Do the actions and behaviour of your project stakeholders ever inspire you to:

1. Question the value logic and rational thinking
2. Tear your hair out
3. Despair for sanity of the human race
4. All of the above?

Do your stakeholders ever struggle to understand your decisions and your way of thinking?

If so, join Jack Pinter and two professional actors as they reveal and enact the layers of motivational drivers that inform and influence human behaviour, and show you how to see the ‘real me’ in others, and share your own ‘real me’ in service of better and smoother interpersonal relationships.
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Growing Project Delivery Capability and Capacity in Government

• Tim Banfield, Director Strategy
• Infrastructure and Projects Authority
• Cabinet Office

Tim took up his current role in the Infrastructure &  Projects Authority [IPA], part of the Cabinet Office’s Efficiency and Reform Group, in November 2013. Tim has a critical leadership role developing the project delivery profession in government including the development and advancement of the Major Projects Leadership Academy.

Working closely with the Chief Executive of the IPA, Treasury, departments and others, Tim is responsible for ensuring a consistent, high quality, approach is adopted to prioritising and managing portfolios and for developing a refined and updated approach Project Initiation.

Tim has an Honours degree in History obtained at the University of London, is an Honorary Fellow of the Association for Project Management, a member of the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy and, in 2013, was one of the first cohort to successfully pass through the government Major Projects Leadership Academy.

He is a member of the Advisory Council of the Royal United Services Institute and has had a wide variety of articles published in project management and defence journals and lectures on a range of courses. He was previously a Director at the National Audit Office which he joined in 1988 having previously worked in local government.

At the NAO Tim specialised in the examination of complex project delivery and defence acquisition issues and, at various times, was also responsible for its work on DEFRA, the Millennium Dome and foreign affairs. Tim is married to Kay, has two daughters and two dogs and is an avid West Ham United supporter.

Infrastructure & Projects Authority

IPA has responsibility to assure, support and report on the Government Major Projects Portfolio [GMPP], which covers around 200 major projects with a total whole life cost approaching £500 billion.

Major projects are defined as those which:

• require spending over and above departmental expenditure limits
• require primary legislation
• are innovative or contentious

The IPA has a clear and enforceable mandate from the Prime Minister to:

• draw up the Government Major Projects Portfolio
• request, review and approve integrated assurance and approval plans for each major project or programme
• carry out assurance reviews where there is cause for concern
• intervene directly, where appropriate, in the delivery of major projects that are failing by providing commercial and operational support
• work with departments to build skills and expertise in projects and programme management
• publish an annual report on major projects

The mandate also outlines action to be taken be departments.

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Emma Cater’s acting career began as a child, performing in BBC’s The Doctors and The Harry H Corbett Show alongside her parents. She went on to train in Dance Theatre and performed with various dance and theatre companies in USA, Japan, the Far East, China and Europe, playing the lead opening production at the new Saddler’s Wells in London.

She has played a variety of roles from Hermia in Shakespeare’s A Mid Summer Night’s Dream on London’s South Bank, Gretel in Hansel and Gretel at The Young Vic and Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz.

Recent work includes The Girl Who Never Looked Up at the National Theatre, Beauty and the Beast at Polka Theatre London, the feature film Loulou and various TV commercials. Emma a learning associate at the National Theatre and Barbican, and also has done training and role-play work for many large organisations across Europe.
>> Conference Programme <<

Michael, who trained at the Drama Centre, London between 1975 and 1978, has since had a long and distinguished career in Theatre, Television and Film Productions and radio.

His skills include:

Accents and Dialects:  American-Standard, Cockney, French, Irish-Southern, Italian, Liverpool, London, Northern, RP, Suffolk

Languages: English, German and Italian.

Sports: Golf [highly skilled]

Recent roles include:

Theatre Productions

2016 Vicar-General Barnabus Goche, THE HERBAL BED, ETT and tour, d. James Dacre

2015 Lord Lamprey, Canon St. John, THE MAGNA CARTA PLAYS, Salisbury Playhouse, d. Gareth Machin

2014 Monsieur Grivet, THERESE RAQUIN, Theatre Royal, Bath, d. Jonathan Munby

2014 War Correspondent, WAR CORRESPONDENTS, Helen Chadwick Songtheatre, national tour, co-directed by Steven Hoggett, Helen Chadwick

