Turning around a failing project at Lifelong Learning UK LLUK

Overview
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Lifelong Learning UK (LLUK) is the Sector Skills Council responsible for employers in the learning sector. As part of the Government 14-19 education reforms, LLUK initiated the 14-19 Diploma project. Nearly a year into the project a number of the work streams had not been initiated, two of the three delivery resources had left, there was no clear understanding of costs; overall, the project was struggling. Moorhouse was engaged to manage the project. We first defined the scale of the problem and proposed a set of solutions. Then the client requested that we proceed to implement the solutions and we turned the project around. At the end of the year, all deliverables had been met and the project finished within 1% of the plan. We delivered the handover to the permanent team that took the project forward. We delivered the diploma programme successfully; in addition we improved the credibility and reliability of LLUK and improved the skills of its staff.
Our client's challenge
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When the Government was introducing the 14-19 education reforms, this presented new challenges and opportunities for the education workforce. A 14-19 workforce development partnership was established by the Department for Education (DfE) to ensure that sufficient support was available for everyone involved in delivering the reforms. As part of this working development partnership, LLUK initiated the 14-19 Diploma project - designed to ensure there would be sufficient support available for tutors, teachers and trainers of the new diplomas.
The project was initiated with six work streams being delivered by three permanent project management resources. Nearly a year into the project and a number of the work streams had not been initiated, two of the three delivery resources had left, there was no clear understanding of costs and, overall, the project was struggling. LLUK required support to help turn the project around and manage it until permanent staff could be found to take on the delivery.
Our response
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Moorhouse was commissioned to provide turnaround support and interim management of the 14-19 Diploma project through to the end of the financial year.
Our first task was to understand the scale of the problem and propose a set of solutions to the client who, on review were happy to commission Moorhouse to implement the solutions, turn the project around and manage it through to the point where a permanent team could be installed.
Ultimately, the challenge of managing the project on a day-to-day basis came down to effective stakeholder management. Utilising a combination of resource matching and good planning we were able to manage the project successfully. At the end of the year all deliverables had been met and the project finished within 1% of plan.
Moorhouse successfully handed over the 14-19 Diploma project to the permanent team that took the project forward. Over a two week period our consultants worked alongside permanent staff and laid out in detail the processes, knowledge and skills required to progress.
The value to our client
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The LLUK Operations Director and DCSF both identified a number of benefits including:
- Successful delivery and support to the diploma implementation
- Improved credibility and reliability of LLUK as a delivery organisation
Improved skills of LLUK staff as a result of skills transfer focus

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