Document Type: Full Reports

Detailed, chronological reports of our events.  These are member-only reports so please do not share with non-members.

By Robert
November 5th 2024

Pace of change in AI, Data and Analytics Full Report

The ready availability, the burgeoning use of and almost constant discourse on AI is only the start. The pace and scale are increasing, for example, it took Netflix 3.5 years to reach one million users, ChatGPT on the other hand achieved this in just 5 days.  We cannot ignore it as a project professional – not if we want to stay informed, current and increasingly relevant in whatever area of the project world we work.

The umbrella term Artificial Intelligence (AI) is used by most people to cover a complex multi-layered landscape with no commonly agreed definitions or boundaries between e.g. where does AI, deep learning or machine learning start and end. Similarly for the roles involved such as data architect, data scientist or data analyst. These topics were only of interest to specialists or innovators until very recently.

Project professionals now need to understand, to varying degrees, the landscape to allow them to make informed decisions about what is and is not currently possible on their projects. To allow opportunities to be identified and seized. This is far from easy as even the increasing number of self-appointed experts in the AI landscape admit to struggling to keep up with the breadth of application, complexity and pace of development. One of the most prominent applications to date has been in and around planning and in particular around time and identifying and assessing the schedule – the credibility, predictability or risk associated with it. Multiple perspectives, ways of engaging with and services are now offered that require leaders to make decisions about the value added in delivering success.

In this half-day seminar we will aim to shine a light on the AI landscape through the lens of projects by asking experts to answer a number of pertinent questions, including:

•    What is AI and what it can do for us now and in the future?
•    What are the opportunities and threats in particular within projects?
•    What do we have to do as individuals and organisations to keep up?
•    Which roles will stay and which will go?
•    What can we learn from AI form outside of projects

By Myrna Rickards
October 14th 2024

Annual Conference 2024 – The answer is AI, now what’s the question? Full Report

 

The use of AI pervades all aspects of work and life, whether that is Microsoft’s co-pilot creating notes from Teams meetings or the numerous safety features in our cars. Yet, when we look at the world of major projects it’s clear that we lag behind other domains such as manufacturing, logistics, retail and medicine.  It’s easy to imagine the things that AI could do for us, but instead of jumping to the position that AI will solve all our issues we thought we should first consider the sort of issues and opportunities that the application of AI could make the biggest impact on.

This year’s annual conference “The answer is AI, now what’s the question” will do just that. It will look at the capabilities that gives AI its superpowers and then match them to the most stubborn issues or most irresistible opportunities for major projects – looking for the sweet spot. We will also do so in a responsible way, considering governance and ethical arrangements that must also be applied before finally considering the impact on how we deliver major projects and therefore on our members.  What should we all be doing now to catch up or even get ahead of those other domains.  When discussing AI it is too easy to become hypothetical which is why our annual conference will provide real examples of what’s happening right now and will also use AI to help run the day!

Please join us to help propel the world of major projects to being more impactful, more efficient and more reliable through the right use of AI in our area of work.  Please consider who in your organisation would be the best person to attend – this could be the senior leader with the keys to ‘how projects are done’ in your organisation, an enthusiastic exec that’s struggling to cut through the hype from the reality, or perhaps someone who’s fearful of the risks and therefore resisting change.

Please note 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
September 17th 2024

Moving on from PFI – Innovative ways to Fund and Finance Major Infrastructure Full Report

Unlocking private finance has long been a quest since PFI fell out of favour after the 2015 infrastructure cost review.

It is hard to look forward without looking back at the challenges of PFI, but looking forward is what we will be focusing on. The United Kingdom has significant infrastructure challenges, and it also has a new Government. The Chancellor, Rachel Reeves MP, has already pledged “a new partnership with the private sector” and investors with about $4 trillion of “dry powder” to invest are clearly interested in being part of the solution, more than ever before.

