Government's PPM Council calls for standardised use of best practice methodologies
Released on
19/05/2009
The Programme and Project Management (PPM) Council has called for the standardised use, across the public sector, of three programme and project management methodologies - PRINCE 2, Managing Successful Programmes (MSP) and Management of Risk (MoR), to support the delivery of greater value for money outcomes from public sector programme and project management.
The body, charged with providing strategic direction for the government's skills and capability in PPM, has said that the standardised use of these methodologies would improve understanding and ease of working on cross-government programmes and projects. It has also stated this would avoid duplication of design efforts and the costs associated with this. The Council will make further recommendations on the use of other methodologies and tools developed in government throughout 2009 and 2010.
The Council also recommends that programme and project managers should join relevant professional bodies, including the Association for Project Management, which will enhance their ability to meet the complex and challenging demands of public service delivery.
The published recommendations state that membership of appropriate professional bodies will give access to information sources, networking opportunities, events, sources of learning and development, and to professional qualifications that public sector bodies themselves may be unable to provide.
Nigel Smith, chief executive of the OGC and head of profession for programme and project managers in government said: "Public sector programme and project managers should take every opportunity to develop their skills and capability. Enhancing the professionalism of this key part of government is crucial to our long-term goal of achieving even greater value for money from the work we do.
"Best practice methodologies play a critical part in the successful delivery of programmes and projects and I welcome the PPM Council's recommendation to standardise their use across government and the wider public sector."
About the Programme and Project Management (PPM) Council
The PPM Council consists of heads of the PPM profession from 21 government departments. It provides strategic direction for the PPM Skills and Capability Initiative that the PPM leadership community (the Heads of Centres of Excellence, and equivalents), which started early in 2008 (with support from the OGC).
The collective initiative is aimed at improving Government's capability and capacity to successfully deliver its programmes and projects. The Council agenda includes not just the PPM profession but also connections with other key professions that impact on delivery, such as policy and procurement, and the effectiveness of sponsorship and governance.
About the OGC
The Office of Government Commerce (OGC) is an independent office of HM Treasury, established to help Government deliver best value from its spending. The OGC works with central Government departments and other public sector organisations to ensure the achievement of six key goals:
. Delivery of value for money from third party spend; . Delivery of projects to time, quality and cost, realising benefits; . Getting the best from the Government's £30bn estate; . Improving the sustainability of the Government estate and operations, including reducing carbon emissions by 12.5% by 2010-11, through stronger performance management and guidance; . Helping achieve delivery of further Government policy goals, including innovation, equality, and support for small and medium enterprises (SMEs); . And driving forward the improvement of central Government capability in procurement, project and programme management, and estates management through the development of people skills, processes and tools.
OGC provides policy standards and guidance on best practice in procurement, projects and estate management, and monitors and challenges departments' performance against these standards, grounded in an evidence base of information and assurance. It promotes and fosters collaborative procurement across the public sector to deliver better value for money and better public services; and it provides innovative ways to develop Government's commercial and procurement capability, including leadership of the Government Procurement Service. Media contact: Michael Dunning, Media Relations Manager, OGC T: 020 7271 1318 M: 07771 815245 E: michael.dunning@ogc.gsi.gov.uk
