Project management specialists, Greyfriars, have relocated to new offices in Norwich city centre – and marked the occasion with an opening event attended by colleagues, friends and clients. The move is a result of the company’s rapid growth and the need for a bigger space to accommodate its expanding team
Steven Cunningham, Head of Engineering and Project Management at ASSA ABLOY Opening Solutions UK & Ireland, has outlined ambitions for 2024 and beyond, focussing on enhancing customer engagement and developing people. With a wealth of experience in many facets of the business including estimating, trade, sales, and project management, Steven
Association for Project Management (APM), the chartered membership organisation for the project profession, has today announced the appointment of Dr Yvonne Thompson CBE as its President-elect. Dr Thompson will commence in the role in July, taking over from outgoing APM President, Sue Kershaw, who has served in the role since
The winners of the annual Association for Project Management (APM) Awards 2023 have been announced at a prestigious awards ceremony taking place in London on Monday 20 November. The awards, sponsored by RPC UK Ltd, celebrate excellence within the project profession – from project organisations, projects, programmes and individuals working
Survey by APM reveals that 77 per cent of project managers working in organisations offering apprenticeship programmes say they benefit project work Association for Project Management (APM), the chartered body for the project profession, is calling on employers to invest in the better delivery of projects through project management apprenticeships
Eddie Higgins joins to manage major speculative logistics development scheme at Bellshill. Knight Property Group has expanded its project management team with the appointment of Eddie Higgins as Construction Project Manager. Eddie brings around 26 years site engineering and project management experience with leading companies within the Scottish construction sector,
New ways of thinking will be ‘essential for economic and social success post-coronavirus’, according to Pete Cohen, keynote speaker at the upcoming Think Differently virtual event, hosted by Association for Project Management (APM) and sponsored by Fujitsu. Think Differently: redefining diversity in projects is a five-day virtual event taking place between Monday 21
Project Management Institute (PMI) launches UK National Project Awards 2020 including recognition of the UK’s most influential Covid-19 response project PMI UK, in association with PwC, is delighted to announce the 2020 National Project Awards. In addition to eight award categories including; ‘Project of the Year’, ‘PMO of the Year’
New research, commissioned by the Association for Project Management (APM) and conducted by PwC UK, has for the first time revealed the scale of the contribution the project profession makes to the UK economy. The new report, entitled ‘The Golden Thread’, has identified that project management in the UK generates
Project management specialists, Greyfriars, have relocated to new offices in Norwich city centre – and marked the occasion with an opening event attended by colleagues, friends and clients. The move is a result of the company’s rapid growth and the need for a bigger space to accommodate its expanding team – and expanding client portfolio. Held on Friday 19th April, the event welcomed guests to the firm’s new Queens Road offices to celebrate their move. “It’s brilliant to bring everyone together and mark the start of a new chapter in our company story! It seems like just yesterday that we moved to our previous offices, but having expanded to a team of 15, this move is much-needed!” says Jon Barnard, Director of Greyfriars Project Management. Greyfriars Project Management – who work with big name clients in the public, private and charity sectors – have quadrupled in size in just four years and aim to target sustainable growth of 50% over the next three years. Their new office provides ample space to accommodate the company’s increasing staff and support its commitment to providing top-tier project management services to its clients. Since the business was founded in 2018, the project management specialists have worked with big names, including National Highways, National Trust and Norfolk County Council. But, Greyfriars’ director Jon Barnard is keen to state that none of this would have been possible without the dedicated support of the Greyfriars team. “The excellent support of the Greyfriars team has been instrumental to the business’s success! This office move is part of our continued commitment to investing in our people. We’ve invested in a bigger space, as well as the equipment and infrastructure needed to support a growing team and provide everyone with the tools and training they need to do a fantastic job for our clients and the community!” adds Jon. Greyfriars Project Management are unique in that they only work on projects which deliver genuine community value. “The central location of our new office is perfectly situated to allow us to get even more involved in community-engagement activities. Plus, it means we’re easily accessible on foot and via public transport, which is not only good for staff and visitors, but kinder to the environment too” concludes Jon. Greyfriars Project Management provide independent, professional project management support services for all types of building, transport and placemaking projects. They’ve successfully delivered projects throughout the UK and pride themselves on their flexible approach to providing services which suit their clients’ requirements. To find out more about Greyfriars Project Management, visit https://greyfriarspm.com/ Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Steven Cunningham, Head of Engineering and Project Management at ASSA ABLOY Opening Solutions UK & Ireland, has outlined ambitions for 2024 and beyond, focussing on enhancing customer engagement and developing people. With a wealth of experience in many facets of the business including estimating, trade, sales, and project management, Steven