Project Podcast

Project magazine, brought to you by APM

Project managers share their stories from the front line of the project and programme management profession.

This podcast is brought to you by APM, the chartered membership organisation for the project profession. For more information on how to join APM, visit apm.org.uk.

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148 episodes
Updated July 23

Episodes148

Newest first

Jul 13, 2022 · 34 min
Endurance22: Lessons from the project to discover Ernest Shackleton's lost ship
Project journal Editor Emma De Vita meets Nico Vincent, Subsea Project Manager for the Endurance22 expedition, which on 5 March found the wreck of Endurance, Sir Ernest Shackleton’s ship, which sank off the coast of Antarctica 107 years ago. The wreckage was discovered at a depth of 3,008m, around four miles south of where it was reported to have been lost by Frank Worsley, Endurance’s captain, in 1915. Endurance22 set off from Cape Town a month earlier, with a team of 63 people aboard the South African ice-breaker Agulhas II. The expedition has reportedly cost around £7.6m. Nico has spent 30 years recovering deep-sea wrecks and gives us his project management insights on what it takes to prepare for a project like this, how it feels to see such a piece of history – and the lessons he takes away from this successful project.
Jun 28, 2022 · 1 hr
Mind the gap: The human side of project management
The new world requires a different mindset and skillset to navigate the pitfalls of change delivery. In this podcast, Jo Stanford (Health Education England) and Sarbjit Hoskinson (ThermoFisher Scientific) discuss how they have tackled the cultural and behavioural shifts needed to embed change. They explore the capabilities, team dynamics and mindset needed for project and change managers to deliver sustainable outcomes and achieve value in a complex, evolving environment. Further reading David Armstrong, Organization in the Mind: Psychoanalysis, Group Relations and Organizational Consultancy Brené Brown, Daring Greatly Stephen R Covey, The 7 Habits Of Highly Effective People Amy Edmondson, The Fearless Organization Amy Edmonson, Teaming: How Organizations Learn, Innovate, and Compete in the Knowledge Economy (see also: Teaming to Innovate and Extreme Teaming) Amy L Fraher, Group Dynamics for High-Risk Teams Dave Gray, Sunni Brown, James Macanufo, Gamestorming: A Playbook for Innovators, Rulebreakers, and Changemakers Peter Hawkins, Eve Turner, Systemic Coaching: Delivering Value Beyond the Individual Jeffery M Hiatt, Timothy J Creasey, Change Management: The People Side of Change Jeffrey A Miller, The Anxious Organization: Why Smart Companies Do Dumb Things Anita Mountain, Chris Davidson, Working Together: Organizational Transactional Analysis and Business Performance Carole Osterweil, Neuroscience for Project Success: Why people behave as they do Daniel H Pink, Drive: The surprising truth about what motivates us Simon Sinek, Start with Why Dr Tammy Watchorn, The Change Ninja Handbook: An interactive adventure for leading change
Jun 7, 2022 · 36 min
Legal project management: a new hot area of growth
In this episode Emma De Vita, editor of Project, APM’s quarterly journal speaks to to Dee Tamlin, currently head of legal project management at Pinsent Masons but who will, come mid-July be director of legal project management at White & Case, and Helga Butcher, at Head of Client Solutions within Ashurst Advance. They delve into the world of legal project management – what it is, why it’s a hot area of growth for the profession, and how you can do it well. They also give their top tips on what it takes to work in this exciting new area for the profession.
May 22, 2022 · 26 min
Rocket Man: Bloodhound's Richard Noble on Taking Risk
In this episode Project journal editor Emma De Vita meets Richard Noble, the leader of some truly awe-inspiring British extreme speed projects on land, at sea and in the air. These included bringing the Land speed record back to Britain in 1983 when he drove his Thrust 2 car to 633mph, and 14 years later he led the Thrust SCC team to achieve the first supersonic record at 763 mph. He’s also the man behind the Bloodhound project with the mission to reach 1,000mph on land, and to inspire generations of new engineers and scientists through a pioneering educational programme. He outlines what it takes to lead projects like this, why embracing risk makes for innovation, and how to motivate teams. If you want to find out more, look out for his contribution to the forthcoming summer issue of APM’s Project journal, and get a copy of his book Take Risk!, published by EVRO.
Apr 26, 2022 · 34 min
The BBC’s Evan Davis on the importance of projects
In this episode, Project journal editor Emma De Vita meets Evan Davis, presenter of BBC 4’s daily news programme PM, and former main presenter of Newsnight and the Today programme. He is also well known as the presenter of business reality show Dragons’ Den and on Radio 4 he hosts a weekly business discussion programme called The Bottom Line. His latest book is Post Truth, which sets out to explain why there is so much mendacity and nonsense in public discourse and why it became more of a concern in 2016. In this podcast, Evan gives an informed outsider’s perspective on the importance of projects to the economic, political and cultural life of a country.
Apr 12, 2022 · 29 min
Mexico's first APM award winner on Latin American megaprojects