With a new Government there appears to be the appetite to get things moving: The King’s Speech included some 39 bills for the next parliamentary session, of which the Major Projects Association highlights 14 that relate to major projects.  In particular there is a new organisation called Great British Energy, a publicly-owned energy production company set up to own, manage and operate clean power projects and an Infrastructure & Planning Bill to help accelerate projects and improve investor confidence.  Aligned to this is the new National Wealth Fund – which will provide £7.3bn of capital and look to “crowd in” three times as much from private investors to support the Government’s growth, industrial strategy and clean energy missions. It will do so initially via the existing national banks – the UK Infrastructure Bank and the British Business Bank – before being established as a statutory body in its own right.  The aim is to simplify the support and routes for businesses and investors. It will align to the Industrial Strategy and the Green Prosperity Plan.  Add to this the £100bn of capital projects that Water UK states is in the business plans of the water companies for the next five years, any approach that can “simplify the support and routes” will be very welcome.

This seminar looks to investigate the future of private finance and other innovate ways to fund and finance major projects, taking on board the learning from projects prior to make more informed decisions. The speakers and panellists will look at the issue through a variety of lenses:

  • The private investor lens – what are those who provide the capital looking for in an investment
  • The developer lens – what can project owners and developers do to put their project at the forefront
  • The government lens – what can government and associated organisations do to support these projects
By
May 15th 2024

Project Management during a Major Incident Full Report

 

In a world buffeted by climate change, geo-political and economic instability, 'major incidents' (or high impact, high urgency events) pose an ever-greater risk to major projects. 
 
This can include events such as terrorist attacks or extreme weather events for which public authorities will formally declare a major incident as well as rapidly evolving crises such as the sudden failure of a key supplier or an unexpected lurch in political direction.
 
The projects community has invested heavily in risk management processes to manage unexpected events and this seminar will draw out insight from that work but in a multi-organisation major project context. We will also examine lessons from recent thinking and practice in areas such as business continuity planning and disaster recovery planning that are used by colleagues working in operational environments.
 
Speakers will look at challenges through the lifecycle of a major incident from initial response, through consolidation and recovery and into the restoration of normality.  
 

By Myrna Rickards
March 13th 2024

How should Programme Management change to keep up with Modern Complexity? Full Report

 

Programmes are the mechanism for delivering complex and transformative change.  However, success is not certain, and the desired outcomes are not always achieved.

Is this because, as is frequently stated, the context within which programmes are delivered, and the programmes themselves, are increasing in complexity? If that’s the case, does programme management need to change to keep up with modern complexity?  Or are we like Aristotle some 2,300 years ago complaining about the ‘youth of today’ where each generation simply perceives their environment as being more complex than the previous generation. Whether or not our programmes and their context are more complex, the nature of complexity is certainly changing. So, if we believe programme management should change to reflect this, then how?

We will draw on members’ expertise and experience to considering these questions. To inform the discussion we are undertaking two pieces of work that will be completed and shared with you in advance of the event.

Firstly, a facilitated round table discussion of experts in the field to gain multiple perspectives on whether programmes, and the context within which they are delivered, is truly becoming more complex.
Secondly, an exploration of potential alternative or evolving approaches to delivering programmes, such as systems approaches, mission based approaches, community-led approaches to name a few
Using our background discussion and study as a basis, this event will provide the opportunity for attendees to hear from the leaders of two programmes that have different complexity drivers and two programmes which have taken different approaches to delivery; providing insights into how different contexts and perceptions have helped shape explorative approaches to delivery. Alongside these industry insights, attendees will also hear from leading bodies about what they believe are the most important considerations to tackle complexity when delivering programmes.

Later in the schedule we will allow time for a facilitated discussion, giving you the opportunity to consider what you have heard and explore ideas with your peers before reaching individual positions, and potentially group consensus, around the question of change within programme management.

Given the broad context and nature of the topic, there will be a unique approach to following up on the event; as well as sharing materials in advance, we want to gain your insights through a pre and post event survey; obtain your feedback throughout the event to help shape the final workshop sessions and; also ask you to capture your thoughts on video – more to follow on this.

By Myrna Rickards
February 7th 2024

Consents and Stakeholders – Embracing the planning process Full Report

Achieving planning consent is an integral and essential part of the successful delivery of major infrastructure projects. It is often a challenging, time-consuming and costly process, the success of which can be heavily influenced by stakeholders and how projects manage these relationships, but also how they engage before, during and after the process. Many projects struggle to complete the process in a way that is experienced positively, by both the promoter and their stakeholders.

