Arras People Announcements
Key Programme and Project Management Competencies, are you Competent?
Feb 24th
Arras People will be sponsoring and presenting at the Programme and Project Support Office Specialist Interest Group (PPSO SIG) conference on the 19th March 2010. The one day conference at the Open University in Milton Keynes will look at what competencies are required for the varying roles within the Programme and Project Office.
The Conference will provide the opportunity for you to discover your own individual competence levels; understand more about how competency and competencies affect your career within the PMO; practical advice on developing competency profiles for you and the PMO team; and the opportunity to hear what your peers are currently doing in the area of PMO competence models.
Each delegate will receive their own individual competence assessment with a FREE copy of the APM Competence Framework, helping them to identify their own personal areas for development.
The conference provides expert led presentations and interactive sessions combined with networking and discussion groups on key topics such as competence frameworks for the PMO, role profiles in the PMO, understanding your own competence assessment and how competence and competencies are viewed and used in the real world.
Lindsay Scott, one of the leading Project and Programme Management recruitment specialists, will provide information on how the industry is using competence as the basis for recruitment and what are the key competencies being requested. Lindsay said;
Its important that the PMO world continues on the road to professionalisation, programme and project managers have competency frameworks available to them but there is nothing for the PMO professional. Im looking forward to being involved in the conference and seeing what the PMO profession is doing in this key area
| Date: | Friday 19th March 2010 |
| Venue: | Open University Campus, Milton Keynes |
| Prices: | 115.00 per person |
To find out more and book your place visit: http://www.ppsosig.co.uk/Events.php
Project Management – A Survey by Arras People
Feb 2nd
Manchester, UK, 2 February 2010: Arras People, the project recruitment specialists, have carried out their fifth annual survey of the UK project management market, using independent research company Benchpoint to survey over 900 project management professionals in January 2010.
Arras People estimate that nearly 80,000 people earn a living as project managers in the UK. Its an occupation which has evolved from short term task force-type activities to a fully fledged professional career based on the effective management of change and the creation of major infrastructure and IT projects, across the Government, private and charity sectors.
Survey Highlights
The recession Private sector hit and tough times ahead for Public sector and contractors
The recession has hit practitioners working in the Private sector much harder than their Public sector peers. Economic growth shrank by 4.8%, and 2009 was a tough year not only for those who lost their jobs, but also those who continued working- many of whom saw their pay frozen or reduced and their working hours extended. Once again Contractors appear to be the hardest hit, squeezed from multiple directions.
In the Public sector there was significantly less disruption; Remuneration continued to rise and job cuts were minimal during 2009.
In the Public sector only 9% of contractors saw an increase in remuneration against 37% of employees, rising to 42% in the Public sector alone.
Decreases hit contractors hardest with 42% seeing remuneration falling compared with just 17% of employees or 14% in the public sector.
42% of employees expect their earnings to increase in 2010, against only 15 % of contractors.
Looking forward into 2010, the survey responses suggest that many Public sector workers are beginning to see harder times ahead. Whilst pay rises have been agreed for 2010-11, the impending general election and the budget deficit are seen as a major threat to both job security and incomes in 2010 and beyond. Those expecting growth declined by 5% whilst those expecting tough times increased by17%.
Where are the younger PMs?
For the fourth year running, the numbers of respondents under the age of 34 has declined, in line with the hiring patterns experienced by Arras People. This is partially explained by respondents moving up the career ladder to take on more senior roles, but begs the question, where will the project managers of tomorrow come from?
Project failures Who is to blame?
Project failure has been consistently in the news with many high profile examples demonstrating the huge costs of failure and no apparent improvement in delivery capability.
Many research groups have investigated and reported on the causes of failure, with Standish research suggesting that the number of successful projects is falling: 32% in 2009, down from 35% in 2006.
So who is to blame? The short answer is not me!
- Only 13% of Private sector respondents said they were accountable, falling to 6% in the public sector
- 13% of Private sector respondents said their team was accountable, falling to 8% in the Public sector
- 62% of Private sector respondents said they were not in a position to influence a different outcome, rising to a massive 72% in the Public sector.
