In 2015 the Infrastructure and Projects Authority (IPA) selected ÂãÁÄÖ±²¥ School of Management, PA Consulting Group and an SME called The Project Academy (TPA) as a consortium to deliver the PLP as a continuation of the long term vision to develop project leadership skills across the public sector and create a new cadre of elite project leaders.

The IPA is concerned with delivery of all major Government projects and UK infrastructure, which includes economic and social infrastructure, housing, ICT and organisational change. The consortium has been delivering the programme in partnership with the IPA since 2015 with excellent feedback being received from participants and departments.

PLP Infrastructure and Projects Authority

The programme is designed to enhance project leadership skills. It addresses the requirement to build excellent project leadership capacity at the level below major projects. The programme is based on three key leadership competencies: leadership of self - 40%, commercial leadership - 30% and technical project leadership - 30%. It is designed to help build the skills of project leaders and develop their capabilities, providing demonstrable improvements in the way that projects are led across the public service.  The key benefits to participants are:

  1. Improved knowledge to rise to the challenge of project leadership, understanding how their personal contribution can make a real difference to the chance of success or failure of a project.
  2. Integration of the tools, techniques and methods of project leadership to lead their team, and engage internal and external stakeholders to foster a culture of responsibility and successful delivery, challenging upwards with new confidence.
  3. Development of working relationships and strong internal networks, with both public sector and external experts, and the wider PLP and Major Project Leadership Academy (MPLA) communities.

How to apply

Project leaders are selected to attend the programme by their departments and they must have the endorsement of the Head of their Project Profession. To be eligible, applicants must be Senior Responsible Owners or Project Directors of a non-GMPP Project, work-stream leads on a GMPP Project accountable for a crucial element of project delivery, senior leaders in the departmental centre of excellence/portfolio team or other project delivery professionals who the departmental Head of Profession wishes to nominate as part of the talent management process.

The PLP is accredited by the Association for Project Management (APM) thus providing independent quality assurance and demonstration of its alignment to APM professional standards. Attending PLP will therefore enhance your development towards APM Chartered Project Professional (ChPP). Successful completion of PLP will also meet one of the key criteria for the award of Senior Project Practitioner, part of the Government’s Project Delivery Accreditation Framework.

For more information please contact Sherry Davison, PLP Executive Programme Manager:
Tel: +44 (0)1234 754391. Email: sherry.davison@cranfield.ac.uk