Visit our devolution and LGR hub for the latest information, support and resources
Event details
Date: 4 December 2024
Facilitated by Tori Campbell, Head of Transformation, Cambridge City Council.
Speakers:
- Liam Hornsby, Associate Director of Customer and Corporate Services, Watford Borough Council
- Andrew Rostom, Head of Change, Haringey Council
Spotlight Presentation: Watford Borough Council
Liam Hornsby, Associate Director of Customer and Corporate Services at Watford Borough Council, shared the council’s journey in forming its Enterprise Programme Management Office (EPMO). Initially, the council faced significant challenges, including a lack of internal project management resources, inconsistent frameworks, and misalignment of resources with strategic objectives. These issues, identified during a 2017 Peer Challenge review, impacted the council’s ability to deliver its ambitious capital and transformation programmes effectively.
The council revised its approach by establishing the EPMO as a central hub, directly aligned with the council’s delivery plan and the mayor’s manifesto. A dedicated team was formed, supported by a customised project management framework and a Project Assurance Group for enhanced oversight. This structured, collaborative approach optimised resource allocation, ensured greater consistency in project delivery and reduced reliance on external consultants.
The establishment of this hub delivered substantial benefits, including the successful completion of key projects like the decarbonisation of Watford Town Hall and the Clarendon Road redevelopment. Staff development and clear career progression pathways enhanced internal expertise, while improved processes ensured alignment with strategic objectives. Liam highlighted that investing in project management infrastructure, fostering collaboration, and maintaining strong oversight was essential in positioning the EPMO as a key driver of organisational success, establishing Watford Borough Council as a benchmark for effective project management in local government.
Spotlight Presentation: Haringey Council
Andrew Rostom, the Head of Corporate Change at Haringey Council, shared a summary of the significant changes that took place over the past two years. Leadership shifts at both political and senior management levels led to the development of a new strategic framework. This prompted a revaluation of the council’s approach to change, with an assessment of ongoing projects. This assessment formed the creation of a new Change Management and PMO function aimed at achieving the council’s new strategic objectives.
This assessment led to the creation of the Haringey Deal – a commitment to working more collaboratively with residents and setting more ambitious goals for the borough. The Haringey Deal focused on better understanding communities through direct engagement and ensuring basic services were delivered effectively. A key element of the Deal was the notion of sharing power with communities, particularly at a local level, through participatory budgeting frameworks.
Alongside the Deal, the Corporate Plan was launched, outlining eight key outcomes aligned with the council's political manifesto. Over 2,500 residents and stakeholders contributed to a new borough-wide vision for Haringey, focused on creating a place where everyone could belong and thrive. With these frameworks in place, the council focused on refining its change delivery processes.
Spotlight Q&A
What types of roles sat on your project assurance group and at what levels? And did your project management forum have a term of reference?
Liam explained that the Project Management Forum was set up to share knowledge and highlight important projects. To improve efficiency, the project assurance board was restructured, no longer involving the full leadership team. It is now chaired by Liam, Associate Director of EPMO, with a rotating member from the Corporate Management Board. Service delivery leads and senior project managers participate in rotation, bringing a range of perspectives and expertise. The PMO lead and coordinator remain consistent members to ensure stability.
Andrew added that handling challenging conversations with directors required strong senior support and open, honest discussions. Directors were reminded of their responsibility to prioritise projects, and alternative funding options were explored for ongoing initiatives. Some projects were found to lack clear justification, funding, or resources, leading to recommendations to move them to Business as Usual or discontinue them. This process, which involved reducing the number of active projects from 130 to 15, was time sensitive, taking around six months, with further discussions continuing to address the remaining work.
How do you manage the pressure to increase pace, especially when it's used as a justification for bypassing proper governance?
Andrew highlighted that "pace" and "momentum" often arise in discussions with politicians or senior leaders. To manage this, the PMO first assessed whether requests aligned with priority projects. If they did, resources were allocated for short-term solutions; if not, an agile approach was applied to address complex challenges promptly. Liam agreed, noting that linking requests to the Council plan and established priorities helped reduce the number of urgent, ad-hoc demands. He stressed the value of breaking large projects into smaller milestones, enabling members to show progress and deliver visible outcomes, even for long-term initiatives. Both agreed that the flexibility of the PMO played a critical role in maintaining momentum and managing pace effectively.
What is the relationship between the PMO and support functions such as procurement, legal, and ICT?
Liam shared that the PMO improved collaboration by involving staff familiar with the organisation to review how support functions contributed to projects and tracked risks through regular reports. This approach helped manage these relationships better, though some challenges persisted.
How do you identify non-financial benefits, and what do you do when the data simply isn’t available?
Andrew explained that to address the lack of data, they first identify potential benefits during the project initiation phase. If data is missing, the PMO uses flexible resources to gather it manually, such as through observations and monitoring. This helps establish a baseline for tracking improvements. For non-financial benefits, the project team ensures that the sponsor approves the data supporting both financial and non-financial savings. The project only progresses once there is an agreement, preventing disagreements later about savings or resource adjustments.
Who owns the benefits realisation at the end of the project within Haringey?
Andrew clarified that at the end of the project, the PMO takes on an oversight role, while services manage ongoing performance and monitoring. The PMO continues to monitor the project for a few months after closure, particularly for priority projects. From months three to six, they remain involved in the performance monitoring framework, especially concerning financial savings. This ensures that benefits, such as cost reductions or service shifts, are achieved and validated before final decisions, such as reallocating resources are made. At this stage, the PMO's relationship with services becomes high level, focusing on oversight rather than direct management.
Roundtable discussion
The roundtable discussion focused on the structure and role of PMO and transformation functions within organisations, stressing the importance of viewing transformation as essential as HR. Key topics included internal training programmes like one council’s "grow your own" scheme and the creation of PMO toolkits to overcome system challenges. Participants also highlighted the difficulty in securing transformation funding and the need for senior management to focus on long-term savings rather than short-term solutions.
A key issue discussed was how to define success in transformation initiatives, especially when there are no pre-established metrics. The challenge of convincing leadership to embrace new systems rather than just hiring additional staff was discussed, along with the need for decisive leadership to drive projects forward despite decision delays.
The group also discussed difficulties in identifying and prioritising projects, with an emphasis on the importance of standardisation and setting minimum standards for managing transformation efforts. The importance of clear objectives, strong leadership, and adaptable frameworks was emphasised as essential for successfully managing transformation initiatives.