News and Media

4ps & UCL Address the Skills Gap in PFI and PPP

4ps is set to deliver the first formal training course specifically designed for project directors after signing a contract with University College London (UCL), it was announced today. The Project Directors’ Development Programme (PDDP) will provide project directors with the skills, technical know-how and confidence to lead the delivery of high risk PFI, PPP and other complex projects.

It is widely recognised that the public sector needs to build its capacity in delivering PFI and PPP projects to reduce the tendering process and negotiate contracts that deliver value for money. The National Audit Office recently called for the public sector to raise its game and this is strongly supported by the Public Account Committee which concluded that the lack of PFI expertise within the public sector is reducing competition in the market and that a failure to follow good procurement practice results in deals not achieving best value.

To meet this challenge, 4ps in partnership with UCL and Constructing Excellence, has developed the Project Directors Development Programme. This training programme will enable project directors from the public and private sectors to understand every aspect of the procurement process and equip them with the necessary leadership, communication, decision-making and negotiation skills to effectively and efficiently lead the delivery of successful projects.

This formal training programme will be delivered by 4ps, UCL and Constructing Excellence over a year-long modular course of study with practical assignments to ensure the learning can be transferred directly to benefit the individual, their project and their employer.

Alan Munro, 4ps’ Project Director, said: “We are delighted to announce the PDDP contract between 4ps and UCL. There are approximately 500 projects within local government yet, until now, there has been no formal training expressly developed for those responsible for leading their procurement and delivery. We look forward to working with an academic institution that has such a high global reputation for excellence as UCL. We are sure this partnership will deliver a training programme that will equip project directors from both the public and private sector with the necessary expertise and commercial skills to get good value for money.

Andrew Edkins, UCL’s lead academic for the PDDP, said: “UCL has been researching and teaching on issues of PFI, PPP, and the management of major projects for many years now and so we are eagerly looking forward to working with the 4ps to create and deliver a precedent setting course. UCL and 4ps, together with experts from Constructing Excellence, will establish PDDP as the course that will give project directors the tools, knowledge, and understanding that will allow them to further improve the performance of challenging public sector initiated projects.”

The PDDP will launch in April 2008 for a July 2008 start and will be available to all project directors and senior project managers within local authorities and private organisations involved in delivering PFI, PPP and other complex projects. For more information on 4ps’ skills development and training programmes please go to: www.4ps.gov.uk or email pddp@4ps.gov.uk.

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For further information on the Project Directors Development Programme please contact the 4ps press office on 020 7025 7590.