At the end of June, the Prime Minister announced that the government will bring forward £5bn of capital investment projects, supporting jobs and the economic recovery.
Most of these infrastructure projects will be the responsibility of local authorities, NHS trusts and government agencies. And most, if not all of them, will involve working with commercial suppliers; construction firms, IT developers and equipment manufacturers.
The government’s newly published Principles for Project Success emphasise the need to build trust-based relationships with the supply chain and partner organisations, working collaboratively and incentivising successful delivery where everyone benefits.
But building a strong, properly resourced and competent team is one of the most challenging aspects of project management. This is especially true when projects require a diverse team of people with complimentary skills and experience but from different organisations. Every successful team needs time and space to develop.
Our project simulation workshops are an effective way of accelerating the team development process so that your project teams can become productive in just one or two days.
Participants work in teams to plan and control complex infrastructure projects, a school build or the construction of a major sports stadium. The simulations then allow the teams to put their plan into action and respond to a range of real-world risks and issues.
At the end of each workshop the project’s stakeholders provide detailed feedback on the teams’ performance. Each workshop can be tailored around your organisation’s processes and management documents to ensure that everyone involved is using them consistently throughout the project.
The simulation workshops are also highly cost-effective. You can train up to 20 people for £2000, less than the cost of sending a single delegate on a traditional training course.
But I’m very aware that most public sector organisations are facing a funding crisis, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. So, if you’re a local authority or an NHS trust or an agency, why not ask your suppliers to pay for the training as part of the contract award process? Most will jump at the opportunity to get to know your people and your working practices in a safe, collaborative environment.
As we emerge from the pandemic, we really can’t afford to waste the opportunity to do things smarter, faster more collaboratively and, ultimately, more productively.
