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Developing Project Management

Developing Project Management Capability in an International Relief Organisation

A non-profit’s mission is to provide support and emergency relief and development assistance to suffering people around the world. Over the last few years, there had been a tremendous amount of change within the
organisation. Tensions had built up between departments around their approach to projects and how to make them work.

Penny Pullan delivered a two day workshop for twenty people from around the organisation. All the work was interactive, based around a change framework, and used real life projects from the group as examples.

The two days were packed with activity, which kept everyone on their toes. The participants were stimulated by the mix of theory and really relevant practice, which added value. A spin-off benefit was that it was the first time
departments had spent such quality time together.  The course was held away from the normal office – an essential element which minimised interruptions.  

Typical comments were “A good mix of trainer led exercises and interactive time – course was well
balanced”; “Liked the built in time for interaction and the sheer fun together”; “Providing a structure for thinking through projects”
.

Immediately after the workshop, the organisation identified a cross-departmental project to continue their work. This gave them additional exposure to the principles learned during the two days. “The quality of the resulting output was far higher than would have been achieved without the course,” says their Head of Operations.

A long term result of the workshop is that planning has extended a further six months out into the future. This is a fundamental change in the way the organisation operates and it yields more time for quality preparation. This
will translate into cost savings, which will find their way into the very projects that are at the heart of their work.