Providing project, programme and change management, with specialist expertise in publicly funded activity. Focussing on process and operational improvement, workforce planning and development, business transformation, strategic thinking, benefits planning and realisation, benchmarking and evaluation.

Delivering project management training - sign up now at the link above.

Responsible for delivering £6million+ workforce development programmes for the Learning and Skills sector in England; working within tight timescales and a tense political environment, securing stakeholder buy in, ensuring effective governance, timely and evidence based decision making, management of risks and issues, effective planning, quality management, financial control and ensuring benefit realisation.

Responsible for leading, managing, motivating and supporting a team of twelve Project Managers and their project teams to deliver a portfolio of twenty four work streams to time, cost and quality. I established effective external governance arrangements for the portfolio through project boards and quality assurance groups to ensure that the £3.5 million portfolio income delivered the desired outcomes. Communication, both internally and externally, was a critical part of my role; I established and maintained good working relationships with Government Departments, key stakeholders and those that work within the field of lifelong learning.

Responsible for delivering £8 million worth of publicly funded change projects using PRINCE2 project management methodology, including risk and issue management, budget control, stakeholder engagement, planning, quality assurance and ensuring effective governance.Key achievements: Developed and implemented a project management framework for the organisation, trained those using it and evaluated the impact. Subsequently led the set up the project management office. Successfully established the organisation’s Governance structure, comprising University Vice Chancellors, College Principals, Chief Executives, Heads of Service from local government and senior civil servants.  Delivered improvements in the quality of teaching by encouraging 1600 tutors to undertake work-based placements and update the currency of their vocational skills. Successfully managed the delivery of a Customer Relationship Management system to track, monitor and evaluate participants. Secured ongoing funding for projects by developing effective strategic relationships. Identified current and future skills needs of projects and secured resource internally and externally to create the multi-disciplinary teams required to deliver project, programme and organisational outcomes. Procured, negotiated and contracted external suppliers to deliver target based contracts worth in excess of £1million, and managed those contracts to successful completion.  Raised the profile and reputation of the organisation with employers and stakeholders through brand development and effective engagement. Influenced national policy through constructive relationships with Government departments, public bodies, awarding organisations, regulatory and professional bodies.

I worked with the Board of Directors to develop the strategic vision and plan. I established systems and processes to support the delivery of the business plan and I built relationships with Government Departments and key stakeholders which resulted in isNTO influencing policy. As the landscape of Government policy shifted and NTO's were phased out to become Sector Skills Councils (SSC), I worked with the Board of Directors to position isNTO within the lifelong learning remit. I was appointed to the Development Group for Lifelong Learning UK with a focus on financial management and transition. I developed funding bids on behalf of the partners and secured income for the transition phase which I managed and accounted for. I developed the financial plan for LLUK to support the Strategic and Business plans that were submitted to Government to secure the SSC licence.