In this episode, Emma De Vita, editor of Project, meets Marcos Fuentes, recipient of APM’s 2022 Festival of Education and Research award for Doctorate of the Year. The focus of his thesis was how to co-create value for the long term, from the project planning stage and then throughout the development cycle of a project. The thesis originally established eight ways to achieve wider sustainable value, such as social, environmental, experiential and emotional elements beyond traditional short-term criteria such as time and cost. Marcos originally hails from Mexico, and spent a decade in the US and Europe, including six years in London, but recently returned to Mexico to work for its National Audit Office, where he is a Strategic Adviser. He is an Honorary Researcher at University College London, at the Bartlett School of Sustainable Construction, with a focus on the exploration of megaprojects in the Latin American market, of which he has first-hand knowledge. In this podcast, Marcos first shares his practical advice for project professionals based on his award-winning PhD findings, and second, shares his expertise from the world of challenging megaprojects in Latin America.
Mar 29, 2022 · 42 min
HS2 CEO Mark Thurston: managing an era-defining megaproject
Adam Boddison, APM chief executive, meets Mark Thurston, CEO of Europe’s largest infrastructure project, HS2. The pair discuss the evolution of the project profession, areas for growth and the pressures associated with managing an era-defining megaproject. Mark also gives his thoughts on the levelling-up agenda, sharing lessons learned and what makes an effective project leader. Contact us at apmpodcast@thinkpublishing.co.uk
Mar 11, 2022 · 36 min
James Webb Space Telescope: Top tips from NASA’s outstanding project leader
In this episode, Project journal editor Emma De Vita meets NASA’s Bill Ochs, project manager for the James Webb Space Telescope, the largest space science telescope ever developed, which was successfully launched on Christmas Day on a journey of close to one million miles from earth. Hubble’s replacement gives humanity a new eye in the sky with infrared sensors that will peer into the farthest reaches of the cosmos to observe the universe’s first galaxies, reveal the birth of stars and planets, and look for exoplanets with the potential for life. In this podcast, Bill, who is based at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Centre, gives us a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to lead a project like this and what you need to get right to achieve a successful mission. Contact: apmpodcast@thinkpublishing.co.uk
Feb 28, 2022 · 38 min
Alexandra Palace: Project tips from the world of festivals and events
In this episode, Project journal editor Emma De Vita meets Simon Fell, director of events, festivals and leisure at London’s Alexandra Palace (or Ally Pally as you might know it). He has significant experience of delivering, programming and promoting large-scale public entertainment events with capacities of up to 50,000. He set up Ally Pally’s Kaleidoscope Festival in 2018, which is a 12,000-capacity boutique arts and music festival set within the grounds of the venue. In this podcast, he gives us a VIP backstage pass to what it takes to project manage Alexandra Palace and how the pandemic empowered him to take a different approach. Listen to discover what lessons you can learn from the world of festivals and events, which might inspire you to try out new things on your own projects. Get in touch: apmpodcast@thinkpublishing.co.uk
Feb 1, 2022 · 45 min
Why mentoring matters
In this episode, Emma De Vita asks what mentoring means, what benefits it brings for people and organisations and how to do it well. Our guest panellists: Vicki Griffiths, senior project manager at marine engineering company Fugro Ewelina Kruk, associate director within programme and portfolio management at Incendium Consulting Jaspal Kaur-Griffin, head of programmes at the Bar Standards Board All have experience being mentors and being mentored themselves. Vicki was part of the team that set up the Women in Project Management mentoring scheme for APM, while Ewelina was involved with the pilot of APM’s broader mentoring programme, which launched at the end of January. Find out more here: https://www.apm.org.uk/news/association-for-project-management-launches-apm-mentoring/ Get in touch: apmpodcast@thinkpublishing.co.uk
Jan 26, 2022 · 45 min
Making sense of success and failure with Darren Dalcher
In 2022, APM is celebrating its 50th anniversary, so throughout the year we’ll be sitting down with some of the movers and shakers who have shaped the project profession across the last few decades. We’ll be asking them how the profession has evolved, where the untapped potential lies, and what the future might hold. In this episode, Andrew Saunders, journalist and regular contributor to Project journal, sits down with Darren Dalcher, professor of strategic project management at the University of Lancaster. Few people have studied project management as closely or for as long as Darren, who is also a director of the National Centre for Project Management, and co-editor of the 7th edition of APM’s Body of Knowledge. In a career spanning more than 25 years, Darren has become a respected voice for innovation in the sector thanks to his fascination with the power of projects and in particular why some fail and others succeed. If you enjoy this episode, look out for the spring edition of Project journal, out in March, which features extra material from Andrew’s interview with Darren. Please rate and review us wherever you get your podcasts. You’ll find us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts and more. Get in touch at apmpodcast@thinkpublishing.co.uk