Lack of executive support is cited as the biggest single cause of project failure. Detailed analysis reveals project initiation is major point of failure with poor requirements, scope creep and expectations not being set or managed accounting for 37%. Add to that the lack of alignment between the project team and the organisation and this reaches 47%!
Said John Thorpe, managing director of Arras People, Based on these figures, maybe we should celebrate a 32% success rate as it may be that most projects are actually setup to fail?
This suggests that authority and accountability are not part of the deal for many PPM practitioners when they take responsibility for leading a programme or project?
This is backed up by comments suggesting practitioners are removed where they deliver bad news that the boss does not wish to hear!
Project Managers and the environment
Many projects are justified on the basis of the environmental benefits they will bring such as reduced energy consumption or recyclability. Many tenders for projects require applicants to demonstrate their environmental credentials.
The survey shows that the greening of projects is seen by many PPM practitioners as a compliance issue which will add complexity, cost and time to their programmes and projects. Whilst many respondents are making changes to reduce consumption of resources such as paper and petrol there is generally not a clear understanding of what green will mean; just 7% indicate that they have a clear understanding regarding green project management. In terms of the implications beyond simple compliance, 31% of practitioners believe that a market will emerge for greened practitioners; 30% are undecided whilst the remaining 33% believe that practitioners will just add it to their skill set. Of course there are still the doubters, but only 4% express the belief that it is just a fad!
The survey also asked respondents about their personal concerns on green issues. The vast majority in all cuts of the data were firmly in the somewhat concerned grouping that averaged around the 50% mark. At the extremes the vey concerned was also a consistent cut across all groupings at 26% of all respondents, (although, as you might expect, the very concerned group rises to 43% of the charity/NFP sector, where significantly more respondents have green objectives and claim to have a very clear understanding of green project management.
When the not at all concerned group were analysed there were two groups that had a much higher level; Males recorded 11% against just 5.5% of females, whilst the 50+ age group recorded 17.5% against 13.5% in the under 34s and 9.5% in the 35 to 49 age group.
Work/Life Balance. Is there a long hours culture in project management?
Over 28% of respondents claimed to have an unacceptable life balance, and this figure increases markedly for those who work more than 40 hours a week (34%), and more than 48 hours a week (45%).
Not only that, there is evidence that project managers are working longer. There is a significant increase- over 5% -in the number of Public sector workers working more than 48 hours, though this figure at 15% is still lower than the 20% in the Private sector.
This chimes with a recently published report from the TUC which led with the headline that UK workers are giving away 27 billion of unpaid overtime, a figure that has increased significantly since they last checked in 2008. The analysis suggests that this is partly due to the recession, with workers accepting additional hours as part of the package that protects jobs.
The Arras People Survey in detail
The full 28-page survey is available on line, sign up to receive a copy at: Project Management Report 2010.
It contains a wealth of detail, including earnings data for different sectors, and for employees versus contractors, remuneration trends and benefits and bonuses.
It is a very useful tool for employers and project management professionals alike to benchmark their earnings, benefits and working conditions.
The on line survey was carried out by Benchpoint Ltd (www.benchpoint.com)
About Arras People:
Arras People is the Project Management Recruitment Division of Arras Services Ltd. Arras People provides programme and project management professionals and professional project office support personnel across all industry sectors, for either permanent, contract or interim positions.
Arras Services began trading in February 2002, and now provides its services to many of UK’s leading blue chip organisations in the UK, as well as public sector (central and local government), IT, engineering, marketing and media organisations, not for profit and charities.
General enquiries, comments and quotes:
John Thorpe,
Managing Director
Arras People
Arras House
47 York Street
Heywood
Lancashire OL10 4NN
Phone: 01706-366444
Fax: 01706-366544
Project Management Recruitment
Survey enquiries, charts and pictures:
Richard Gaunt
Benchpoint Ltd
Tel 077 11 69 19 28
Arras People Attains National Acclaim with JobCentre Plus
Jan 19th
Arras People, the Project Management Recruitment people, attained an unexpected high mark last week when they crossed a threshhold set by the Department for Works and Pensions (DWP) of 300 referred candidates to their JobSearch Support Services for Newly Unemployed Executives, Professionals and Graduates.
