Public Sector Programme Management - video case study

I had the pleasure of working with the programme team for the Excellence in Programme and Project Management (EPPM) initiative from 2009 to 2011.

EPPM has improved the quality, consistency and coherence of programme management in regional and local authorities.  The aim was to ensure major programmes achieve effective outcomes for citizens through sharing experiences, collaborative working on common programmes and joint development of programme management capabilities.

All regional and local authorities are delivering major programmes of change. These include customer services, back/front-office transformation, efficiency and value for money, property, accommodation and new ways of working, building schools for the future and the personalisation of social care.   Such programmes are faced with significant and increasing challenges, including financial pressures, as well as the requirement to demonstrate improved outcomes and benefits realisation.

A key enabler for these programmes was the development of a common programme management guide, aligned to the Cabinet Office's Managing Successful Programmes (MSP), but tailored to local and regional government – the Public Sector Programme Management Approach (PSPMA).

The idea behind the EPPM programme was simple enough - enable and support people working on programmes to work effectively through:

• having a common approach ...
• used by competent people ...
• who share their experiences.

The PSPMA started life as the London PMA as it was developed by staff from ten London authorities and the GLA in partnership with the EPPM programme team through a series of workshops. It is tailored to local government and is very practical.  Very soon local authorities outside of London became interested in the London PMA and started to use it too and in 2011 it was renamed the Public Sector PMA to reflect its availability for all regional and local authorities across the UK.

To celebrate the success of EPPM and to launch PSPMA nationally, a conference was held at the GLA in London.  The following video case study explains more...