2014 Stryver, Mr. Lorry, A TALE OF TWO CITIES, Royal Theatre, Northampton, d. James Dacre

2013 Inspector Boucard, A LITTLE HOTEL ON THE SIDE (Feydeau), Theatre Royal, Bath
director, Lindsay Posner

2012 Pied Piper and other roles, RATS’ TALES, Royal Exchange, Manchester- director, Melly Still

2012 Antonio, THE TEMPEST, Theatre Royal, Bath director, Adrian Noble

2011 The Archbishop of York, and Bardolph, HENRY IVTH PARTS 1 AND 2, Theatre Royal, Bath director, Peter Hall

2010 Arthur Kipps, THE WOMAN IN BLACK, Fortune Theatre, London director, Robin Herford

2009 Foxlip, NATION, (Terry Pratchett/ Mark Ravenhill), National Theatre director, Melly Still

2009 Rynaldo, ALL’S WELL THAT ENDS WELL, National Theatre director, Marianne Elliott

2008 Boyet, LOVE’S LABOUR’S LOST, Rose Theatre, Kingston director, Peter Hall

2008 Yao Yel and Ki Leh, TURANDOT, (Brecht) Hampstead Theatre director,Tony Clark

2008 Elwood Barnes, HARPER REGAN, (Stephens) National Theatre director, Marianne Elliott

2007 Neil Hamilton/James Herring/Menaji, LIFE AFTER SCANDAL, (Soans) Hampstead Theatre
director, Tony Clark

2007 Michael, SOMEONE WHO’LL WATCH OVER ME, (McGuinness) Manchester Library Theatre, director, Chris Honer

2007 Prospero, THE TEMPEST, Queen’s Theatre, Hornchurch director, Bob Carlton

2006 Lucio, MEASURE FOR MEASURE, Theatre Royal Bath and Stratford director, Peter Hall

Television and Film Productions

2014 Mathematics Professor – LONDONGRAD – Ep.7 – Windcatcher Productions

2011 Curate Horsley, (episode 1), PARADE’S END, (Stoppard/Ford Madox Ford) BBC/HBO
director, Susanna White

2011 Mr. Goodpasture, HATFIELDS AND MCCOYS, History Channel director, Kevin Reynolds

2011 The Vicar, PRIVATE PEACEFUL, (Morpurgo/Reade), Fluidity Films director, Pat O’Connor

2011 ‘Creepy Colin’ Grimshaw (3 episodes), HOLLYOAKS, Lime Pictures director, Steve Brett

2010 Mr. Jessup, the undertaker, ACTS OF GODFREY, feature film director, Johnny Daukes

2008 Michael Gygess, INVISIBLE EYES, Hide Films director, Olivier Cohen

2007 Jiglad Wert-Hoodwinkers, THE COLOUR OF MAGIC, (Pratchett) Mob Films/SKY One
director, Vadim Jean

2007 Mathematician, THE OXFORD MURDERS, Tornasol Films director, Alex De La Iglesia

2007 The Vigilance Councillor, MARIE LLOYD – QUEEN OF THE MUSIC HALL, Hat Trick for BBC 4 director, James Hawes

Solo and Radio Work

2009, Radio, The English Officer, SLAUGHTERHOUSE FIVE, BBC Radio 3, David Hunter

2009, Radio, Tommy Benson, INCIDENT AT BOULONVILLIERS, BBC Radio 4, David Hunter

2005, Radio, All parts, ARNOLD DARWIN’S FEELING BETTER, Own solo play/BBC Radio 4, Enyd Williams

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Murray Easton is a mechanical engineer by profession and a consummate leader by passion. His most recent assignment was as Executive Director of Murray & Roberts, overseeing the fabrication of two large coal fired power station structures in South Africa. He is especially skilled in building tight teams from diverse cultural groups who need to be consistently productive in complex environments.

Previous to this he was Managing Director of BAE Systems Submarine Solutions where he was responsible for bringing the Astute Class nuclear powered hunter killer submarines into affordability.

Described by others as ‘turnaround specialist’, Murray is no stranger to leading groups towards finding practical solutions to complicated problems. An accomplished industrialist, Murray was Chair of Babcock Facilities Management Ltd, comprising the Rosyth Dockyard, Babcock New Zealand Ltd and Babcock Defence Systems Ltd.

