Episodes
Tuesday Feb 14, 2023
Escaping the Major Projects Echo Chamber
Tuesday Feb 14, 2023
Tuesday Feb 14, 2023
Every major project encourages an unwavering focus on successful delivery. Whilst this has the advantage of generating continual forward momentum and progress, it carries with it a real risk: the creation of an echo chamber.
In an echo chamber we remain fixed in our own limited bubble, unhearing or sceptical of any voices from 'outside our group' who may be advocating a different approach, questioning elements of our model or our delivery plan and playing the critical role of Devil's Advocate.
The Major Projects Association annual conference in January 2023 explored the phenomenon of the 'echo chamber':
- defining the concept and its impact on project delivery organisations
- exploring how the echo chamber manifests itself and the behaviours it engenders
- looking at the antidote to echo chambers - encouraging diversity and inclusion, making time for reflection, listening to sceptical voices, tackling confirmation bias and 'not invented here' syndrome
- discussing the skills and new behaviours needed by everyone from the lowliest member of the team to the leader
- reflecting on the case example of Sellafield and how a historically risk-averse organisation worked to build a new model and a new culture to embrace change and innovation.
The podcast episode, the first of two, features Andy Murray, Executive Director of the Association, interviewing Professor Harvey Maylor of Oxford Said Business School; Andrea Powell of EY; Lauralee Doughty of Sellafield; and Richard Corderoy of the Oakland Group.
In the second episode, Andy interviews our keynote speaker from the conference to pick up and explore the ideas of the echo chamber in the context of the work of the Infrastructure and Projects Authority.
Wednesday Nov 16, 2022
Making Major Projects Investable
Wednesday Nov 16, 2022
Wednesday Nov 16, 2022
In the latest episode from our podcast series spun out of the Association events programme, Andy Murray interviews James Stewart from Agilia Infrastructure Partners, Paul Innes from Grant Thornton, and Stewart Westgate of Boston Consulting Group.
In their discussion of how to make major projects investable they explore the wide range of contractual models that have emerged over the last 30 years and explain:
- The underlying theme of confidence and some of the things that underpin it which you can't put on a simple scorecard
- The importance of 'the right people/right team in improving confidence
- The role of the sponsor and the dealmaker and some of the capabilities they need
In an environment in which investor confidence has taken a battering over recent years and where risk appetite is at an all-time low, finding ways to demonstrate the appeal and affordability of your project and crafting the right story to engage investors is a fundamental capability.
Tuesday Nov 01, 2022
Systems Thinking Systems Leading PART TWO THE HYNET CASE STUDY
Tuesday Nov 01, 2022
Tuesday Nov 01, 2022
In the second of this Two-Part podcast, based on the Major Project Association seminar "Systems Thinking, Systems Leading", Andy Murray interviews David Parkin, Project Director of Hynet North West who gives an insight into how one enterprise has sought to manage the system complexity that comes with the challenge of decarbonisation. HyNet is not a legal entity, but rather a collaboration through which the partners are seeking to break the link between wealth generation and carbon emissions in the UK’s industrial hub of North West England.
The task faced by HyNet can be broken down into four key elements: Technical Integration, Commercial Structures, Planning and Consenting, Policy & Regulation. The programme needs to integrate two complex technical systems, one for hydrogen production, storage and distribution, the other for carbon capture and storage. Both systems involve new or rapidly evolving technology. Multiple consents also need to be secured, including several which are first Systems Thinking, Systems Leading of a kind for the UK.
Similarly, a series of commercial models need to be designed, sometimes from scratch, and their bankability established. Finally, the programme has to navigate multiple regulatory regimes not all of which currently exist. David has drawn four overarching lessons from his work to date: purpose, integration, relationships, and leadership. He touches on all of these elements in the podcast.
Tuesday Nov 01, 2022
Systems Thinking Systems Leading PART ONE
Tuesday Nov 01, 2022
Tuesday Nov 01, 2022
"As projects become more complex, their success or failure is increasingly determined by the interactions between new and pre-existing natural, built and digital systems, and the critical role of people in making these interactions work. As such, project outputs should not be viewed in isolation but as part of a system of systems".
In the first of this Two-Part podcast, based on the Major Project Association seminar "Systems Thinking, Systems Leading", Andy Murray interviews Mark Wild, ex-CEO of Crossrail and now Chief Executive at SGN and Michele Dix, previously Head of Crossrail 2, and now a Non-Executive Director at the Association.
In a wide-ranging conversation, they discuss
- the role of the 'systems leader'; someone who needs to build a relationship with the ecosystem of major project
- the value of systems thinking in complex projects and programmes
- systems leading at Crossrail
- the need to balance curiosity and reflection with speed of delivery
- the nature of decision-making under conditions of uncertainty.
Wednesday Jul 20, 2022
Pace of Pace
Wednesday Jul 20, 2022
Wednesday Jul 20, 2022
In the summer of 2020, the UK Government launched its Project Speed initiative, with the promise to review every part of the project lifecycle in pursuit of faster, better and greener delivery.
