Project Managers Forum
3 February 2010
Costain's Project Managers' Forum is moving forward into
2010 with renewed emphasis on tackling issues that directly impinge
on their jobs and the projects they handle.
The original terms of reference for the forum, set up in 2007,
were largely aspirational. A refocusing exercise last summer more
clearly defined its aims, objectives and delivery strategy.
Tangible benefits are continuing to emerge from the forum, says
its Chairman, Dafydd Lloyd.
As a company-wide organisation, it helps break down sector
silos. To this end, it is collaborating with Innovation and
Knowledge Manager, Tim Embley, to maximise the benefits of
knowledge-sharing and innovation across the company. A forum
database shares innovations and safety lessons.
Another benefit is the creation of the Project Performance
Assessment: whereas previously projects were marked on the basis of
having delivered documents in accordance with a process, it now
focuses on assessing the project's leadership, strategy, partnering
and people.
A further 'plus' has been the creation of a Project Managers'
Academy - a development centre for PMs aligned with the Association
for Project Management (APM). A substantial group of forum members
are already APM members and an initial group of 16 PMs received APM
Practitioner status in January 2010.
Dafydd hopes that this type of practical benefit will encourage
more of Costain's PMs to take an active role in the group. Around
70 attended the 2008 forum conference. "A hard core of
approximately 40 people are actively involved in forum business,"
he says. "The challenge we face is engagement with the others to
demonstrate benefit and, in turn, to gain the benefit of their
participation."