The importance of Projecting for the Future

The role and value of project management in addressing energy and environmental challenges is evolving to enable ‘projectors’ to contribute and influence societal and economic benefit, attendees at a recent panel discussion heard.

Leading academics, former government ministers and expert practitioners were among the speakers at Projecting for the Future: Continuing the Conversation; an event delivered in partnership with Association for Project Management (APM) and Alliance Manchester Business School (AMBS) on Thursday 3 July.

The value of ‘projector’ is one of the most important factor for the future of the project profession, it was claimed during the discussion, which built on points contained in the new APM research report, Projecting for the Future: Harmonising Energy and Environment. 

The expert panel featured Andy Murray, from the Major Projects Association, Anne Marie Purcell, from Transport for Greater Manchester, APM’s Chief Executive, Professor Adam Boddison OBE, and Huw Merriman, Former Minister of State for Transport. They addressed some of the research recommendations, including the profession’s ownership of the ‘projector’ role and the need for project managers to be represented at C-suite level. 

The report states: “The great projectors of the first industrial revolution, such as Thomas Brassey and Isambard Kingdom Brunel, typically promoted their own projects exactly as Defoe would have expected and achieved both private gain and enormous public benefit. However, stakeholders are now much more complex.”

It goes on to recommend that the project profession should “evaluate the profession’s ownership of the role of ‘projector’, which could allow us to articulate the historical contribution of projects to social and economic development and more clearly articulate the profession’s contribution to achieving future societal aspirations.”

Executive Director of the Major Projects Association, Andy Murray opened the discussion: “I really like the themes emerging in this report, particularly around the question of the role of the profession.” 

Continuing from the report’s recommendation of the role of ‘projector’, Anne Marie Purcell, from Transport for Greater Manchester, said: “We have a wealth of warriors in the project management community, but we are not given the space to be the projectors and the CEOs. We just need to be given the space to step up.” 

Other distinguished speakers included Huw Merriman, Former Minister of State for Transport, and APM’s Chief Executive, Professor Adam Boddison OBE.

Professor Boddison said: “As we enter the third cycle of reflection, this research reimagines project management as a strategic force, redefining its role, advancing leadership and embedding sustainability and diversity to meet the demands of a changing world. It is vital ‘projectors’ of the project profession are given a platform to influence.”

The event concluded with a reflection on how it exemplified one of the key recommendations: the importance of collaborating between APM, organisations such as the Major Projects Association, and universities that offer project leadership programmes, including Alliance Manchester Business School.

Download Projecting for the Future: Harmonising Energy and Environment