The revelation came to be shortly after advisers from JobCentre Plus branches across the UK brought to our attention that our accounts had been “suspended” last week. Puzzled, we got in touch with our contact at the DWP, who laid out what was happening. When a Third Party Provisions Provider like Arras People has received exactly 299 referrals for the Services, the reference code attached to that provider is immediately suspended from use, as computers have deemed it obsolete. Once the new reference code has been established in the database, JobCentre Plus advisers can go back to referring to the Third Party Provider as they did before.
Subsequently, the reference code has now been changed to BOY / 29867, and all referrals should run smoothly until the next 299 candidates are put through.
The need for the change illustrates that Arras People’s popularity as a provider had swelled to the point that accommodations had to be made. Statistics have illustrated this, primarily through the figures surrounding repeat referrals from both specific advisers and branches, which have been a constant since Arras People began providing the Services last April. The examples pop up each month, including an intriguing scenario early in January when an adviser made his first ever referral to Arras People, then quickly followed with three more that same day. It remains the highest referral day to Arras People since we’ve commenced offering the Services.
Other examples include the current list we have of referring branches, which list data as of Monday 18th January 2010. The findings denote that:
- Arras People have received referrals from 142 branches across the UK.
- 50 branches have referred to Arras People more than one time (35%).
- 25 of the branches have called in referrals at least three times (17.5%)
- 13 (9.1%) have at sent at least five candidates our way.
- Those 13 branches alone make up 38.4% of all referrals to Arras People.
- Three branches have referrend 10 or more candidates.
Other factors that drive the popularity include feedback from referred clients:
“Nicola’s forthrightness, attitude and demeanor are a breath of fresh air in the industry, and it does nothing less than give Arras a reputation for hiring quality people, in my humble opinion. Please feel free to ask me anything else about my experience with your company, or otherwise. I made sure I notified the JSA of the job you did, and recommended you for continuing services through them.” - LS*
“The CV feedback combined with other things I was doing enabled reformating the information, so people are now calling me about jobs. I think the service is efficient in terms of giving specific industry advice.” – FP
“I like the idea of the consultancy being quite flexible – it was advertised as improving your CV, but because I had already done that through Arras, I asked if I could use the consultancy for interviewing skills and Mick Hides agreed. I have told the JobCentre that I would recommend it to anyone and have asked them to flag it. I thought it was a great service.” - BM
“A highly professional service offered by experts in their specialist sector. With the job market providing so little feedback to enable candidates to revise their approach to be successful, the Arras service is invaluable!!” - MS
*Initials of commenters are used to protect their anonymity
For more information about the JobSearch Support Services from Arras People, go to our DWP web page.
Arras People to Attend BPUG Congress
Jan 8th
Arras People, the Project Management Recruitment Specialist are delighted to announce they will be exhibiting at the forthcoming International Congress for Project, Programme and Risk Management 2010, taking place at the Royal Lancaster, London on 9th 10th February 2010. www.bpugcongress.com
BPUG Congress now in its third year, is established as the UK’s number one event for project, programme and risk managers who actively look forward to an intense 48 hours of meeting, networking and sharing ideas on project, programme and risk management. Arras People is particularly proud to be taking part in the BPUG Congress especially as it has become widely recognised for its impressive speakers and ample opportunities for delegates to actively learn about key Project, Programme and Risk Management issues.
Lindsay Scott Director at Arras People said; BPUG Congress is one of the best conferences you could attend in the Project/Programme/Risk Management field today. It has fantastic experienced speakers talking about the real project management themes which are important for project practitioners today. There is also great networking opportunities available to meet peers who work in leading public and private sector organisations.
ARRAS PEOPLE PROVIDING 1-2-1 ADVICE AND FEEDBACK
Delegates attending the Congress will also have the opportunity to meet Arras People. Arras will be providing 1-2-1 feedback sessions on CVs and advice on the current Project and Programme management climate. Arras will also share newly released information on issues PM professionals are currently facing from their 2010 Project Management Benchmark Report. Now in its fifth year, the 2010 Report takes an in-depth look at current issues and hot topics within the PPM field, issues such as work/life balance, gender equality, public vs. private sector, training and accreditation, along with data points on salaries, remuneration and market rates.
