Continuing their work within the Local Government Sector, PM Professional have successfully completed the initial tranche of education for St Edmundsbury Borough Council.

The council suffered from some classic project management issues such as inconsistency of governance, lack of project ownership, a lack of consistent processes and methodologies, poor project control and a lack of formal gateway review processes.  This also meant that the organisation had limited knowledge of its capacity to execute projects, leading to sometimes slow response times and deferral of important projects.

PM Professional assisted the Council’s Project and Procument Manager, Mark Walsh, to roll out their new approach which included:

• The development of a set of tools and techniques
• A roll out programme of awareness sessions and project management training
• The establishment of a programme board to meet monthly to approve projects and review the progress of projects
• The creation of an information ‘sharepoint’ where project information can be posted and accessed by everyone at the Council

“PMProfessional Learning has been a key partner in rolling out our vision for project management at St Edmundsbury.  The sessions to members and senior managers help to raise the profile of project management and clarify its importance to the organisation.  This has helped pave the way to the successful establishment of monthly programme board meetings.  This group now drives and develops the project management agenda at St Edmundsbury ensuring it remains a high priority.

The one day training sessions given to a large number of our officers has made them aware of the tools that we are employing and the project management theory that underpins their use.  This has been a powerful catalyst for change.”  Mark Walsh, Procurement and Project Manager, St Edmundsbury Borough Council

PM Professional are now working to develop the ongoing strategy with St Edmundsbury Borough Council to progress to more advanced project management training.