Africa base for Turner & Townsend Turner & Townsend has opened a new office in Kampala, Uganda, following marked growth in East Africa.The firm says that the permanent base and East Africa hub will see its project portfolio and team members grow across Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania and Kenya.Ian Donaldson, Turner & Townsend managing director, Africa, said: “East Africa is one of the fastest growing regions in the world and there is a huge amount of opportunity to make a difference across a number of sectors, especially in the delivery of major infrastructure schemes.”Consortium targets...
Welsh-born Jon Whitty (pictured left) is a musician turned-engineer-turned-motivational speaker-turned-project management academic. His path into the profession of management was unique – there can’t be many other theorists around who have made the switch from radio DJ to project management academic.Armed with an honours degree in electrical and electronic engineering, Jon began his academic career lecturing in maths and electronics at technical colleges and universities in the UK before branching out into management. He made the move into motivational speaking and began to lead team-...
Even funky design studios need sound project management. Proving the point that project management is all an encompassing life skill that applies across different sectors, one design firm has gone the whole hog, and not only embraced professional practices – but also changed the company philosophy in the process.“The firm was growing, the size of projects were growing, therefore the impact and likelihood of risks were increasing,” says Gareth Hughes, operations manager at space0. “We collectively had a moment of clarity as we realised that we are not just a ‘design firm’, we are a ‘project...
Large projects are complex undertakings representing major investments. Commonly, significant problems arise later on because of failure right at the start of a project. Generally, project management – that is, ‘doing the project right’ – tends to be the main focus in project governance while ensuring that ‘the right project is done’ is often overlooked.A project can be effectively implemented to the letter but, if the initial concept is wrong, there is simply no point in diligently carrying out the project tasks.Failure to fully explore all aspects at the conceptual stage of a project can...
Charities all over the UK are faced with a challenge – to implement new processes and fundraising initiatives in an ever-evolving and increasingly complex environment. New technology, changes in legislation and the need to get the very best results from the limited funds available mean that a significant proportion of Macmillan Cancer Support’s portfolio of work is project based.“Our programme of work is ultimately aimed towards helping us better understand the two million people living with cancer, their needs and how we can better meet those needs,” says Stephen Adjaidoo, evidence...
In 2001, a series of environmental studies in the outer Thames Estuary confirmed that the area was a suitable wind farm site and the London Array Offshore Wind Farm was born.The scope was bold – to create the world’s largest offshore wind farm, 20km off the coasts of Kent and Essex. It was to be installed on an up to 245km2 site and built in two phases. Phase one would cover 90km2 and include 175 turbines with a combined capacity of 630 megawatts (MW).Two years later, in 2003, the Crown Estate gave London Array Ltd a 50-year lease for the site and cable route to shore. Planning consent for a...
In the current economic climate, the charity sector – just like the private and public sector – has had to adapt, and the rise in the use of interim managers is just one example of how it has adopted new and more cost-effective ways of working.The benefits to the charity sector are, in my view, clear – talented and experienced interim project managers possess the specialist expertise, practical experience and personality to understand the language and processes of a charity while retaining the commercial edge and focus necessary to operate successfully in large, complex organisations. This...
Can we do things better, cheaper, leaner and faster? These are the fundamental questions facing the profession says Stefan Mordue (pictured right), architect and technical author at NBS (National Building Specification), part of RIBA Enterprises Ltd. The answer, he believes, is to constantly revaluate and analyse past processes.“There is no doubt that recession breeds innovation and opportunity. We need to give more thought, not only to how we can achieve better project outcomes and optimise processes to create greater efficiencies, but how we can utilise data to make better-informed...
A frantic February has seen me travel more than 1,000 miles to meet some of the country’s brightest and best young project professionals. From project managers in the broadcasting industry to managing directors in the rocket-engineering field, each of our Rising Stars is achieving wonderful things and excelling in their respective arena. These practitioners all have one thing in common: an unquenchable thirst for success. Project’s Rising Stars is now in its third year and has undergone a number of changes including the reduction of those featuring – from 10 to six – and the introduction of...
Organisations have been described as living organisms. Using this metaphor, they have personality and culture reflected in departments, divisions, offices or country operations. The culture of an organisation describes ‘the way that things are done around here’ and is reflected in the stories that people tell and the way that influence and power are exercised. Importantly for project and programme managers, culture keeps those things constant, which makes the organisation what it is. Culture is mainly determined by those people in senior or leading roles through the way they exercise power...