Utilising and drawing upon expert knowledge and best practices can be invaluable as projects across all industries face similar challenges. How do we take our stakeholders on the journey with us?  How do we minimise the risks of objections and delays to the planning process and maximise the likelihood of success? What does success look like?

Speakers at this event will focus on the changes to planning policy and legislation as well as exemplars of good practice.  In addition, the seminar will present the findings from a study and interviews with industry leaders across Government, transport, nuclear, renewable energy, engineering, construction and utilities – which have been undertaken by CJ Associates on behalf of the Association.  Delegates will hear valuable insights directly from these industry leaders and experts about the challenges they face in the planning process and in engaging stakeholders and the community to learn about their greatest successes.

Join us for an afternoon of informative, insightful and lively discussion.

By Daniel Cojocaru
February 5th 2024

Initiating and Delivering Major Projects in Regulated Industries Full Report

The water sector is gearing up to deliver a multi-billion pound programme of major projects to deliver water supply solutions equivalent to the demand from more than 9 million people.

Chaired by Tideway CEO Andy Mitchell CBE, this seminar will examine the challenges and opportunities of delivering programmes at this scale in a sector that is shaped by economic and environmental regulation and where most asset owners have been focused on operations, maintenance and renewals since privatisation in the 1980s.

Speakers will share insight from their experience of successful delivery in other regulated sectors focusing on areas including funding & finance options, establishing appropriate governance, managing the impact of the 5 year regulatory cycle, building a major project capability and culture, and opportunities for collaboration between asset owners.

Delegates will also hear from RAPID (Regulators Alliance for Progressing Infrastructure Development) the initiative that brings OFWAT, the Drinking Water Inspectorate and the Environment Agency about its work with sector stakeholders to facilitate project development. In addition, OFWAT itself will discuss how it intends to evolve its regulatory role to support effective project delivery,

By
November 7th 2023

Initiating & Delivering Major Projects in Regulated Industries Full Report

The water sector is gearing up to deliver a multi-billion pound programme of major projects to deliver water supply solutions equivalent to the demand from more than 9 million people.

Chaired by Tideway CEO Andy Mitchell CBE, this seminar will examine the challenges and opportunities of delivering programmes at this scale in a sector that is shaped by economic and environmental regulation and where most asset owners have been focused on operations, maintenance and renewals since privatisation in the 1980s.

Speakers will share insight from their experience of successful delivery in other regulated sectors focusing on areas including funding & finance options, establishing appropriate governance, managing the impact of the 5 year regulatory cycle, building a major project capability and culture, and opportunities for collaboration between asset owners.

Delegates will also hear from RAPID (Regulators Alliance for Progressing Infrastructure Development) the initiative that brings OFWAT, the Drinking Water Inspectorate and the Environment Agency about its work with sector stakeholders to facilitate project development. In addition, OFWAT itself will discuss how it intends to evolve its regulatory role to support effective project delivery,

By
November 7th 2023

Initiating & Delivering Major Projects in Regulated Industries Full Report

The water sector is gearing up to deliver a multi-billion pound programme of major projects to deliver water supply solutions equivalent to the demand from more than 9 million people.

Chaired by Tideway CEO Andy Mitchell CBE, this seminar will examine the challenges and opportunities of delivering programmes at this scale in a sector that is shaped by economic and environmental regulation and where most asset owners have been focused on operations, maintenance and renewals since privatisation in the 1980s.

Speakers will share insight from their experience of successful delivery in other regulated sectors focusing on areas including funding & finance options, establishing appropriate governance, managing the impact of the 5 year regulatory cycle, building a major project capability and culture, and opportunities for collaboration between asset owners.

Delegates will also hear from RAPID (Regulators Alliance for Progressing Infrastructure Development) the initiative that brings OFWAT, the Drinking Water Inspectorate and the Environment Agency about its work with sector stakeholders to facilitate project development. In addition, OFWAT itself will discuss how it intends to evolve its regulatory role to support effective project delivery,

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.