He has also held roles as Operations Director and Assistant Ship Manager at Yarrow Shipbuilders Ltd, Glasgow, and as Production Director of Cammell Laird Shipbuilders at Birkenhead, on the Mersey.

Murray Easton was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in 2006 and a CBE in the 2008 Queen’s New Year’s Honours, for services to industry. He has a proven track record of delivering complex capability in an environment of cutbacks and uncertainty.

Murray was appointed a Governor of the UK Health Foundation in 2011, and Non-Executive Director of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority in 2012. He is also a Non-Executive Director of Dynamic Controls Ltd.
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“2016 – Is this the end of the 100 year plus battle against Alzheimer’s Disease?”

Since 2000, there have been in excess of 1,000 clinical trials conducted in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) with the aim of either treating the symptoms of the disease or slowing down the progression of this devastating disease. However, 99.6% of these drug trials have failed to show any effect whatsoever in treating these subjects.

AD is an increasing global epidemic with some 35 million people currently estimated to be suffering from this disease and this prevalence is estimated to triple by 2050. The disease is both progressive and irreversible and Alzheimer’s Disease International (ADI) has estimated the global cost of caring for people with dementia at $604 billion (USD).

As the world’s population ages, these costs are expected to soar. The ADI predicts a massive increase in costs by 2030 to more than $1 trillion (USD). Moreover, AD exacts a tremendous toll on families and caregivers alike.

Huge global focus has been given to this disease with unprecedented collaboration in the pharmaceutical industry between key pharma companies.

In Q4 this year, there will be a read-out of one of the most eagerly awaited clinical trials in AD and, the outcome of this trial could, potentially, change the outlook for hundreds of millions of people in the years to come…

Dr. Lynne Hughes B Med Sci., Ph.D., PMP

Vice President and Head of Centre of Excellence, Neurology, Quintiles.

Lynne Hughes has worked in clinical research for more than 30 years and has lived and worked during this time period in both the US and in Europe. She has been with Quintiles for 20 years and is currently Vice President and Global Head of the Centre of Excellence for Neurology and also for the Autism and the Acute Care & Pain CoEs.

Lynne has worked exclusively in neurology while at Quintiles and has managed global development programs both from the operational perspective as a program director and also from the design perspective – working with many clients on their clinical development plan for their product.

She has provided consultancy advice in Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis, acute care, epilepsy and pain, and has been involved in a number of investment opportunities within Quintiles. In particular, she sits on a number of advisory boards, with particular interest in neurocognitive assessment and design of appropriate studies to assess neurocognitive dysfunction.

She  is a member of a number of steering and / or executive committees for clients and  has responsibility for several consultancy programs for investment opportunities within all areas of neurology.  Her current role is in developing evidence-based strategies for the most efficient conduct of clinical trials / programs for our clients and leads both  the Neurology Centre of Excellence and the Acute Care & Pain Centre of Excellence which is providing therapeutic input and expertise for conducting trials in subjects across all neurological and pain indications..

These virtual CoE teams involve experts from every service within Quintiles and provide consolidated scientific, therapeutic and operational input and support for clients’ drug development, from a clinical trial development plan to a stand-alone trial. She has been involved, to varying extents, in the development of every neurology product on the market today.  She is PMP certified and has been since 2000 and this certification is up to date.

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I was delighted to receive an invite to hot-foot it over to Australia as the keynote speaker at the Project Governance and Controls Symposium 2015 taking place this week at the Australian Defence Force Academy, UNSW on 6 -7 May 2015.

This event in Canberra looks at the project governance and control needs of the Australian Federal Government through the lenses of; government agencies, academia and industry.

The focus is on public sector projects and engagement with Defence/DMO due to the significance and size of their projects and split into three streams; education, practitioner and new developments.

In my presentation I will be covering various initiatives by the UK Cabinet Office in relation to the Government’s Major Project Portfolio [GMPP] – such as the Major Projects Authority [MPA] and Leadership Academy [MPLA].

I also plan to explore the status of project management, governance and controls, in particular earned value; including recent developments in international standards in the UK, US and worldwide.

As Chair of APM Board, which is the largest national project management organisation in the International Project Management Association [IPMA], I believe that I am well positioned to make such a contribution.

I am looking forward to meeting, and sharing the stage with, Yvonne Butler, the CEO of AIPM, who will be providing ‘Project Governance and Controls – The Australian Perspective, Challenges and Initiatives’ and having the opportunity to build upon the long standing relationship between our respective Associations.