In this latest podcast episode, drawing on the ideas and the panellists from the Major Projects Association's recent Pace of Pace seminar in Manchester, Andy Murray, Executive Director of the Association, interviews David Haimes, Director, Regional Investment Programme North, National Highways; Emma Willson, Director, Major Project Delivery Hub, UK National Audit Office; Rebecca Collings, Director of Collaboration and Change, The Nichols Group; and Simon Kirby, Managing Partner, The Nichols Group; to establish what's been the progress since the initiative's launch and to share examples of successful project acceleration.
Thursday Jun 16, 2022
A Life in Projects
Thursday Jun 16, 2022
Thursday Jun 16, 2022
Professor Stephen Wearne joined Manchester University in the early 1960s and became part of a group of researchers, people such as Peter Thompson, Martin Barnes, Peter Morris, John Perry and others, who framed how we see the management of complex projects today.
In this interview with Professor Graham Winch, to celebrate 40 years of the Major Projects Association, Stephen, recalls how it all started and reflects on his work and the work of this extraordinary group.
Wednesday May 11, 2022
Innovation Bookclub with Dale Sinclair
Wednesday May 11, 2022
Wednesday May 11, 2022
There are hundreds of different ways of looking at innovation in major projects but for the purpose of our most recent Bookclub session, we limited these to just six.
Dale Sinclair, Head of Digital Innovation at WSP, provided our bookclubbers with his take on seven books looking at the theme of innovation (the original six plus a bonus book). These were:
- The Nature of Technology by W. Brian Arthur
- Crossing the Chasm by Geoffrey A. Moore
- Pirates in the Navy by Tendayi Viki
- Gut Feelings by Gerd Gigerenzer
- A Whole New Mind by Daniel H. Pink
- The Paradox of Choice by Barry Schwartz
Our podcast recording captures Dale's commentary on the six books but excludes the conversations that took place during the event, as the bookclubbers discussed the ideas raised by each author.
The result is an engaging and personal perspective on the nature of innovation, construction and infrastructure, and major projects.
Monday Apr 04, 2022
Reimaging Supply Chains in Major Projects
Monday Apr 04, 2022
Monday Apr 04, 2022
Over the last two years we've learned the hard way how often lean and 'immediate' supply chains hold up in the face of major disruption: the Covid19 pandemic and associated lockdowns and shortages. Alongside this global shock, the challenges caused by EU Exit, the move to Net Zero and war in Ukraine have taught us that volatility and strategic risk are here to stay.
Against this context, a number of the speakers at the Association's March Seminar: Reimagining Global Supply Chains (Ruth Todd, Chief Commercial Officer at HS2; Professor Mike Lewis from the University of Bath; Richard Ballantyne, CEO at the British Ports Association and Shaun McCarthy OBE, Chair at the Supply Chain Sustainability School) have come together to record this podcast episode.
Over the course of 40 minutes, in a conversation facilitated by Andy Murray, Executive Director at the Major Projects Association, they explore a rich variety of perspectives on reimagining global supply chains, which starts with the explanation as to why it is far more useful to think of them as complex supply systems, rather than linear chains.
Along the way, you'll learn
- the role of British ports in the projects supply chain
- how supply chains can help lead the move towards sustainability
- the role of the client in setting the tone and enabling the network
- the need for greater investment and greater ministerial focus in the skills of procurement, logistics and supply chain management
- How better buying gives you a better supply chain system
The current levels of economic, business and geopolitical volatility are clear indicators of what projects will need to deal with in the future. The ideas in this conversation will help you ensure your project supply chain, rather than a source of risk is a source of resilience.
Friday Feb 04, 2022
Don’t Mention Major Projects (Part Two)
Friday Feb 04, 2022
Friday Feb 04, 2022
The scale of changes needed for climate repair and to meet Net Zero targets mean they cannot be delivered through incremental change alone or at their current pace. We need to transform fundamental aspects of industry and society and therefore we need major projects to deliver - and quickly. But how do we deliver these major projects without adding to the carbon challenge or biodiversity loss?
This is the second part of a two part podcast recorded on location in Glasgow during the CoP26 Conference in Autumn 2021. In the episode, Claire Gott of WSP issues the panelists with a challenge to share the ONE thing they propose as a call to action for their stakeholders and the Government; the one thing that would enable major projects to drive Net Zero, rather than contributing to the problem.
Tuesday Jan 25, 2022
Don’t Mention Major Projects (Part One)
Tuesday Jan 25, 2022
Tuesday Jan 25, 2022
The scale of changes needed for climate repair and to meet Net Zero targets mean they cannot be delivered through incremental change alone or at their current pace. We need to transform fundamental aspects of industry and society and therefore we need major projects to deliver - and quickly. But how do we deliver these major projects without adding to the carbon challenge or biodiversity loss?
This is the first part of a two part podcast recorded on location in Glasgow during the CoP26 Conference in Autumn 2021.
The contributors share their views of how to make major projects part of the solution, rather than part of the problem of the climate emergency, in discussions built around recent research from Major Projects Association member, Copper Consultancy, on public attitudes to sustainability.