Scot Butcher

Principal Consultant, BMT

Scot is a project professional with over 30 years’ experience in the defence sector.  Scot has undertaken a variety of roles, including running project management offices, managing major defence projects and leading the portfolio office for the UK submarine enterprise, combining both the MOD and industry. It was in the role that Scot was also the project controls lead for the submarine enterprise.  

While Scot’s experience is all in defence, the variety of roles he has held (including engineering roles) gives him a firm foundation of how the government, defence and project management work.  Scot joined the Planning Monitoring & Control Interest Network 7 years ago and is now the deputy lead.  In this time, Scot has been an active member and a strong advocate for the project control function, presenting webinars, authoring chapters of APM books and presenting at conferences.

Session |  Project Controls: Separating Fact from Fiction

Project controls have existed in one form or another for decades, but it is only in the last 10–15 years that they have become a core discipline within major programmes and projects. As organisations face increasing complexity, tighter budgets, and greater scrutiny, project controls have evolved from a back-office reporting function into a critical enabler of informed decision-making and successful delivery.

Despite this growing importance, a number of myths and misconceptions continue to surround the profession. Are project controls simply about producing schedules? Do they only exist to report bad news? Earned Value Management will save my project? Project Controls and Governance are different? Project Controllers are toolset jockeys? Just follow the process and it will be fine?

This session will challenge perceptions, debunk long-held assumptions, and demonstrate why effective project controls are more important than ever in delivering successful projects in an increasingly uncertain world.

Key Takeaway: Project controls are not just about measuring performance—they are about providing the insight and foresight needed to make better decisions and improve delivery confidence.