Whether youre a candidate looking for market information or a client who wants an informal chat on future business requirements and resourcing needs, Arras will be available between seminars sessions and talks said Lindsay Scott.
It really is a great event which makes the most of breaks and networking opportunities.
BPGU Congress highlights;
Building on the 2009 event run by BPUG, this years congress will be:
- Case study led – featuring actual project, programme and risk managers from leading public and private sector organisations
- Highly relevant – with focused workshops on key issues such as methodology refreshes, making change happen, adding value and making the most of your qualifications
- Inspiring – with keynote sessions led by practitioners on real, practical lessons learned, warts-and-all
- Immediately useful – covering the core topics that we are all facing: gaining stake holder buy-in, benefits realisation, change management and strategic risk management and many others
- Comprehensive covering all the major methodologies including M_o_R, MSP, PRINCE2, Agile, P3M3, P3O and OGC Maturity Models.
The opening keynote speaker on day one is Sir Nicholas Montagu who will lead a session on:
Lead & Manage in Complex Organisations
Lessons & inspiration for people at all levels A UK Civil Servant for 30 years, Sir Nicholas Montagu led the Inland Revenue through the greatest change in its 200 year history. This session will outline the key challenges he faced and how he confronted them, tackling issues such as bureaucracy and apathy, working with limited time and resources, and facilitating leadership at all levels.
Other impressive speakers include:
- Tony Smith, Regional Director, UK Border Agency – London and the South East, The Home Office
- Lucinda Garrett, Head of New Business and Change, Upstream Production & Development, Centrica
- Richard Tucker, Advisor to the CIO of the US Governments Department of Education, USA
- Amanda Comber, Head of Programme Office, Rabobank
- Glyn Evans, Director of Change, Birmingham City Council
- Keith Berryman, Managing Director, Crossrail
- Peter Taylor, EMEA Project Management Office Director, Siemens
Both BPUG congress and Arras People look forward to meeting project professionals in February
Arras People’s Director Named Expert For Guardian Careers Live Forum
Jan 7th
Lindsay Scott, Director of Recruitment at Arras People, will answer your questions about project management live online Tuesday from 1-4pm GMT.
Arras People, the Project Management Recruitment specialists, can reveal that one of their leading PM experts has been formally invited by Guardian Careers to participate as an expert panellist in an online Live Q&A about project management next week.
Lindsay Scott, Director of Recruitment at Arras People since the companys 2002 inception, will serve as one of four renowned experts during the live online question and answer session on Tuesday, 12th January between 1pm 4pm. Details of how to join in the live forum are listed below.
Noted for her expertise in project offices and project co-ordination recruitment and skills, Ms Scott previously worked for Hewlett-Packard as a Project Co-ordinator and later as a Project Office Manager. Her service with HP led to the development of skills working with a variety of markets, including e-commerce, retail, telecoms, public sector and defence. As Project Office Manager, Ms Scott established and fine-tuned the UK project office for HP while also guiding and supporting the companys European project office functions.
A tireless student & expert on project office support issues, Ms Scott is also an active member of the Programme and Project Support Office Specialist Interest Group (PPSO SIG). This endeavour has allowed her to provide voluntary assistance in areas such as web development, media and conference arrangement.
As a project management recruitment specialist we provide advice to job seekers everyday so taking part in the Guardian Careers Forum will be an extension of that, Scott said. Im looking forward to providing advice to a cross section of people and hopefully Ill be able to provide some real practical hints and tips for people looking for a career in project management.
Ms Scotts expertise has been in demand in recent years. She has contributed worldwide to periodicals including Project Manager Today, Project Management Institute (PMI), Project Magazine and PM Network, as well as blogging regularly at Arras Peoples project management weblog, How to Manage a Camel. That demand results in large part due to the success of Arras Peoples annual Project Management Benchmark Report, a survey of UK project management professionals on the trends and issues currently affecting the profession. The 2009 report covered matters including salary, rates, experience and working climate in the recession. Data from that survey revealed that 84 per cent of PMs feel that they have a significant role to play in helping the UK economy out of its current economic difficulties.
