Webinar Series

Complex Project Management Governance

There has been an evolution occurring in projects and where once projects were difficult, but simple. They have now evolved to include a variety of different types of projects.
As these new project types have emerged and increased in difficulty, complexity and value, it has become obvious that the current systems, processes and governance requirements are now no longer suitable.

This presentation looks at the differences in the new evolved projects, as well as techniques for managing, controlling and governing these projects. We will look at the definitions of the project types and governance and personal attributes required for delivery of the new types of projects.

Establishing the foundations for Project Controls

This seminar will focus on the core requirements for establishing effective project controls in an organisation including:
• Summarising the scope of the project controls initiative, including benefits, assumptions, constraints, key activities, key quantities, key risks, etc
• Agreeing the project controls objectives and benefits
• Identifying and agreeing the relevant governance activities to incorporate into a project controls strategy to exercise oversight at the required level
• Identifying and agreeing each project's control requirements to generate meaningful data that meets the requirements of the project, organization, and other stakeholders.

Storytelling for Cost Estimators

As estimators, we advocate the importance of good data; but without context, estimates and analyses are just numbers. To give power to our work, we need to effectively pair good estimating with good communication. There is no existing best practice guidance for estimators on how to create a compelling narrative to accompany analysis. By leveraging a storytelling structure, we can inspire action, communicate our findings in a way that resonates, and ultimately become more effective.

Leadership Perspectives of Project Management

What leaders need to know to establish a solid and successful PMO from corporate culture, structure and support, to staffing.

The State of Project Controls – Implications for Cost Professionals

Independent Project Analysis Inc. (IPA) guides capital intensive organisations to establish the right combination of people, work process, and governance to maximise cost, schedule, safety, and operability performance. We conduct independent empirical research, benchmarking and consulting globally using a dataset of nearly 21,000 capital projects (including 1,200 projects executed in Australia). IPA conducted a study in 2020 that explored the current state of project controls. IPA routinely interviews project teams, collects data and rates the level of preparedness for project controls for capital projects. We further studied organisational, contract and work process factors and identified the barriers to improving the control function from the project controller's perspective. The study provides practical and implementable tips to effectively implement project control practices and improve capital project predictability.

A Risk Management Journey

A risk management journey distils Gavin's 25 years' experience into three stops: process, toolsets and uncertain costs. It describes how each stop evolved from the experience of solving a client's challenge coupled with a focus on value (particularly efficiency and effectiveness). The journey includes some handouts that will enable you to reflect on your experience. It ends by asking you to consider where you are in your risk management journey and what you see as your desired destination.

BAE's Journey with professionalising the Estimating & Pricing function/capability

• Journey to date including how this interfaces with the holistic approach to People, tools, strategy and process
• Lessons learnt
• Reach Back into Academia, Professional organisations & the global company networks
• Linkages to ASC Shipbuilding mobilisation & Long Term plan for Suitably Qualified and Experience Personnel (SQEP)
• Next Steps

EVM and Risk Management Indonesian Style

EVM is a new concept in the Indonesian Context and in particular the infrastructure space. The main challenge is a lack of understanding of what it is and what value it can add to their projects. I was contracted to develop a PM methodology for one of the state owned enterprises involved in the electrical infrastructure sector in North Sumatera. The work involved the construction of over 1000 high voltage transmission towers and 16 sub-stations across millions of hectares and several regions. Before embarking on the project controls framework there was a need to create a portfolio, program and project level offices; establish clear roles and responsibilities; manage a range of diverse (cultural and competence) stakeholders; and then project, program and portfolio performance measurement. The presentation will cover the challenges and choices that I had to make including what went wrong!

True Innovation is Successful Implementation of Lessons Learned

As the Enterprise Director of Program & Project Controls for the national Technical Knowledge & Innovation (TKI) group at Arcadis, the presenter pursues the TKI mission to, "Create the world-class solutions that drive market demand" and "Drive the continual evolution of our capabilities & catalyze collaboration."

Mr. Carson has found that the best way to drive innovation is to identify the true goals for programs and projects and study the lessons from project successes, industry studies, and dispute resolution that demonstrated how best to meet the project goals. These goals are varied across the project stakeholders; with the Owner wanting, not on-time and on-budget performance, but no-surprise results that align with the original asset performance needs, and the Contractor wanting, not just profit, but a controlled process with financial and reputational success. This presentation will demonstrate the most successful way to organize and manage programs and projects through a collaborative culture of leading-edge project controls planning and execution throughout the program or project life-cycle.

This session will provide the detailed roadmap that every Owner and Contractor should follow, and support the map directions with several case studies of actual projects, as well as identification of symptoms that provide key performance indicators to ensure the mapped path is followed.

Increasing the Probability of Program Success

This presentation provides a rare opportunity to learn from the latest United States research on the primary causes and contributors to project stress and failure and the latest strategies and tools and techniques which can be implemented to prevent and correct these issues, significantly improving the probability of successful project delivery outcomes.
The foundation of this masterclass is research, principles, and practices developed at the US Institute for Defence Analyses, a Federally Funded Research and Development Centre (FFRDC) which analysed root causes of project and program stress and failure for US Department of Defence programs. While this research informs the policy advice provided to the US Defence Department Office of Performance Assessments and Root Cause Analyses (PARCA) focused at improving the probability of project and program success, the lessons learned can be applied to all projects and programs across government and industry.

A Practical Guide to implementing Complex Systems Governance Concepts on Projects

The purpose of this presentation is to provide a hands-on experience for Project Management (PM) professionals for application of Complex System Governance (CSG) concepts. CSG is a new and novel approach to improve performance through purposeful design, execution, and evolution of essential system functions. These functions sustain project performance in the midst of external turbulence and internal flux. CSG addresses the 'messes' and 'wicked problems' that are the by-product of modern projects and continue to overwhelm PM practitioners. Application of CSG for PM is examined to: (1) appreciate and map the complex environment faced by modern PM, (2) discover sources of 'deep system' project failure modes that ultimately produce schedule delays, cost overruns, and missed performance targets, (3) explore the 'systems' basis for those failure modes, and (4) develop responsive and feasible systems-based strategies to preclude failure modes in the design, execution, and development of complex projects.

The art of Risk Intelligence and 20:20 Decision Making

Few successful organisations get to the top by making poor decisions. Even fewer stay there by luck alone. So what is 20:20 decision-making and how does risk intelligence come into it?

We first need to understand decision making: the weighing up of options, the positives and negatives, the alternatives. Then we consider the context, desired outcomes and expectations. We throw in some conflicting personal and business objectives. Then we add some complexity and interdependencies. Now stir it all up in an ever faster-moving world. What do we have? The perfect recipe for disaster!

In this presentation, we explore how to nurture risk intelligence in our organisations, from the top down, from the middle out, from the bottom up. By establishing risk vision, risk connectedness and risk engagement, we can turn risk from an unwanted foe to a welcome friend - a powerful force for good. Risk intelligent organisations navigate the future purposely, through sound decision-making that drives innovation, efficiency, effectiveness and successful outcomes.

So let's make sure that, in the future, we look back on 2020 as the year we acquired 20:20 vision, by becoming risk intelligent decision-makers."