#PMFlashBlog Project management around the world – UK public sector

Posted by Jon on Mar 10, 2022 in PMChat Bloggers | Comments Off

Project management in the UK public sector has changed in response to the austerity agenda.  The need to maintain service quality and breadth while reducing expenditure has led to reduced headcount alongside increased efficiencies.  With no sign of any change of direction, organisations are planning for continued public sector contraction up to 2020. Reduced headcount and a continued need to deliver complex services at high quality, while simultaneously managing unprecedented levels of change is no mean feat.  Public sector PM’s are managing more projects concurrently than before, which means that they’ve needed to streamline their own processes.  They don’t have time to produce copious amounts of documentation.  While echoes of Prince 2 can still be detected, Prince 2 document bloat has gone out of the window.  Written records focus on the fundamentals – tasks, risks, issues, decisions – much of the other stuff is superfluous.    Those PM’s that were paralysed by analysis have fallen by the wayside – austerity requires swift and pragmatic decision makers.  In a Darwinian struggle, only those that have consistently and efficiently delivered results have survived.  Other qualifications such as the PMP haven’t really got a foothold, which is likely to be a consequence of reduced training budgets and the continued ‘early to market’ advantage that Prince 2 holds.  The APM is the dominant CPD body in the UK, and their Registered Project Professional qualification is slowly beginning to register on the public sector radar. The need for rapid project delivery under stressful conditions means that PMs have had to up their game with respect to interpersonal skills.  PMs must concisely communicate the right information, at the right time.  Stakeholders don’t have the time to wade through lengthy communications, and if you fail to consult them at the appropriate time, there’s no chance of backtracking or delaying the project to let them catch up.  Comms must be right first time.  PMs must also be capable of developing rapport with colleagues, and fostering team spirit.  This is not easy when everyone around the table knows that the transformation project will lead to redundancies. UK public sector PMs have had to become more customer focused.  Commissioning approaches have led to the fragmentation of the sector, with large local authorities, health trusts and government departments deploying a combination of outsourcing, mutualisation shared sevices techniques to achieve efficiencies.  Consequently PMs find themselves being commissioned to work for departments now sitting outside of the commissioning hub.  This leads to a more robust approach to recharging, and so the cost of project management is more transparent than before.  In turn, this means that project managers must clearly demonstrate value for money, and ensure that they impress those commissioning them in order to obtain repeat business. Fragmentation of the sector has also led to the need for smarter approaches to collaborative working.  With more geographically dispersed partnerships being created, PMs need to manage teams across a wider area.  This has led to increased use of video/tele conferencing and file sharing platforms.  The lack of face to face opportunities is another driver for the sharpening of PM communication skills. In summary, austerity has meant that UK public sector PMs have had to up their game.  The increased challenge can create extra stress as well as increased reward and opportunities for PM’s that are up for it.

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#PMFlashBlog Project management around the world – UK public sector