Dec 27, 2021 · 40 min
6 project management lessons we learned in 2021
It’s fair to say the past year has been another challenging one for project professionals, who have continued to navigate the complexities of the Covid pandemic, with schedules and budgets liable to change last minute and teams continuing to adjust to working remotely. Add to that the teething problems we saw following Brexit – and it’s clear that 2021 was a year in which project professionals had their work cut out. However, as our podcast guests have pointed out on many occasions, the most powerful lessons often emerge from periods of adversity. Many of the lessons learned during the first 18 months of the pandemic will feed into project plans and personal development goals as we move into 2022. So, on that note, in this episode of the podcast, Project’s online editor Mike Hine looks back at the past 12 months and presents some of the key project lessons of 2021, as told to us by our guests. So how did NASA put a rover on Mars amid a global pandemic? What are the untapped opportunities of project data analytics? And what might the UK’s vaccine taskforce programme teach us about how to streamline processes to enable quicker delivery when it really matters? Get in touch: apmpodcast@thinkpublishing.co.uk
Dec 16, 2021 · 46 min
Inclusive design for project professionals (From the Frontline)
In our From the Frontline season, Project journal editor Emma De Vita is meeting project professionals who are working on cutting-edge projects and academics whose research is at the forefront of project management techniques. In this episode she speaks to Mike Bradley, a senior research associate at the Engineering Design Centre at the University of Cambridge; and Neil Smith, inclusive design lead for HS2 Ltd and one of the Mayor of London’s Design Advocates. They’ll be explaining exactly what inclusive design is, why it matters for your projects and how to do it well.
Nov 25, 2021 · 41 min
From the Frontline: Managing a cutting-edge renewables project
In this episode, Project journal editor Emma De Vita speaks to Tim Rose, programme manager at Energy Superhub Oxford, a four-year, £40m demonstrator project to explore potential innovation in using batteries to support grid stability, electric vehicle infrastructure and smart renewable heating. It aims to save 10,000 tonnes of CO2 every year once opened, increasing to 25,000 tonnes by 2032. Part of the Superhub is the UK’s first grid-scale hybrid battery energy storage system, led by Pivot Power (part of EDF Renewables), which plugs into the National Grid. The project is part funded by a £12m Innovate UK grant to demonstrate a model for other towns and cities and to improve air quality and support Oxford’s plans for rapid decarbonisation. In this podcast, Tim shares his experience of working on a highly innovative, cutting-edge project at the forefront of climate action, and gives his advice to project professionals on what they can learn from projects like these – and the skills you need to work in the area.
Nov 11, 2021 · 49 min
Dynamic conditions for project success
In this episode, hosted by Mike Hine, online editor for Project journal, we take a look at the topic of dynamic conditions for project success. Project professionals and organisations are always on the lookout for ways to enhance project outcomes, but doing so can prove elusive. It’s a topic of great interest to researchers, too, and to that end APM has recently published the report Dynamic conditions for project success. The report identifies organisational, professional, and societal dynamic conditions that can enhance project outcomes and explores how project professionals and organisations apply them. We spoke to three of the research team from the Universities of Sussex and Southampton – Dr Nicholas Dacre, Dr David Eggleton and Vasilis Gkogkidis. Download the report here. Get in touch at apmpodcast@thinkpublishing.co.uk
Oct 29, 2021 · 56 min
From the Frontline: How to improve project performance
In ‘From the Frontline’, Project journal editor Emma De Vita meets project professionals who are working on cutting-edge projects, and academics whose research is at the forefront of project management techniques. In this episode she speaks to the researchers behind Project X’s latest report, published by APM, called Rethinking Capabilities: Lessons for policy, scholarship and practice. Project X is an ESRC‑funded research collaboration between government, academia and industry representatives, aiming to generate unique insights into the performance of major projects and programmes in government. So why do some major projects perform poorly, and others perform well – and what can you do about it? We hear about some of the key findings and what you can do to put them into practice on your projects right now. On the panel: Dr Rebecca Vine is an assistant professor in accounting at the University of Sussex Business School Dr Dicle Kortantamer is a research fellow at the University of Brighton Dr Jas Kalra is an assistant professor in supply chain management at Newcastle University Business School Phillippa Groome is a doctoral researcher at the University of Sussex Read the research paper here. Find out more about Project X here. Get in touch with us: apmpodcast@thinkpublishing.co.uk
