Leadership

Strong leadership needs to provide:

• Vision
• Understanding
• Decision Making
• Communication

Vision

Project success is measured against the objectives set by the vision, ambition and needs of the college. Needs are outlined in the process part of the web site. http://designguidance.lsc.gov.uk/process/vision/ The vision is an encompassing statement of intent and reflects not only the objective needs but also the belief and ethos of the college interpreted into a vision for the future. This is at the very heart of the project and must be established at the beginning of the journey to create the new college. It must be understood and recognised by all and used as a benchmark to measure the fitness of the project proposals throughout the development process.

The vision for the project is at the heart of the objectives and must be the foundation upon which the project is built.

Understanding

Project leadership needs to understand what it is trying to achieve through the project, as defined by the vision, and also understand the opportunities available and the constraints that impact upon the project. Work must be done at an early stage within the client body and using strategic, high level advisers to establish the opportunities and constraints. ‘Blue Sky’ thinking is important at the inception of the project – never be confined by lack of opportunity. Issues of time, place and budget usually serve as constraints and the client leadership needs to understand, grasp and communicate these to the project team.

Decision Making

Good project outcomes demand a robust and decisive project leadership. Effective decisions based on sound knowledge and information delivered to the client body by the project team. There is a trade of information flow and management that needs to be achieved to satisfy the project process to achieve a successful outcome. The client body and the project team need to establish the key objectives and outcomes. In order to achieve these, there will need to be specific deliverables to suit a timetable of events. By setting the requirements for the execution of the project, decisions required can be identified and therefore should not come as a surprise.

Plan to ensure decisions are taken with the correct information and knowledge and in time.

Do not avoid making decisions but do not make decisions without understanding the consequence.

Make sure your priorities are clear and understood.

Make sure you establish when you need to be consulted and when you expect others to make decisions.

A Project Execution Plan will facilitate the decision making process.

Communication

Project leadership must communicate its vision and objectives to ensure all those involved understand the project. By clear and careful communication the project team understand what the leadership is trying to achieve and how. Additionally to ensure support for the project, key stakeholders need to be aware of progress and outcomes.

Engage the strategic project team and colleagues who have been through the project process in workshops and conferences.

It is also important to communicate with outside agencies and interests. Local Councillors and Local Authority Planning Officers are important in the process of achieving a major project. Town planning is dealt with elsewhere, but at a strategic level it is helpful to engage with the Local Authority to ensure the project will be developed in a way that is in keeping and acceptable to the broader community.

Good communication allows the project leadership to inform and manage.