Digitising programme management: get the basics right

Stefan Mordue, vice-chair of the CIOB Digital & Innovation Advisory Panel and senior manager of education and partnerships at Bentley Systems, explained what the industry can expect from the playbook.

“It’s designed to be a practical guide that shows how digital approaches to programme and project management can really add value, whether it’s improving productivity, quality, sustainability or even compliance. It’s all about helping organisations move from talking about digital to actually doing it, whether using systems, better systems, data or better collaboration to deliver projects more efficiently and with greater confidence,” he said.

“The diversity of the panel – industry practitioners, suppliers and academics, including non-UK perspectives – has really helped shape our thinking and makes the playbook relevant whether you’re delivering a huge infrastructure programme or managing a much smaller local project.

“The playbook has six core themes:

• productivity and quality – how better data and connected systems can help manage change and performance, and reduce rework;
• sustainability and circularity – how digital supports things such as carbon tracking, modular design and circular economy thinking;
• safety and compliance – focusing on the Building Safety Act and the golden thread and how these principles also apply in an international arena;
• people and upskilling – looking at the cultural side of digital transformation and looking at the skills that we need to make that happen;
• information management and standardisation – things such as open data, interoperability, alignment with ISO and PMO frameworks; and
• case studies and practical tools.

“We’re trying to make it technology agnostic, it’s not about promoting any specific tools or platforms. It links to other existing CIOB resources, like the Client Guide and the AI Playbook.”

David Philp, chair of the CIOB Digital & Innovation Advisory Panel and chief value officer at Bentley Systems, noted that the playbook is intended for construction businesses and projects of all sizes.

CIOB members and interested parties who would like to contribute to the Digitising PMO Playbook should contact Philp and Mordue.