Oct 7, 2021 · 48 min
From the Frontline: Fast and furious at net-zero Formula E
In ‘From the Frontline’, Project journal editor Emma De Vita meets project professionals who are working on cutting-edge projects, and academics whose research is at the forefront of project management techniques. In this episode we meet Gemma Roura Serra, strategic planning director at ABB Formula E. Formula E is the world’s first all-electric single-seater car racing series, conceived to accelerate electric vehicle adoption and demonstrate leadership in the sports world by becoming the only sport to be net-zero carbon since inception. Its races are held in 12 city centres across the world, including London, New York, Paris, Rome, Hong Kong, Moscow and Beijing, where it debuted in 2014. The 45-minute races predominantly take place on 3km circuits and the cars go from 0–100km in 2.8 seconds with a max speed of 160 miles/hour. With over 20 years of experience in sports management, Gemma offers a strong hands-on background in the motorsports and events industries. In September she was promoted to strategic planning director focusing on calendar and event operations planning and roadmapping. In this podcast, Gemma shares her experience of masterminding a pioneering project with a sustainable message at its core. If you’d like a more detailed exploration of her work, please see Gemma’s APM webinar on Formula E, available on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAOT9kbUIZI Contact us: apmpodcast@thinkpublishing.co.uk
Sep 20, 2021 · 43 min
From the Frontline: How to thrive in your career as a woman
In this special episode to tie in with APM’s annual Think Differently conference, Emma De Vita, the editor of Project journal, speaks to three ambitious female project professionals to talk about how to have a thriving career despite the barriers that organisational or team culture still persistently put in the way of individual women – women who might also be contending with bias around race or age. Change needs to happen, so let’s find out how to go about doing it from women who are all flourishing in their careers despite the challenges. On the panel are: Debbie Lewis, a portfolio programme manager at Fujitsu Services, and a speaker at APM’s Think Differently Conference Anita Phagura, a project manager with a background in transport who now empowers project managers to lead fiercely, authentically, and inclusively Emma Regulski, a programme manager at consultancy Faithful + Gould Get in touch at apmpodcast@thinkpublishing.co.uk Find out more about Think Differently at https://www.apm.org.uk/think-differently/
Sep 6, 2021 · 56 min
How to be a great communicator
In this episode, hosted by Mike Hine, online editor for APM’s Project journal, we’re looking at communication for project professionals. Communication is a vital condition for project success. However well-planned, a project will not run smoothly if stakeholders are left confused and under-informed as a consequence of inefficient communication. With an ever-growing array of comms tools at their disposal, the project manager has some important decisions to make – as well as timing their communications properly, they need to ensure the methods they deploy are appropriate for the message and the audience. Projects of all sizes therefore need to have a communication strategy – particularly those which are complex or have a large number of stakeholders. Joining the podcast for this episode are: Ann Pilkington, co-founder and director of PR Academy, a provider of education and training in communication Tim Lyons, a programme and project manager working on large system and infrastructure programmes; and a member of the APM People SIG committee Elizabeth Harrin, who has over 20 years’ experience in leading IT, business change and process improvement projects across financial services and healthcare Resources: Communication planning white paper, by Ann and Tim Engaging stakeholders on projects – How to harness people power, by Elizabeth Contact us: apmpodcast@thinkpublishing.co.uk
Aug 25, 2021 · 51 min
Contracts and collaboration in a post-COVID world
Contracts create legally binding obligations between the parties involved in a project. They describe the nature of those obligations and the actions that can be taken if they are not met. As such, the contract is a foundational document whose content will come to define the project and how the work unfolds. It is there to provide certainty and protection to the parties. But in a post-COVID world, there may be an opportunity for contracts to be used to create ongoing collaborative relationships, rather than simply defining strict requirements and being regarded as a tool to give parties leverage in the event of acrimony. To find out a bit more, Project journal’s online editor Mike Hine spoke to two experts: Sarah Schutte of Schutte Consulting Limited, an independent solicitor-advocate and consultant; and Richard Cairnes, director at Currie & Brown’s London project and programme management team. Further reading: The first instalment of Sarah’s webinar series for APM’s Contracts and Procurement SIG can be found here, and for information on part two (14 September), click here. Read Richard’s latest APM blog here. Read the APM Contracts and Procurement SIG white paper Procuring for Agile Projects here. Contact apmpodcast@thinkpublishing.co.uk