Making It Happen

A major new build or the refurbishment of a whole campus is usually a once-in-a-career type project for the person leading it and it will require all the leader's skill and resourcefulness to keep it on track. In the section on Working With Others we discuss the fact that you will have to get involved with issues far outside your normal remit. Matthew Boulton College had to do land deals with a range of organisations and have a road moved. City Lit was involved in a planning dispute that held them up for 2 years. Edinburgh's Telford College went to a tribunal over VAT and Stephenson College's project was held up for a year while Great Crested Newts reproduced. Despite complexities such as this, people are succeeding in creating stunning new developments on budget. All of those who succeed emphasise the need for a sound Project Management approach.

In this section we look at the practicalities of managing a project that will often have the dual aspects of a physical build and a major change management exercise. The feedback we get about what makes this work is remarkably consistent across the sector and we have drawn on a range of experiences to provide you with guidance, templates, worked examples and practical tips.