Recently this was enshrined in a Memorandum of Understanding [MOU] which includes a range of activities that support members as well as improve understanding – for example through nominated representatives at Board and executive levels. [A modern day Magna Carta if I might be so bold in the 800 anniversary year of the date of signature. See details of my own celebration event. Putting down the roots for good governance : #eva20]

This builds very nicely on my recent speaking visit to Washington DC in the US, following an agreement between APM and the National Defence Industrial Association] NDIA as joint signatories on a reciprocity agreement on EVMS [Earned Value Management System] standards [See full article in APM news]

At the time I said that these meetings are extremely important in enabling us to establish a foundational plan for joint working. This sentiment was echoed by Carol Boser, chair of the NDIA IPMD, who agreed that the ‘earned value’ memorandum of understanding would help to foster closer collaboration on both sides of the Atlantic.

 However, as far as I am concerned this is by no means the end of this programme – we all know that many of the benefits of any programme are typically only realised, by users, downstream!

Next month, my international push continues with my eVaintheUK “Putting down the roots of good governance” anniversary event. I am also excited to be working with some great people at ITER in the south of France and we are deep in the throes of organising our life-changing global event called Fusing the Project World: Q>10 on 3^rd /4^th September.

I believe that strong strategic relationships are only made possible by investing time with others who lead, and are responsible for, the professionalization of project management.

Hence me making time in my busy schedule to travel half way around the world to participate in this important conference, which in turns piece by piece to make our world a better place!

That’s it for now folks as I need some sleep and wish to make the most of the warm Australian hospitality.

Karolina Jackson-Ward, Product Manager, Projectplace

Karolina has more than twenty years’ experience in the IT industry and a variety of other roles as project manager for Projectplace, at Planview.

She ensures customer value can stay in focus in developments and that product value is communicated clearly.

She is passionate about delivering value, efficient collaboration, leadership, customer focus and having fun. 

Effective Leaders create Value-Driven Teams

What does it take to get a team that focuses on delivering value to the customer?

In her presentation at “Bringing Projects to Life” conference, she will focus on how effective leaders can apply Lean and Agile methods, supported by modern research on motivation and productivity, to boost team performance. The presentation includes;

• A clue to motivation
• Shaping behaviour – there’s a right and a wrong way to go about it
• Metrics that matter
• The role of the leader

The bottom line – when your team delivers you look good!

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Richard Palczynski, Director of Programme Controls at Crossrail

Richard joined Crossrail in June 2015 as director of programme controls. In his role he is accountable for ensuring visibility and accuracy of programme performance data, and providing the executive leadership with the information they need in order to manage the programme and maintain their focus in the right areas.

His move to Crossrail is a return to hands-on programme management after having spent the previous six years in the corporate world helping to run, grow and evolve companies such as Parsons Brinckerhoff, Balfour Beatty and most recently, Mace, where he was the director of programme management for their major programmes and infrastructure division.

Throughout his career, Richard has collected a broad range of major programme experience across infrastructure projects such as the Fyled Coast waste water programme, Jubilee Line extension, Channel Tunnel rail link, West Coast route modernisation programme and now Crossrail.

With employers such as Bechtel, PB, Balfours and Mace, he has a portfolio of different roles under his belt from design and construction management, commercial and project management to six sigma and project controls to name a few.

In 2012 he was awarded his Fellowship with the Institution of Civil Engineers. He’s a Supervising Civil Engineer, very keen skier, loves triathlon, cycling and running.

Richard will be speaking at APM Conference in April this year.

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Geraldine Barker
Director at UK National Audit Office

Lessons learnt. Mining the National Audit Archive.

Geraldine is responsible for leading the development of the NAO’s approach to auditing major projects and programmes throughout government.

Geraldine has worked within central government for over 25 years and has 20 years’ experience of carrying out audits and examinations with a focus on major projects and programmes in many government bodies.

Examples of the work that she and her team have carried out are examinations of the early preparations for High Speed 2, the cancellation of the Intercity West Coast franchise competition and the completion and sale of HS1. Before joining the National Audit Office in 1999, Geraldine had experience as a consultant in both the private sector and central government, carrying out organizational and staffing reviews.

Geraldine graduated from University College of Swansea with a degree in history, and is a member of the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply. She is currently studying for a graduate diploma in Global Business at Said Business School.

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