NES - APM PM in the Nuclear Industry Event

Proud of our history - Excited about our future

Nuclear Engineering Services

NES – Our Journey to APM Corporate Accreditation

Mark Kelly – Head of Business Improvements &

Project Management Capability


CFO asks CEO: ‘’What happens if we invest in developing our people and then they leave us?’’

CEO: ‘’What happens if we don’t, and they stay?’’

Effective Investment in people, buy-in & results


A short intro. to NES - Markets

NUCLEAR DECOMMISSIONING

•60 Years Experience•Innovative & Bespoke Solutions•Remote Handling•Gloveboxes & Containments •Fuel Route equipment•Decontamination systems•Shield Doors•Design Substantiation

DEFENCE

•20 Years experience•Remote Handling•Heat Exchangers (OEM)•Lifting equipment•Fuelling and De-fuelling equipment•Gloveboxes & Enclosures•Design support•Level 1 Spares•Site services

NUCLEAR NEW BUILD

•Mechanical Lifting & Fuel Handling•Waste Management equipment•Special Mechanical Devices, e.g. Filter Changing Machine, Airlocks, Liner, etc.•Shield Doors, Gloveboxes, Bogies & Gamma Gates•CE&I Control systems•Steel Structures•Engineering support & consultancy

NUCLEAR CURRENT FLEET

•Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) across current fleet•Spares & Servicing•Emergency Response equipment•Fuel Route Equipment•Support to Life Extension


• Our journey through to APM Accreditation …for our Project Management Training & Development Programme

• Share the reasons and logic for taking this path

• Hopefully we don’t come over as preaching or advocating that this is ‘THE’ way ……it’s just Our way which we’ll share with you…..

• ‘hopefully to help you develop your path …or improve upon our learning

What we’d like to share with you (as an SME)


• Approach is based on Our values…(boils down to) ….Safety, Quality, People and Improving our Performance

• We hope that we won’t underwhelm you with the simplicity of our approach

• Key message is: that… ‘’for the business to succeed……the people in our business need to succeed’’ they drive our performance – good or bad!…..our light bulb moment!

Our Approach


• Analysis of the Business Performance: Systems,

Processes, People and Governance (take a real good

look at yourself – be critical and face the brutal truth )

• Unsurprisingly – we identified gaps (big one’s in places)

in knowledge, capability, procedural adherence, rigour

and discipline

• All impacting on business performance and customer

satisfaction – with negative competitive advantage

• Real clues ….. link what we found here to our desired

future state and business benefit …..recognise what

we could gain by ‘doing it differently’

Where did we start?


• Increasing requirements from customers in our

sector …to deliver against more challenging

schedules, tighter cost basis with more

reliability and predictable delivery (safety and

quality as ‘givens’!)

• Given that we are a contracting organisation…

clear link between delivering contracts and

undertaking projects

Approach: (2 years ago - set against a backdrop of:

2

• Embrace Project Management as a professional discipline and use it to create a BIG STEP CHANGE!


• Link back to improved business performance which increases customer and stakeholder satisfaction and confidence …..and starts to create a source of competitive advantage …..can act as a differentiator …… its NOT an overnight sensation!

• Convince yourself and believe that business benefit flows from customer satisfaction and is a key business goal…’then commit to leading the change’

• It fails or loses momentum if not passionately advocated from the Board Room down!

• This is a Leadership Challenge!

Approach (SME perspective)

3


• Passionate advocacy, persuasive argument from the

Programme Director and myself

• Only partially successful - it’s what they expected!

• Passionate advocacy aligned to desire from PM

community….VERY SUCCESSFUL

• So how do we secure ‘passionate bottom up’

advocacy?

How to Influence the Board Room


‘COMMUNICATE’….. this was our leadership challenge!

• Created a PM Forum - Listen, build consensus,

develop views, engender enthusiasm,

• Key Message: ‘’WIN-WIN’’

• Developed a shared vision - with professionalism at

it’s heart

• Business Benefit and Individual Aspirations

• ‘Powerful Combination’

• Working with our PM Community to create a

real desire to improve against a genuinely

‘professional’ banner was key

Another ‘Light Bulb’ moment!!!!!

