and Infrastructure UK.
Based on the requirements of Central Government Departments and the National Infrastructure Plan 2011, the Infrastructure Cost Review, and the influence of the 2012 Budget we will understand how the Pipeline and long-term ambitions for each sector are developing and how that will transfer through to the Major Projects Portfolio leading to successful and timely delivery. Underpinning this will be a clear understanding on the route to procurement and the necessary funding mechanisms that will have to be in place to make this happen.