Enhancing Project Management Capabilities for Amey

A case study with Hilda Latham, Technical Director of Project Management at Amey

In 2020, Amey, a leading provider of full life-cycle engineering, operations, and decarbonisation solutions, for transport infrastructure and complex facilities, recognised the need to enhance project management capabilities across the business. The decision involved becoming a corporate member of the Association for Project Management (APM) and aligning their career path framework with APM qualifications.

Based on recommendations from the APM, Amey chose 20/20 Project Management Training to fulfil their training needs. The first couple of years of collaboration proved extremely successful, as 20/20 not only delivered an array of APM qualifications but also saw delegates from Amey surpassing the APM’s national averages – a real testament to both Amey and 20/20.

Although individuals were demonstrating experience and qualification knowledge, a gap in practical project application was identified…

Bespoke Training and Its Impact on Employee Performance

Recognising the gap in applying the APM qualifications to practical project scenarios, Amey opted for a bespoke project controls course with 20/20. Amey communicated their specific objectives and overarching framework for their training goals, which allowed 20/20 to start planning a unique and valuable bespoke training course that would meet the objectives Amey had set out.

The focus was on cost, time, and risk management, and applying industry best practices to their projects. George Cameron, Director of Learning & Development at 20/20, 'brought the training to life' with practical examples, guiding the delegates on the relevance of the methods to different projects and applying all learning back to Amey’s processes. Hilda Latham, Director of Project Management at Amey, commented, ''he has so much experience in the field, he really brought the training to life with practical examples, and he also gave the team some guidelines around what projects the methods would be useful for and what projects they wouldn’t be useful for.''

The bespoke training significantly improved employee’s knowledge and skills, as evidenced by two individuals implementing cost control methods they had learnt shortly after completing the course. When speaking about the individuals, Hilda remarked, ''They implemented rigorous cost control methods on their project that was initially out of control from a cost point of view. This practical application of training has resulted in a reduction in overall costs for Amey, prompting our decision to put them forward for an award this year.'' This not only showcases the practical benefits of bespoke training but also highlights how such training can significantly contribute to employee growth, positioning them for recognition and award nominations and in doing so, it bolsters an organisation’s competitive advantage.

Overall, the training has elevated Amey’s organisational performance, creating awareness of project management principles across all levels. Senior leaders are now more attuned to project management and its role in achieving business objectives. Successful project deliveries stemming from the training have become a selling point for Amey, with Hilda commenting, ''the training has helped us as an organisation achieve the objectives we set out… 20/20 are a class above other training providers and on a personal level, it is great to have the direct contact to build the relationship between our two organisations.''

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