This gives a breakdown of the Project Initiation Routemap from the UK Government.
Please note that using the Routemap could count towards your Continuing Personal Development (CPD).
The ICE encourages its members to plan, undertake and record their CPD annually to ensure they take responsibility for their own professional development. Please visit www.ice.org.uk/cpd for templates and guidance on how to plan and record your CPD."
The Project Initiation Routemap is a framework to enable public and private sector client organisations to improve the delivery of their projects and programmes. It offers assistance on addressing the most common capability gaps that sponsors and clients need to enhance.
Initially developed in 2014 by the Government in collaboration with industry the Project Initiation Routemap has been updated by the Infrastructure Project Authority (IPA) and launched at an event hosted by ICE at One Great George Street on 15 June 2016.
ICE encourages all infrastructure clients to use the Routemap and also give feedback so that it can continue to be improved. Feedback can be sent to Hannah Vickers [email protected] at the IPA.
The Government's recently launched National Infrastructure Delivery Plan 2016-2021 (NIDP) outlines how the Infrastructure Cost Review found evidence that delivery failures in projects can often be traced back to how a project was initially set up.
The Project Initiation Routemap addresses this by providing a framework for greater focus in the early stages of projects on how the strategic objectives are established and how the sponsors articulate these requirements to ensure they are set up to succeed.
The updated Routemap includes;
- A broadening of the scope from economic infrastructure to construction and longer term transformation.
- The launch of two new modules, Risk Management and Asset Management alongside the existing topics on Requirements, Governance, Procurement, Execution Strategy and Organisational Design and Development.
- A formal framework, to be in place by the autumn, to improve clients' access to support in using the Routemap.
"In bringing together a broad collection of industry leaders from major UK clients and subject matter experts to develop these new modules on risk and asset management of major projects, decision makers will be able to ask better questions about them from the outset. I would encourage all major clients to use the framework and also to give us feedback so we can continue to improve it."
Nick Baveystock, Director-General ICE
Over 20 major projects across the transport, water, flood defence and energy sectors have now undergone a Routemap assessment, helping to drive successful delivery. A selection of Case Studies has been produced.
- Anglian Water AMP6 Alliance Strategy – Project Initiation Routemap Case Study
- Surrey County Council Highways Investment – Project Initiation Routemap Case Study
- Environment Agency Thames Estuary Phase 1 - Project Initiation Routemap Case Study
- Crossrail - Learning from Crossrail, Examining the journey - Project Initiation Routemap Case Study
Project Initiation Routemap Modules
Asset Management Module
This new module focuses on how to manage the relationship between corporate asset management and the project team in order to successfully deliver high performing assets.
Keith Waller talks us through the Asset Management Module.
The specific areas covered are as follows:
- Understanding how the project relates to the corporate asset base and the capability of the organisation to maintain and operate it upon completion.
- How to initiate a project which will deliver whole life value for money not just capital efficiencies
- The role of asset performance and information in project delivery (linking with wider government initiatives such as BIM and Government Soft Landings)
Risk Management Module
This new module gives an overview of the key concepts in managing risk successfully in major projects & programmes. The audience for both modules is Programme Director level so they are designed to be strategic rather than text books in each subject area.
The specific areas covered in this module are as follows:
- Understanding the context/ environment within which a project is being initiated and what this means for risk exposure & mitigation
- How to reflect uncertainty in the project decision making process and understanding the impact on risk exposure
- How to build confidence of internal and external stakeholders through building the project team capability and accurate assessment of risk
- The control mechanisms to effectively allocate and mitigate risk
Requirements Module
The high-level objectives of requirements are to ensure that:
- the strategic case for the project is strong;
- planning, scoping and delivery activities are aligned with the organisation's objectives.
This will provide a sound basis for the quantitative and qualitative measures by which the success of the project will be judged, and help counter over-optimism.
Governance Module
Governance is a common thread that runs through all aspects of successful project delivery and therefore influences each of the Align for Success modules within the Routemap. Project governance needs to be considered in the context of corporate governance.
Execution Strategy Module
Execution Strategy is focussed on providing a common purpose and clear direction to all parts of the organisation including partners and suppliers.
An execution strategy enables the Sponsor and Client to gain an explicit common understanding of how the project will be delivered and the corresponding responsibilities of each party. It answers the question, "How will the client deliver the sponsor's requirements?"
An execution strategy should be updated and maintained throughout the project's lifecycle.
Organisational Design and Development Module
Organisational Design concerns the structure, resources, responsibilities, skills, practices and culture required to deliver a project.
Organisational Development concerns the changes required to deliver the Organisational Design and subsequent changes required at key transition points in a project's life (e.g. moving from design to build).
Procurement Module
Procurement is a dynamic process that sources the best value solution to a requirement through the sustainable allocation of risk between a client organisation and its supply chain. Procurement exists to explore the market opportunities and to implement strategies that deliver the best possible outcome to the organisation, its stakeholders and its customers.
