The role of the project director has been identified by professional bodies working with and advising on PFIs as crucial to projects being delivered on time and within budget.

 

The National Audit Office (NAO) and the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) have both called for more expertise in dealing with public sector projects.

 

In response, project delivery specialist for local government, 4ps, has developed a programme due to be launched later this month.

 

The Project Director’s Development Programme (PDDP), which has been designed in partnership with University College London (UCL) and Constructing Excellence, promises to fill the skills gap.

 

“Essentially a number of projects across several sectors were being delivered over time and over budget, with a subsequent loss of considerable sums of money to the public purse,” said Alan Munro, project director for 4ps.

 

“The development of the PDDP is a logical result of 12 years of experience of 4ps being local government’s delivery specialist," he explained.

 

The programme starts in July and over 12 months, via academic modules, face-to-face, distance and applied learning, the PDDP will deliver specialist skills to delegates who, at the point of enrolment, are required to have significant experience and familiarity with project management of PFI and PPP projects.

 

“Large scale projects, usually involving significant sums of money, are becoming increasingly complex,” said Alan.

 

“In addition to technical aspects such as knowledge of the relevant sector, contractual principles, financial analysis, commercial awareness and European legislation, they require from a project director highly developed competencies in areas such as team building, leadership, negotiation and decision making," he continued.

 

“These are all golden thread subjects covered throughout the PDDP.”

 

The course is more professional development than the acquisition of new core skills - something Andrew Edkins, UCL’s lead academic for the PDDP - is keen to highlight.

 

Andrew feels the phrase skills gap is too narrow and he identifies the issue as more of an “understanding gap”.

 

“While we will have some skill acquisition on PDDP, we are talking about a course for those who are in significant positions of power and influence,” he said.

 

“At this level, we aren’t going to be unleashing loads of tools and techniques, but we will be pointing out the need for appreciation of those tools and techniques as a prerequisite for being able to understand the inference, meaning, and consequence of them being used.”

 

As well as offering the opportunity to share good practice, the course has been designed to encourage project directors to apply skill appreciation and disseminate it throughout their workforce with immediate effect.

 

“Additionally we intend to raise the professionalism of project directors through the development of a pool of directors.  We intend on completion of the first course to seek Diploma status for the course and for the first time an accredited professional qualification for the delegates", explained Alan.

 

“That will enhance the attractiveness of the job and the status and employability of the project director profession.”

 

However, this is not to imply project directing is not attracting candidates.

 

In fact, one of the driving reasons Andrew’s department, The Bartlett (UCL’s Faculty of the Built Environment), became involved in developing the PDDP was because the number of candidates approaching them about becoming involved in PFI-type projects was rising.

 

“There is a great deal of interest in PFI/PPP both within the UK and from overseas,” said Andrew.

 

“We have a steadily growing number of students who seek us out for our understanding of the principles of what a PFI-type project entails.

 

“So, there is a cohort of potential entrants into the world of PFI, but at the same time there are those employed in local authorities that couldn’t have foreseen this type of project development arriving on their door-step and so need to quickly gain the range of skills, competences, and aptitudes needed not only participate, but to direct.”

 

With professional recognition, increasing investment and a growing workforce among the foreseen gains for PFI, there is much scope for the programme to grow in size and stature.

 

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This article was sponsored by 4ps