The 2010 report, the fifth annual edition of the survey findings offered by Arras People, is due out on February 1.
The report has been a really useful guide to project management professionals in the UK over the last four years, Scott said. Its particularly useful for people wanting to gain a deeper understanding of the current project management marketplace and the salary or contractor rate levels for the sectors.
Other panellists include Tarquin Bennett-Coles, director of RSA Interims; Fergus OConnell, founder of ETP; and Steve Armstrong, lecturer and chair of the project management course at the Open University.
NOTES ABOUT THE LIVE Q&A
The session can be found by clicking the Project Management link under the Live Q&A page inside the Forum tab on the Guardian Careers website. The full URL is available here: http://careers.guardian.co.uk/forums?plckForumPage=ForumDiscussion&plckDiscussionId=Cat%3afbe1954f-19a7-4006-82a3-08b5319f4c1dForum%3a7296f258-6ce7-4743-b359-795e7661e245Discussion%3ace5d8eb3-4138-497c-9756-8b007c6a68e1
Arras People is named as a supplier on the Department of Health/NHS PASA Commercial Resources framework
Jun 17th
Arras People, the Project Management Recruitment Specialist, has been successfully awarded by both the Department of Health & the NHS Purchasing & Supply Agency (NHS PASA) for the supply of Commercial Resources in a national and regional capacity.
Headquartered in Greater Manchester, Arras People as one of the awarded suppliers named on this framework will to work with the DH, its ALBs (Arms Length bodies) and NHS PASA to improve commercial capability through an increased emphasis on efficiency and value for money, specifically in a project and programme management capacity. Arras People is widely acknowledged for its expertise in project and programme management and the company will provide recruitment services and consultancy in the hiring (both for local and national NHS entities) of future non-permanent Project Manager, Programme Manager and Project Co-ordinator positions.
Arras Peoples success to date has been attributed to our unique niche in recruitment for targeting project management & programme management personnel, giving the eight-year old national PM workforce supplier a competitive advantage against High Street and other niche recruiters. As part of the tender evaluation criteria Arras People had to demonstrate ability to present quality candidates that will transfer their commercial skills in a manner that will ensure long-term sustainability to commercial development for both the DH and the NHS. In addition, Arras was awarded supplier status for their cost effective recruitment tactics as a value for money supplier.
“The team at Arras are looking forward to engaging with the NHS and the Department of Health personnel. We feel that our inclusion recognises the value of professional project management and specifically the value that we can deliver as a knowledge based, niche recruitment supplier.” said John Thorpe, Managing Director of Arras People.
The plan, titled the Commercial Resources Framework (CRF), is a primary objective of both the NHS and the DH that allows them to bring in non-permanent workers with commercial skills through the help of pre-qualified suppliers.
The CRF (Commercial Resources framework was awarded in April 2009 and commenced on the 1st June 2009- 30th April 2012 (with an option to extend further for 2 periods of 12 months).
Arras People, DWP join in fight for unemployed professionals
Apr 22nd
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) recently included Arras People, the Project Management Recruitment people, as one of several organisations to deliver a new job search service for newly unemployed project management professionals.
Arras People was one of several recruiters nationwide to win a tender to launch the JobSearch Support Services for Newly Unemployed Professionals this month. The Heywood-based project management recruitment and consultancy specialist will work with the DWP and Jobcentre Plus on the new programme, launched as part of the Government’s response to the economic downturn. The service is targeted specifically at professional or executive jobseekers in receipt of Job Seekers Allowance (JSA) who have become unemployed after a period of long term employment.
Arras People will be delivering a variety of services across the whole of the UK to project professionals as an extension of our current career support offerings to prospective job seekers. Those who qualify for the service will receive career counselling and guidance on topics such as skills audit, CV writing, cover letter writing, interviewing skills, market intelligence and job search techniques.
“This opportunity to work with the DWP is a natural fit with the services we currently offer to those looking to advance their careers in Project Management,” said John Thorpe, Managing Director & Founder of Arras People. “Preparing yourself to be effective in the job market is a skill which many people need help and advice on if they are going to secure a new role. The team at Arras People have a track record in helping people achieve this.”
