Association for Project Management (APM), the chartered body for the project profession, has announced the finalists for its APM Project Management Awards 2019, sponsored by RPC UK Ltd.
Recognising the valuable contribution that project professionals make, the Awards showcase the very best individuals, projects and programmes that the profession has to offer and acknowledges their incredible achievements.
Debbie Dore, chief executive of APM, said: “This year we’ve had a record number of entries submitted – an increase of 12 per cent compared to 2018. It’s a good reflection of the growing profession and positive acknowledgement of project managers’ hard work and focus on high standards.”
Allyn Keown, chairman of the APM Awards 2019, commented: “The annual APM Awards highlights the pinnacle of the project management profession. Those who put themselves forward to be judged are the elite of an elite.”
The top 10 sectors that entered the 2019 Awards were:
- Consultancy (18%)
- Energy (12%)
- Defence (10%)
- Transport (10%)
- Engineering (8%)
- Technology (8%)
- Government (7%)
- Finance (6%)
- Education (6%)
- Life Science/Medical (4%)
Four of the 19 categories – the Innovation in Projects Award; Award for Contribution to the Profession: Consultancy; Award for Contribution to the Profession: Charity/Third Sector; and Award for Contribution to the Profession: Company – are completely new for the 2019 Awards and look to reward particularly innovative project delivery approaches and achievements. They have been introduced to recognise the contributions organisations are making towards improvements in project management practice and team development.
Finalists include the V&A Dundee project, which has been recognised in the Engineering, Construction and Infrastructure Project of the Year category. The project, delivered by Turner & Townsend, demonstrates outstanding innovative design, excellence in delivery and represents the centrepiece of the Dundee Waterfront Regeneration.
One of the finalists in the new Contribution to the Profession category: Charity/Not for Profit is the Scout Association, which has spent the past year developing multiple projects within their programmes of work.
Another new category, Innovation in Projects, saw a project from the RSPB to install renewable energy initiatives become a finalist. The project included installing a biomass boiler and over 700 solar panels across the RSPB’s nature reserves.
Continuing with the sustainability theme, the Social Project of the Year category saw Transport for London’s low emission bus zones project recognised in the list of finalists. The project set out to deliver significant reductions in harmful air pollutants, leading to a reduction of the 9,500 premature deaths caused each year by long-term exposure to air pollution.
To reflect the high calibre of the entries in the Young Project Professional of the Year Award category this year, judges wished to recognise an additional two entrants with a Highly Commended certification in addition to the five finalists.
All 2019 categories received a significant number of entries. The full list of finalists in each category is as follows (in no particular order):
| Category | Finalist |
| Herbert Walton Award Sponsored by: BAE Systems | Dr Simon Addyman – Charles Rymill Ltd. (University College London) Dr David Biggins – Bournemouth University |
| Geoffrey Trimble Award | Troy Lancaster – Amey (University of Warwick) Sarah McLean– MOD (Cranfield University) Andrew Campbell – Ryden LLP (University of the West of Scotland) Becky Emly – Mott McDonald (University, London South Bank) Ross McMaster – Wood PLC (University of Manchester) |
| Shell Health, Safety, SecurityEnvironmental (HSSE) Award Sponsored by: Shell | Turner & Townsend – MBNL HSQA Project Arup – Healthy by Design Programme, HS2 Phase2b Jacobs – Safely Delivering Risk Reduction in an Extraordinary Environment using Jacobs Beyond Zero® Principles BAE Systems Naval Ships – Safety by Design |
| Mike Nichols Award for Inspiration Sponsored by: Nichols Group | Loraine Martins MBE – Network Rail Michèle Dix – Crossrail 2, Transport for London Projecting Success & Sir Robert McAlpine |
| Programme of the Year Sponsored by: RSM UK | Network Rail and PA Consulting – Condor: the £1.5bn Sale of Network Rail Commercial Estate Rolls-Royce PLC – Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 Aircraft on Ground Recovery Programme Conwy County Borough Council – Conwy Modernisation Programme |
| PMO of the Year | GCHQ – Transforming and Operating GCHQ’s Enterprise PMO in our Centenary Year NATS PMO BPP Education Group – Doing the Right Projects, Doing Projects Right Turner & Townsend – HMRC Locations Programme |
| Innovation in Projects Award Sponsored by: Provek | Proteus – Proteus Learning Hub Experian – Experian & Open Banking RSPB – RSPB Renewable Energy Project |
| Contribution to the Profession Award: Consultancy Sponsored by: Jacobs | Arup Gate One Program Planning Professionals Ltd. (PCUBED) Turner & Townsend |
| Contribution to the Profession Award: Charity/Not-for-profit | Home Group PMO The Scouts |
| Contribution to the Profession Award: Company | Sellafield Ltd. BAE Systems Babcock |
| Young Project Professional of the Year – Finalists Sponsored by: Leidos | Jacob Achenbach – Rolls-Royce Crosspointe, LLC Grace Blundell – Gate One Laura Fenton – Gate One Aimee Tweedie – BAE Systems Emily Outten – DHL Supply Chain |
| Young Project Professional of the Year – Highly Commended | Ben Salmon – Heathrow Airport Ltd. Katerina Leckie – Gate One |
| Project Professional of the Year Sponsored by: Ramboll | Spencer Hobbs – Network Rail Lucy Campbell-Gillingham – Hive Centrica Limited Matt Woof – Jacobs David Calver – North Highland |
| Technology Project of the Year Sponsored by: Hyde Park Solutions Ltd. | Ministry of Defence: Royal Air Force, Defence Equipment and Support – Project CENTURION Heathrow Airport – Integrated Airport Operations Plan and Demand Capacity Balancing tool Cavendish Nuclear – The Pile Fuel Cladding Silo Project HM Passport Office (Home Office) – HMPO, Digital Customer Services |
| Transformation Project of the Year Sponsored by: Hyde Park Solutions Ltd. | Rolls-Royce – Product Lifecycle System Rolls-Royce Submarines Ltd. – Integrated Business Planning and Controls PCUBED (Program Planning Professionals Ltd.) – Sellafield Ltd. Project Delivery Directorate – Lean Project Delivery improvement project Royal Mail Group Ltd. – Supporting Retail in the Digital Age |
| Social Project of the Year Sponsored by: Hyde Park Solutions Ltd. | HM Revenue & Customs – Soft Drinks Industry Levy North Cumbria University Hospitals Trust & Cumbria Partnership NHS Foundation Trust – Maternity Information System Transport for London – Low Emission Bus Zones Home Group – Douglas Bader Park Regeneration Ballot Campaign |
| Engineering, Construction and Infrastructure Project of the Year Sponsored by: Hyde Park Solutions Ltd. | Arup – The Defence and National Rehabilitation Centre Shell International – Shell Appomattox Project Sellafield Ltd. – Silo Maintenance Facility Project Turner & Townsend – V&A Dundee |
The next step in the judging process will be to select the winners in each category. This will include stage two presentations in certain categories, which will take place in London during the first week of September.
Winners will be announced at the prestigious, black-tie awards ceremony on Monday 18 November at Old Billingsgate, London. Ticket holders will have the opportunity to network with peers during a fabulous drinks reception, enjoy a sumptuous three-course gala dinner with colleagues and following the award announcements, celebrate with the very best of the profession at the glittering after-party.
