Atkins Breakfast Briefing (24/04/08)
Challenges of Complex and Evolving Programmes - Views from the Front Line
The most recent in our series of Breakfast Briefings on Delivering Transformational Government Programmes was on 24th April 2008. We looked at how managers in front line delivery organisations, such as local authorities and schools, must and can deal with the challenges of constant change and complexity in policy-led programmes.
Responding to Constant Change: Sean Lockie, of Faithful + Gould, has worked with many schools and local authorities on their Building Schools for the Future and Academies Programmes. The sustainability and low carbon agenda is an issue that many of us increasingly need to adapt to and schools are a particular case in point. Sean demonstrated how specifications and programme plans can be managed to adapt to changing policy imperatives.
Dealing with Inherent Complexity: Mike Pocock from London Borough of Lambeth shared some of his experiences around coordinating the complex areas within Building Schools for the Future (BSF). BSF is critical to raising attainment and encouraging positive and independent attitudes to learning. Success hinges on setting a vision, wide-spread community consultation and securing the necessary central government funding to provide schools staffed by confident, trained practitioners, using classrooms equipped with dependable, exciting technology. Mike described how the major programme to replace and refurbish Lambeth’s secondary schools is achieving these goals.
Linking Designs with Outcomes: Miranda Reeves from Atkins focussed on the importance of defining outcome based requirements, and then designing solutions to meet them. Miranda illustrated how to approach this using experience of schools procuring technology, including associated change initiatives.
The briefing ran from 8.00am to 10.00am (with full English breakfast and lighter alternative, served at the beginning of proceedings) at The Horticultural Halls Conference Centre, Greycoat Street, London SW1P 2QD which is a five-minute stroll from both St James’s Park and Pimlico tube stations.
For further information, or if you are interested in attending future briefings, please contact Melody Laidlaw by email or telephone: 020 7121 2786.