The DWP has introduced a wide range of additional services for their customers, including the JobSearch Support Service for Newly Unemployed Professionals. JobSearch Support is modelled as a one-day package complete with focused, intensive job search support for customers who have little or no experience with current job search channels, but display the confidence and motivation to seek work independently.
To use the JobSearch Support Service provided by Arras People, JSA qualifiers (particularly those with a background in projects) are encouraged to seek further advice about Arras People’s involvement in the programme through their Jobcentre Plus adviser.
Those interested can go to http://www.arraspeople.co.uk/DWP/ and learn more about Arras People’s involvement with Jobcentre Plus and the DWP in JobSearch Support Services for Newly Unemployed Professionals.
Happy Birthday: Arras People Turns Seven Years Old This Month
Apr 1st
Arras People, the Project Management Recruitment Specialist, are celebrating the companys seventh birthday throughout the month of April. The month-long celebration will be highlighted by a full day of free Project Management Careers Clinics for project management candidates.
Formed in 2002, Arras People has established itself as the premier project and programme management Recruitment Company in the UK, bringing unparalleled levels of service to clients and candidates alike. Recognising the growth in the UK project management market as more organisations took a project centric approach to delivery, the founders used their own experiences to form a company that was able to offer knowledge based recruitment services in response to the growing demand. The principal of using experienced project management practitioners to deliver recruitment services still holds strong and defines the company in the marketplace.
According to Managing Director and Co-Founder John Thorpe, “It is an approach that is based on respect to all our clients, be they clients looking to take on new hires or candidates looking for a new opportunity. It sounds simple, but from our own experiences of the marketplace and from conversations we have with individuals, it still marks us out in the crowd.”
Unlike most who celebrate their own birthday, Arras People will be the ones bestowing the gifts this month namely a free day of the popular Project Management Careers Clinics on the 27th April. These 30-minute one-to-one telephone consultations assist project management professionals who need independent advice in their pursuit of the next step in their project management career. Most often, clinic participants gain advice and feedback on their CVs. However, other clinic participants have used the clinic to get a better feel for the job market, received advice on project management training, and guidance about developing their careers.
The clinic, which normally charges a small fee, was recently offered for free at the Project Challenge Spring Show 2009 at the NEC Arena in Birmingham. So strong was the response for the service that the available slots were fully booked online within 10 days.
“We have a lot of good memories to look back on, and we think going forward that the Clinics will continue to stand out as our unique way of extending our expertise in the field to project and programme management professionals,” said Dan Strayer, Marketing Co-ordinator at Arras People. “When you get down to it, the Project Management Careers Clinic is one of the most popular tools we have to show that we are here for our candidates. Any way you cut it, everybody is a winner this month with Arras People.”
A web page will be updated throughout the month with features and information on how prospective free clinic participants can register for an open slot 27th April. Keep checking in at website for more details.
Arras People celebrates ISO9001:2008 Accreditation: Raising the Standards in Project Management Recruitment
Feb 27th
Arras People, the project management recruitment specialists, today celebrated the accumulation of months of preparation with the award of their BS EN ISO9001:2008 Certification for the provision of project Management and staffing solutions.
The award, granted by the International Organisation for Standardisation, followed a successful independent audit of Arras People’s key business policies, processes, procedures and best practices techniques which are used in the project management recruitment process.
The Certification was the natural next step for Arras People, given the growing expectation in business today that companies can demonstrate and maintain quality management systems. This accreditation not only demonstrates that Arras People is a sound and solid business but also gives official recognition to the wider marketplace of what the business was already doing; providing a project management recruitment service that exceeds expectations for all its clients both recruiting organisations and candidates.
Lead consultant for Arras People, Mick Hides, commented; “The ISO 9001 Certification now opens up new markets for Arras People, it has enabled us to start working with new clients that had specific procurement requirements in place, specifically that new suppliers must have the accreditation. We’re looking forward to supplying our unique services to a wider market”
Commented John Thorpe, Managing Director of Arras People, “It’s reassuring to know that we went through the ISO 9001:2008 process with no major changes, we worked hard in the preparation but fundamentally the accreditation shows we’re running a controlled business and it is a great platform on which to continue grow and provide our customers with an enhanced recruitment experience”