4


‘SIMPLE ANSWER’…..

• We shamelessly used the essence of what APM

already had in place!!....yet another light bulb

moment!

• Don’t try and re-invent the wheel – we didn’t

need to

• What we did was apply it, build consensus and

secure advocacy throughout our team for the

approach we / they developed

How to build ‘Professionalism’ and PM Capability


What did it all mean ? The APM model of professionalism

‘5 Dimensions of professionalism’….to underpin our approach

Body of Knowledge

Competency Framework

Qualifications

CPD

Code of Conduct


The core componentsA framework or methodology which defines the processes and practices for the organisation

A competence framework to map levels of knowledge and experience at appropriate levels

Qualifications to provide developmental opportunities and recognition of competence at appropriate levels

A continuing professional development scheme that broadens horizons and builds understanding through sharing of good practice

Recognition that true professionals should be accountable for their actions and adhere to a code of ethics and professional conduct


• Symbolise Board Support – Policy Statement – keep the

Board ..on board!

• Provide funding to make it happen….’not a huge amount

• Working Group of young PE/PM’s (vested interest to do a

great job) – they selected QA - Accredited Service Provider

• Set up the T& D Programme to ensure it meets the PM’s

needs, (E-learning, support and sustainability) a blend of

learning vehicles

• It’s not a ‘Quick fix’…..we keep in constant contact with

QA…..it’s anything but a ‘Sheep dip’ approach to training

• Adopt the principal of E as well as SQ in SQEP –

Implementation Plan – Key Learning points


• Facilitated assessment – more objectivity

• Self Assessment – but ‘managed’ to eliminate bias!

• Management Assessment (180 degree) – introduce some

balance and start to engage the line management

• Create a competency baseline with Key Competency gaps

identified

• Training concentrating on the basics (scope, schedule, cost,

project execution plans, etc...)

• Training programme developed by the team and

implemented to target the gaps

• Alignment across all fronts, Procedures, Tools for Training

Simple Approach – Key Learning points


Layers of Training & Development – What Our PM Community Wanted

Jan 12

Timescale (Years)

Jan 14

E-Learning (Own Time)

Case Studies Simulations Workshops

EV Planning Change Control Risk Budget & Cost

Mentoring (In House)

Module Based Learning (TMA/xLA with Provider)

Work Shops & Simulations (With Provider)



NES/QA – Training and Development Programme





Key learning – over 7 months

Key learning depth, continuity, links to work




So where did the Approach take us – Int.Corporate Accreditation was 9/25 moved to 23/25 Award


NES Project Management Roadmap –APM Qualifications vs. Roles (SQ+E)

Graduate PE

Project Engineer

Senior Project Engineer

Project Manager

Senior Project Manager

Prog. Manager

APM Level D

APM Level C

APM Level B

Module Based Learning

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Timescale (Years)

Know

ledg

e /

Expe

rienc

e

10

Proj. Controls

Competence: Knowledge & Experience Scores


• Ability to attract new talent (thru’ PR brochures, recruitment

specialists, etc – ‘getting really positive feedback)

• Retention of existing Talent (‘now really thriving! .. could

possibly move for higher wages...if that’s their main driver)

• Vibrant, enthusiastic, young PM’s…with a great team spirit

• Demonstrable improvement in core competency and

Governance

• Reliability, Predictability and demonstrably improved: --

Forecasting of revenue/ income, project performance,

resource demands, profitability and customer satisfaction

• Personal satisfaction and reward & ………Business Growth!

If this works – what does the Business get?



How to build ‘Professionalism’ and PM Capability


Background – the Journey

• Over the last five years the turnover has increased from

£10m (1 Site) to £30m (3 Sites)

• Change in Business Strategy - Moving from Functional

to Project focused business (IPT)

• Significantly Increased PM Capability required (circa 20

new starters from a team of about half a dozen

• Status: APM Level D - 8/25

• Major challenges: Project Reporting, Forecasting & Risk

Management, Rigour and Processes/procedures

• Ad-hoc training approach to PM

NES - APM PM in the Nuclear Industry Event

Business

history excited

business performance

approach approach

business benefit

business need

learning proud

performance good

succeedthe people