is now responsible for the design function of the business. He said: “As we look ahead to our ambitions for 2024, customer engagement is a key business driver for us, as well as ensuring a smooth operation from the design to stage all the way through to manufacture and delivery. “The experience I have gained from my various roles in the business has given me a greater understanding, allowing me to see things from many different stakeholder’s perspectives – both customers and internally – to be able to improve processes and the quality of our offering. “As we are part of the wider ASSA ABLOY group, it gives us the ability to provide a more comprehensive solution than competitors, offering both the door and additional hardware as well.” The company’s Building Information Modelling (BIM) application, Openings Studio™, remains a key focus, with Steven keen to promote the benefits of the platform. “Openings Studio™ integrates with design software to create and visualise openings for complete door, frame and hardware schedules and specifications. “This enables seamless extraction of door design intent and all relevant interfaces to assist fabricators to develop complete door requirements that meet building regulations.” In addition to solutions such as Openings Studio™, Steven believes great people are at the heart of the company’s success. He adds: “We’re keen to develop staff, grow the design function, and increase collaboration across departments. We have a very capable design team with different age ranges, some with many valuable years of experience and some newer team members. “This blend helps vastly when it comes to innovation, and I’m always learning new things from younger colleagues and looking at ways we can improve and do things better. “Teamwork is crucial to reach our goals and exceed all expectations, and we are confident we have to tools in place to make 2024 a year to be proud of.” For more information on ASSA ABLOY Opening Solutions, please visit bit.ly/3OpVQRa. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Association for Project Management (APM), the chartered membership organisation for the project profession, has today announced the appointment of Dr Yvonne Thompson CBE as its President-elect. Dr Thompson will commence in the role in July, taking over from outgoing APM President, Sue Kershaw, who has served in the role since 2019. As President, Dr Thompson will advocate for the project profession, host APM’s high-profile events and facilitate discussions that will drive forwards project, programme and portfolio work around the world. Her professional background includes roles as Music Editor of Root magazine, Managing Director of marketing and PR company ASAP Communications, and President of the European Federation of Black Women Business Owners. In addition, she is a founding member of radio station Choice FM. She has four Fellowships including from Kings College London, along with honorary doctorates from London Metropolitan University and the University of Plymouth. She is also a Deputy Lieutenant of Greater London and a successful author, speaker and influencer. Commenting on the appointment, Milla Mazilu, Chair of APM’s Board of Trustees, said: “I’m delighted to welcome Yvonne Thompson as APM’s incoming President. She is a hugely respected leader, role model and campaigner. These qualities make her the ideal choice to represent APM, the chartered membership organisation for the project profession. “Yvonne joins APM at an exciting time for the project community, but also at a time when many face challenges in their work to deliver projects and programmes that will benefit society. Yvonne’s experience in spearheading innovative and groundbreaking projects will be invaluable in this role. I speak for everyone associated with APM when I say I am greatly looking forward to working with her. “I would also like to thank our outgoing President, Sue Kershaw, who has served APM, our members and the wider project profession with tireless dedication since 2019. With Sue’s support, APM has successfully navigated challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic, and introduced new innovations and offerings for our members. Her work has helped cement APM’s reputation as an outstanding professional body.” Dr Thompson said: “I am honoured to have been appointed into the prestigious role of APM’s President. I now look forward to getting started in the coming months, and to help promote APM’s vision, mission and strategy. I’m also keen to help shape the future of the sector and drive professionalism. “I look forward to working with APM’s Board of Trustees in helping to shape the project profession’s direction, along with Chief Executive Adam Boddison, and all those associated with APM and its work.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
The winners of the annual Association for Project Management (APM) Awards 2023 have been announced at a prestigious awards ceremony taking place in London on Monday 20 November. The awards, sponsored by RPC UK Ltd, celebrate excellence within the project profession – from project organisations, projects, programmes and individuals working across a broad range of industry sectors in the UK and internationally. Jacobs has been name winner of the APM Sustainability Award, a new award launched this year, to recognise organisations or individual projects that demonstrate environmental sustainability practices in the development and delivery of their projects. The award recognises the commitment of organisations, project managers and their teams to run more sustainable, ethical, and environmentally friendly projects. Jacobs which provides a range of engineering, technical, professional and construction services, was selected as the winner by awards judging panel for its approach to embedding sustainability into every project. Sustainability is a critically important priority for Jacobs, it’s embedded from the way the organisation operates its business to the sustainable solutions it co-creates with clients and partners. Jacobs continues to seek ways of making positive environmental, societal