Improving programme and project management capability at TFL
- OverviewRead more
On initiation of its multi-year, multi-£billion capital investment programme, Transport for London (TfL) recognised that it needed to develop its ability to deliver projects and programmes consistently, using a common method and language. At Surface Transport, one of the organisation's major modes, Moorhouse led Project SPEARMINT – a one-year, PPM capability improvement initiative. The joint client-consultant team delivered a common PPM framework that was used across the business; clarified programme and project governance structures, designed and delivered training to TfL staff and established multiple support forums to maintain post project momentum and benefits realisation. We delivered Project SPEARMINT to time, cost and stated outcome, and received the 'Team Award' at the Office of Government Commerce's (OGC's) 2004 Successful Delivery Conference and a 2005 London Excellence Award for our work. We are proud of the fact that the well-embedded SPEARMINT approach remains today, many years later, a critical, result-enabling delivery methodology for them, the sign of a truly successful change engagement.
- Our client's challengeRead more
Transport for London (TfL) is the integrated body responsible for the capital's transport system. Its role is to implement the Mayor's Transport Strategy for London and manage the transport services across the capital.
TfL is organised internally into three 'modal' groupings – London Underground, London Rail and Surface Transport. This latter group is responsible for managing London's buses, trams and river services, a 580km network of main roads, all of London's 4,600 traffic lights and the regulation of taxis and the private hire trade. They also improve conditions for pedestrians, those with mobility impairments, cyclists, drivers and freight and implement proposals for reducing congestion. The organisation recognised it needed to develop its ability to use a common method and language to consistently deliver projects. The business leaders became convinced that project and programme management (PPM) capability was fundamental to the successful translation of their strategy into meaningful benefits for London's transport users.
- Our responseRead more
We led a one-year, PPM capability improvement initiative – Project SPEARMINT.
A joint client-consultant team was pivotal to our approach; it ensured the business was proactively refining the solution, driving business change and greatly facilitated knowledge and skill transfer. Another key aspect of our approach was very tight project discipline
The initiative was broad, with multiple components – development and communication of a PPM method, staff communication and training, establishment of an organisational 'infrastructure' to govern projects and the establishment of multiple support forums to facilitate future change embedment. All of these focused on the 'softer' side of PPM capability development, recognising that this needs to be in place before an organisation is mature enough to really derive benefit from any enterprise-wide IT tool.
Key elements that were delivered as a result of the consulting engagement included:
- A common PPM framework used across the business – backed up by an intranet resource consisting of c. 200 web pages and c. 150 management products (e.g. reference guidelines, document templates, completed examples etc.);
- Clarification of programme and project governance structures including the establishment of directorate-level approval boards across the business;
- Design and initial delivery of supporting training; at project close c. 200 Project Managers and c. 50 Senior Directors/ Managers had been trained in tailored sessions and TfL staff developed to tutor the remaining courses;
- Establishment of multiple support forums to ensure that the business maintained post project momentum and managed the benefits realisation process; including – a central PMO (Programme Management Office) team, directorate-level PMOs, a PMO members' forum, a SPEARMINT 'Champions' forum and a wider 'Community of Practice' for all programme and project managers within the business.
- The value to our clientRead more
Project SPEARMINT, under our leadership, was delivered to time, cost and stated outcome. The closing project survey acknowledged many early, and unexpected, benefits (e.g. use of a common framework to resolve issues that span functional areas etc.). The project's outputs have been viewed as the essential 'enabling platform' on which the organisation delivers its immensely ambitious capital investment programme.
As the business change continues to embed, further benefits in terms of 'delivering more of the right projects well' will be realised. As a very conservative estimate, the organisation evaluated these benefits as c.£8m/ annum through faster project delivery, focus on benefits management and a reduced dependency on external PPM skills (cost reduction). The SPEARMINT Team were the 'Team Award' winners at the Office of Government Commerce's (OGC's) 2004 Successful Delivery Conference and the project won the 2005 London Excellence Awards.
Click here to download the PDF.
