Client case studies

City of Durham Council

Find out how the City of Durham Council is revolutionising its project management, with PRINCE2 training from Xpertise.

The challenge

The Business Development Section of the City of Durham Council is responsible for advising upon and/or managing a considerable and diverse range of projects, across all of the Council’s activities, which are designed to create positive and lasting change for the Citizens of Durham District. Probity and accountability for the utilisation of taxpayers’ money is key – so it’s vitally important that projects are delivered on time, within budget and to rigorous quality standards.

The solution

To help it achieve and exceed its targets, the Business Development Section decided to implement a world-class and highly proven set of project management methodologies: PRINCE2 and Managing Successful Programmes. It chose Xpertise to provide the project/programme-management training needed to successfully adopt those methodologies.

The training comprised of three key stages: the first, an introduction to project management essentials; the second, the PRINCE2 training programme; and finally, Managing Successful Programmes, a programme-management method which complements PRINCE2. Fifteen project managers from the authority attended PRINCE2 training – people who are responsible for managing vital projects for the Council, helping it undergo significant changes in order to provide the best possible service to its customers. Based upon the quality of the training, the Council also commissioned a range of customised courses from Xpertise to engage senior management’s commitment to formal project management principles.

For all projects, it is important that the defined project outputs are fully met – which might include legislative and public commitments. The project managers work on behalf of a large stakeholder audience – everyone from the Department for Communities and Local Government to the people who live, work or visit Durham.

Recent and current projects include a series of technology driven projects to deliver the e-Government agenda, such as on-line leisure bookings, e-ordering and e-invoicing for procuring goods and services – and the implementation of a countywide customer relationship management solution across the County Council and the county’s seven district councils. Successful delivery of the e-enabled projects have enabled the Council to meet its service outcome targets and to achieve significant efficiency gains. Other large-scale projects include the construction of the new swimming baths in the City centre and conducting a lean service review within the Council’s Customer Services Section to eradicate waste in its processes.

The confidence in undertaking the training has not been misplaced, helping Business Development to deliver projects with far greater efficiency, meeting budget targets and upholding quality standards. Sue Kelley, Head of Business Development at the City of Durham Council, believes that the training has enabled the Section to make a significant step forward in terms of the way projects are managed. “We wanted world-class project management skills and that’s what Xpertise’s training has given us,” says Sue. “We have to manage a large number of high-profile and extremely important projects, to the highest standard possible, with full accountability to our taxpayers. This training has enabled us to do exactly that, taking our skills well and truly to the next level.”