and economic differences for businesses, governments and communities around the world. To ensure every project is a climate response opportunity the company embeds sustainability through its global sustainability strategy, PlanBeyond 2.0. This is the foundation of what sustainability means to Jacob’s people, clients and the planet — integrating sustainability objectives throughout operations and client solutions in alignment with the UNSDGs. Will Masters, Sustainability Lead at Jacobs, said: “I’m absolutely thrilled for me this is a shared award. This is not just about thousands of people delivering projects in Jacobs. When you look at the list of finalists, not only have we won the award but three of the projects listed as finalists are our projects. “For me, sustainability is something we need to be thinking about in the same terms as safety and quality, so it’s fantastic that APM is recognising sustainability as it is.” Professor Adam Boddison OBE, Chief Executive of APM, said: “I would like to congratulate Jacobs for its outstanding commitment to excellence in sustainability and project delivery. The company clearly showcases a commendable commitment to sustainability, integrating it into every aspect of operations, project management, and client solutions. “Our awards are all about celebrating the outstanding successes of the project profession, and I would like to congratulate all of this year’s winners and finalists for their incredible achievements over the past year.” For a full list of the APM Award 2023 winners visit apm.org.uk/apm-awards/ Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Survey by APM reveals that 77 per cent of project managers working in organisations offering apprenticeship programmes say they benefit project work Association for Project Management (APM), the chartered body for the project profession, is calling on employers to invest in the better delivery of projects through project management apprenticeships schemes for their staff and new apprentices. The call comes ahead of National Apprenticeship Week, taking place from 7-13 February 2022. This follows a recent APM survey of over 1000 project professionals (with research company Censuswide), which reveals that of the respondents who say their company runs project management apprenticeships, the majority (77 per cent) consider apprenticeships to be beneficial to project work within their business1. In the construction sector*, of the respondents who said their company runs apprenticeship programmes for project professionals, 55 per cent said they help the whole team develop themselves, 50 per cent say they bring new ideas into the organisation and 45 per cent who say that apprenticeships are a good way to recruit and retain talent. Commenting ahead of National Apprenticeship Week, Jackie Martin, director of education and lifelong learning at APM, says: “Now more than ever, businesses and communities depend on talented project professionals, as projects and project‑based working are here to stay. We would urge employers to invest in developing skills through apprenticeships for the value they can bring and for the long-term benefits to project delivery. “As the chartered body for the project profession, we are committed to promoting and encouraging better skills development and training. The growth of the “projectification” of work means more project professionals will be needed to help organisations succeed. Apprenticeships are a fantastic way to help plug the gap since they blend a professional qualification with supported learning and development while in a full‑time role.” For further details about project management apprenticeships, APM has a dedicated page on its website apm.org.uk/qualifications-and-training/apprenticeships/national-apprenticeship-week APM also offers free Student membership to students and apprentices aged over 16. Student members can benefit from a range of online resources, networking opportunities and events. Visit apm.org.uk/membership for further details. 40 per cent of survey respondents working in the construction sector stated that their company runs project management apprenticeships
Eddie Higgins joins to manage major speculative logistics development scheme at Bellshill. Knight Property Group has expanded its project management team with the appointment of Eddie Higgins as Construction Project Manager. Eddie brings around 26 years site engineering and project management experience with leading companies within the Scottish construction sector, including Ogilvie Construction and Stewart Milne. He will operate from the firm’s Edinburgh office and manage developments in the central belt of Scotland with initial focus being the development of Belgrave Logistics Park, the 14-acre former Devro site in Bellshill, which was acquired by Knight at the start of this year. His role will involve overseeing and managing the entire flagship 250,000 sq ft speculative development project, working closely with the design team and principal contractor. Site preparation is currently ongoing, with planning being submitted in June. Site works are scheduled to commence in September with completion in Spring 2020. Howard Crawshaw, Director of Knight Property Group said: “Eddie is a valuable addition to our experienced project management team and brings with him a wealth of experience in the construction sector. He is well respected and will add another dimension to our existing team given his background and many years of engineering expertise. He will manage the Bellshill project from the front-end to completion, bringing a specialism that will add real value and foster collaboration between the members of that team.” Eddie Higgins added: “I’m excited to be joining Knight and was impressed by the positive ambition of the company, along with the supportive and refreshing ethos. Belgrave Logistics Park is a major development project and my contracting background will be of benefit in ensuring that we deliver a successful project to bring to the Scottish logistics and industrial market next year.” The 47-year old is married with two children and lives in Perth.
