As organisations in both the public and private sector embark on larger, more complex and transformation projects, their Boards struggle to provide the oversight and support required because they simply lack the technical skills to understand the implications of this work. One solution increasingly adopted is to appoint a Chief Projects (Delivery) Officer; someone who can advise the Board on what is required to translate strategy into a coherent and deliverable portfolio of projects and programmes and who can assume responsibility for the value these investments need to generate.

This webinar, organised jointly by the Major Projects Association and the Infrastructure and Projects Authority brought together leading figures from the public and private sector to explain how their organisation has approached this new CPO role and share their experience of the change.

The event kicked-off with a short, two-handed presentation by John Corderoy and Rob Van Duijl from the Geological Disposal Facility programme who explained how they have approached realising this multi-generational programme. Rob introduced us to the concept of the Intelligent and Athletic Client Organisation; one that can flex the scale of its team and their activity, in response to phases of the programme that need bursts of speed or moments of lower activity. Jonathan Heneghan from Viridor then told us how their position as the UK’s primary ‘energy from waste’ company translates into different types of complex project, each requiring a different set of capabilities. He explained the challenges this presents to him in his role as Programme Director as he helps the Board to address everything from technical risk and commercial uncertainty to securing knowledge retention. Karina Singh from the IPA outlined their approach to the new CPDO role in relation to the Government’s Major Projects Portfolio. Someone who ‘orchestrates’ the organization and its systems to deliver a departmental portfolio ‘well’. Finally Suzanne Newton from the Home Office shared her experience of managing and balancing across a portfolio of projects and programmes that is the largest and most diverse for a single department. She explained some of the key challenges in setting up for success and in leading and championing the team of 2000 project professionals to enable them to deliver the portfolio.

Following the presentations, the recording includes the 45 minutes of questions and discussions between the speakers and the 250 or so members of the online audience, representing a wide range of roles and industries within major projects.

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