Corporate Partner Forum - Delivering Projects Better

Over 650 attendees from the project management world spent two days in February 2021 at this virtual conference to discuss and share advice and experience on how to deliver projects better. 

We hope you were able to join some of the sessions, but if not you can now view the sessions on-demand below. You can also read our event write-up below.

Programme on-demand - Day 1

Programme on-demand - Day 2

30 IDEAS FOR BETTER PROJECTS

These are discussed in the brief event round-up below. (🔒) Corporate partners can access read the full event round-up here.

Outlook and opportunities to deliver projects better in 2021

1. The pandemic has seemingly got rid of a culture of presenteeism in projects -- now people can do their work in the time that suits their personal preferences. 
2. Nobody wants to go back to the daily commute or to unnecessary business travel.
3. The collaboration challenge is about developing team relationships. 
4. Projects are a collective endeavour, so how do we inspire others to give their best and join in across boundaries? 
5. Communication is what all project professionals need to do.

The Adaptive Project Professional

1. Work is changing from operations to projects.
2. The skills that project managers need to flourish include analytical and critical thinking, technological, and self-management (like active learning and stress tolerance).
3. Professionals will be defined by their capacity to adapt. 
4. Recommendations for action include strengthening lifelong learning through professionalism and shaping strategy as well as delivery by having a seat at the top table.
5. Project professionals need to take ownership for their own learning and recognise what is the gap between what you know now and what you will need to know in the next ten years. 

Megaprojects – what impacts performance?

1. Megaproject performance needs to move beyond final cost to be viewed as dynamic production systems. 
2. There needs to be an effort to bring together practitioners and knowledge from megaprojects across the globe, especially in infrastructure.
3. While there has been some excellent research into better performance of megaprojects, it has been partial and isolated and often focused on optimism bias at the front end. 
4. A megaproject is a system of systems, and is one of the most complex forms of organisation and it requires a structure that matches that complexity. 
5. You need leadership approaches that match these complex organisational forms. 

Dynamic Conditions for Project Success

1. The latest 2021 research is currently ongoing and due to launch in June at APM’s Power of Projects conference. 
2. The nine dynamic conditions are divided into three main themes: People, Processes and  Principles.
3. Preliminary findings for trends across People: Soft skills, Training and certifications and Teams.
4. Preliminary findings for trends across Processes. Technology and data, Contracts and Management.
5. Preliminary findings for trends across Principles. Agility, Sustainability and Diversity.

Embracing digital technologies to deliver better projects – use it or lose it!

1. There is a lot of data that we collect on projects and we really have to get better at using it.
2. This geeks/business divide is crucial to overcome if we are ever going to make use of data. We have to understand the quality of what we put into these systems. 
3. We have been collecting data within projects for many years but there are basic fundamental issues about how that collection happens. 
4. We need to make sure data is being used in a way that is positive to form decision making and not make it difficult for people to do their job in the future. 
5. Go and start a community of interest in your organisation today and get that simple guide to collecting data made. 

How APM is supporting the project profession

1. Online learning qualifications platform introduced in June 2020 and allows APM to continue delivery qualifications for members.
2. There is a full range of CPD courses on the APM Hub that members can take at their own pace.
3. APM’s annual events programme is running virtually, including webinars offering and podcasts. Make the most of the opportunities that are there!
4. Everyone should be encouraged to go for Chartered, as it is really establishing itself as a benchmark for the profession.
5. APM does a lot of research that it disseminates, like Dynamic Conditions for Project Success, and work around what makes great project leaders. It takes the best of academic research and brings it close to project delivery to gain maximum benefit.

Corporate Partnership Programme

The APM Corporate Partnership Programme is aimed at organisations who are serious about developing their project management capability and community, who want to learn from each other and be aligned to the chartered body for the project profession.

You will join like-minded professionals from different organisations, large and small, with the same passion for the profession as you.