New ways of thinking will be ‘essential for economic and social success post-coronavirus’, according to Pete Cohen, keynote speaker at the upcoming Think Differently virtual event, hosted by Association for Project Management (APM) and sponsored by Fujitsu. Think Differently: redefining diversity in projects is a five-day virtual event taking place between Monday 21 September and Friday 25 September, and aims to promote diversity of thought, creative problem-solving and new ways of working, to enable businesses and individuals to deliver ever better benefits to society through projects. The event will take place online, with different themes being explored each day through live sessions delivered by handpicked speakers, sharing a wealth of creative ideas, experiences and practical tools. In addition, there will be virtual networking sessions for project professionals of all backgrounds and experience levels and a virtual exhibition area where delegates can interact with sponsors and take part in activities. The event will also include APM’s Women in Project Management (WiPM) virtual conference, which will tackle some of the most relevant topics affecting project professionals today. Daily themes will include: Thinking differently about organisations How project organisations are developing to embrace a more diverse culture and how people can influence positive change in their organisation. Thinking differently about people How approaching team diversity from a different perspective contributes to greater project success, how to build personal skill sets and improve wellbeing in project teams. Thinking differently about projects How challenging traditional thinking on project processes means better and longer lasting benefits for the end user. Thinking differently about women in project management This virtual APM Women in Project Management conference day will inspire people to forge a new path and create their own adventure through the project profession. Think differently takeaway day The final day of the event will feature digestible summary sessions to clarify key takeaways and messages from the week. Pete Cohen, expert in human behaviour and performance, will be the event’s opening keynote speaker. Pete, who has coached numerous world-class sporting stars and was the resident life coach on ITV’s GMTV for 12 years, will kick off the week with a practical and inspiring talk on how to ‘think differently’. He said: “Changing mindset to view things from a different perspective requires skills, patience and practice – but it can be very rewarding! My session will give the audience a ‘brain warm up’, offering valuable tools and techniques to help them approach the week ahead with an open mind – and get much more out of it as a result.” Debbie Dore, Association for Project Management’s chief executive, said: “Whether responding to the global pandemic or the climate change crisis, it’s essential for organisations and individuals to embrace new ways of working, new people and new thinking. “Now is the time for change, but we recognise change also brings challenges. This event will look at what ‘thinking differently’ truly means for organisations, individuals and projects to inspire people to embrace and celebrate the kind of diverse thinking that will result in greater project success and better outcomes for society.” Registration for Association for Project Management Think Differently Week is open now. Individual members of APM can register for free. Employees of APM Corporate Partners can register for £15. Non-members can register for £25, which includes access to the full five-day event.
Project Management Institute (PMI) launches UK National Project Awards 2020 including recognition of the UK’s most influential Covid-19 response project PMI UK, in association with PwC, is delighted to announce the 2020 National Project Awards. In addition to eight award categories including; ‘Project of the Year’, ‘PMO of the Year’ and ‘Project Management for Social Good’, PMI is seeking nominations for the UK’s most influential Covid-19 response project. “We are launching the awards at a particularly challenging time for business and recognise the importance of highlighting the outstanding work that the project profession has undertaken this year, particularly around Covid-19” explains Chris Field, President of PMI UK part of the world’s leading project management professional body “We recognise that working life is changing; our recent Covid-19 survey of the profession in the UK indicates that up to 85% of project managers are working from home during the lockdown period with just under 45% saying that productivity has increased as a result of homeworking”. Jessica Parthezius, Partner at PwC: “We are thrilled to support the PMI UK National Project Awards 2020 providing the opportunity to recognise and celebrate the projects, individuals and teams that have excelled within the project management profession. These awards and recognition will be a platform to emphasise the value of project management and its contribution to our economy and wider society.” Peter Glynne, PMI UK Project Awards lead, explains: “We had an amazing reaction to our inaugural awards last year, with entries across all categories highlighting fantastic projects up and down the country. It’s a great opportunity to recognise excellence”. “This year we want to recognise the contribution of project management to responding to the Covid-19 pandemic. Our recent Covid-19 survey of the profession highlights that just under 60% of respondents believe that large scale project management to be absolutely critical to responding to and addressing Covid-19”. The PMI UK National Project Awards are open to any organisation, team or individual, without the need to be a PMI member. Projects can be of any size, type and from any industry. The judges are looking for superior performance through the application of project management; organisational results and/or positive impacts on the community. To apply to one (or more) of the award categories, please find the eligibility criteria, judging process and key dates here: https://pmi.org.uk/awards2020 Project of the Year [Large Private Enterprise] Project of the Year [Public Sector] Project of the Year [Small & Medium Enterprise] PMO of the Year Project Management for Social Good Early in Career Project Professional of the Year Project Professional of the Year PMI UK Volunteer of the Year Special Project Award: Best UK Covid-19 Response Project (public vote) The deadline date for entries is 25th September 2020 with winners announced at a black-tie gala award ceremony in March 2021. PMI is the world’s leading professional body for those who consider project, program or portfolio management their profession. Through global advocacy, collaboration, education and research, PMI work to prepare more than three million professionals around the world for the Project Economy: the economy in which work, and individuals, are organised around projects. PMI UK has a thriving, ever-growing community of over 3,000 members welcoming project management practitioners from across industry sectors. PMI UK provide professional development and networking opportunities through events (live and virtual), mentoring and volunteering. For more information or become a member visit www.pmi.org.uk
New research, commissioned by the Association for Project Management (APM) and conducted by PwC UK, has for the first time revealed the scale of the contribution the project profession makes to the UK economy. The new report, entitled ‘The Golden Thread’, has identified that project management in the UK generates around £156.5 billion of annual Gross Value Added (GVA) and that an estimated 2.13 million full-time equivalent workers (FTEs) are employed in the UK project management profession. This means around 7.9 per cent of UK employment (full time equivalents FTEs) delivers almost nine percent (8.9%) of total UK GVA. The new APM and PwC report seeks to highlight the contribution of the project profession to all aspects of UK plc, and reveals that the profession generates GVA that far outstrips other cross-business activity such as design, law and marketing. Debbie Dore, chief executive of APM welcomed the report stating: “Project management has for too long been cast as a ‘Cinderella’ or ‘hidden’ profession, working hard behind the scenes to ensure other’s success. But this new report recasts the profession into the role of a ‘golden thread’ – a seam that runs through UK plc, helping to develop new services, drive strategic change and sector-wide reform. In short, this report finds that the project profession is a thread truly woven into the fabric of UK societal and economic success.” Having established the real value of the profession, APM, the chartered body for the project profession, is now building on these findings to raise a red flag, warning of the factors that could inhibit the potential growth of the profession’s economic contribution. Of particular concern is the potential for a growing skills gap which, if not addressed, could lead to the rise of the ‘accidental project manager’ – employees without any recognised professional standards or training, who are given project management roles – decisions that can often jeopardise project success. Debbie Dore explains “Our report suggests that the contribution from and demand for the project profession is more extensive than many commentators thought and is set to increase. This could lead to demand for qualified and experienced project personnel starting to outstrip supply – ultimately leading to the failure of increasing numbers of projects. That’s why this report highlights to business, government and the education sector, the importance of training, development and professional standards (such as chartership) as the best way to develop a talent pool that is to scale and fit for purpose in today and tomorrow’s world.” Measured optimism PwC interviewed over 400 businesses for The Golden Thread and concluded that, as recognition of the importance of good project management grows, so too does the level of optimism among organisations in all sectors about the future of project management. 40 per cent of those interviewed in this research predicted a growth in projects, and 34 per cent were expecting project budgets to grow over the next three years. However, the report concludes that challenges remain – with over half of organisations (52 per cent) expressing concern over the current uncertainties caused by government policy – and just over one third (35 per cent) ranking this as the single greatest challenge of the past three years – with 56 per cent of businesses forecasting that this will still be an issue by 2021. Skills shortage Skills and capability shortages were also cited in the report as a potential barrier by a third of organisations questioned. Having access to enough people with the right project management skills and capabilities in the UK is a concern for 39 per cent and financial pressures leading to severe cost containment issues is a worry for 37 per cent. 32 per cent and 39 per cent of businesses respectively expect these to continue to be a challenge in the next three years. Sectoral trends Types of projects undertaken vary from sector to sector, but overall IT and digital transformations and new product development projects tend to dominate with 55 per cent and 46 per cent of organisations respectively having undertaken these types of project in the past year. Perhaps not surprisingly, in the construction and local government sectors, fixed capital projects are the main project type undertaken. Sandie Grimshaw, Partner, PwC UK explains the need for the UK to focus on skills further: “As ‘megaprojects’ increase in size and complexity, project professionals’ skills and attributes will need to change and adapt to handle media and political pressure along with strategic stakeholders in ways that are akin to professional diplomats. Whilst the UK has a strong and growing number of project professionals, this research helps to provide a better baseline for the skills sets and numbers of professionals required to support the capability for delivering projects – both large and small – in the years ahead.”
