Lessons from transport for the sponsorship of major projects

The Department for Transport has recently released a report on “Lessons from transport for the sponsorship of major projects” . This report identifies lessons and good practice for the sponsorship of major projects from the significant issues experienced with the Northern and Thameslink projects (constituting part of the overall May 2018 rail timetabling changes) and with Crossrail. In addition other principal case studies reviewed included the Great Western Electrification and Highways Complex Infrastructure Programme.

The report identifies 5 themes encompassing 24 lessons identified which the Infrastructure and Projects Authority (IPA) is planning to inform wider government projects including defence systems and major ICT projects.

The DfT report follows a recent post from the UK’s Infrastructure Project Authority described 3 lessons learned for future infrastructure delivery:

1. Behaviours and culture are more important than process
2. We need to get real with optimism bias
3. We must pay greater attention to systems integration

These lessons although most directly applicable to other infrastructure projects are intended to inform wider government projects including defence systems and major ICT projects in terms of the structures, procedures and behaviours adopted in establishing, overseeing and delivering major projects.

Five themes encompassing the 24 lessons identified:

The main themes and lessons learnt summarised above can be condensed further to an A3 printable quick reference guide with the 24 lessons identified according to their: (1) Project lifecycle stage; (2) Governance pillar; and (3) Theme as below.