Crossrail – lessons for initiating large public sector projects

At £15.9bn Crossrail will be the UK’s largest public sector infrastructure project. There are already many lessons to be learnt and shared across all sectors in developing and initiating a sensitive project with high political profile and in the country’s capital city with all its attendant pressure groups and close media interest.

The timing of this seminar is planned to be well after the new Coalition Government’s Autumn Spending Review with the heightened necessity to demonstrate value for money. The Government’s position will have been declared both in respect of Crossrail as well as related strategic and national transportation strategy.
The aim of the seminar is to learn how, in conjunction with evolving and changing Sponsorship, the project was formulated through a combination of London’s transportation strategy with that of the national rail network. An agreement between Government, public and private sectors on the value and terms of funding was paramount in establishing the financial backing to make this a credible project. The successful steering of this project through the numerous stakeholders in London and through the Parliamentary approvals process was ultimately achieved with the provision of the necessary Powers.

In addition to receiving on overview of the current scope and status of the overall programme it is intended that delegates will take away new knowledge to help their organisations better prepare for the initiation of very large projects within the public sector.

The seminar will be chaired by Sir Michael Hodgkinson, TfL’s nominee non executive director on the Crossrail Board. The speakers will comprise the two Project Directors representing the joint Sponsors, DfT and TfL, together with three Directors of Crossrail Ltd.