Methodology is not a substitute for leadership.
Speaker
Oliver Kirby-Johnson
Agenda
6:30pm - Introductions and announcements
6:40pm - Talk commences
8:00pm - Talk concludes with (optional) post-event networking
9:00pm - Building closes
About the Spring School
The 2025 Spring School focuses on avoiding project disasters.
Success requires much more than simply applying methodology - it requires knowledge, skills, leadership, governance and maybe good luck (or should we say risk management).
There is also the question of what to do when things are going wrong. Could you rescue the situation? Or, ultimately, should you kill it now to cut the losses?
Synopsis
Illustrated with case studies, including from his personal experience, Oliver will explore why some business and technology programmes deliver while many fail to come anywhere close to their original goals.
In this interactive session, we will look at some of the factors behind diverse projects which lead to success or failure:
- Learning from the past: recognising that the rules might have changed since then.
- The ‘wrong’ project: some projects are doomed from the start.
- Leadership: no two projects/programmes are the same.
- Eliminating execution risk: realising that there will be new ways to fail.
- Playing nicely: how to govern the ungovernable.
About the speaker
Oliver Kirby-Johnson retired as a KPMG Partner after 35 years in their Consulting business. Initially working on business-led IT strategy, Oliver specialised in leading large complex programmes, including post-merger integration, regulatory compliance and, uniquely, as the banking industry Programme Director for two major national payments programs: the UK’s Faster Payments Service and Australia’s New Payment Platform, enabling real-time bank account-to-bank account customer payments.
Over the last 15 years, Oliver was also increasingly active in the risk management of KPMG’s Consulting business - including the development and delivery of contract and programme risk management training. Prior to KPMG, Oliver worked on a number of technology and business projects, having initially started out in software development of real-time systems.
Other sessions you may be interested in as part of the Spring School
Week 2 - How to avoid transformation disasters
Week 3 - The Role of Governance in Project Success
Week 4 - Soft Skills, People Issues and Panel Discussion
Ticket costs:
(Prices stated are inclusive of VAT and fees)
BCS members: £48.00
APM members: £91.80
Non-members: £108.00
Students / Unwaged: £24.00
All tickets include access to all four Spring School sessions.
Refunds/Cancellations:
A refund, excluding fees, will be issued if a cancellation request is received within 14 days of the booking date or by noon on Thursday, 27 February 2025; otherwise, name substitutions will be allowed after this date.
Our events are for adults aged 16 years and over.
BCS is a membership organisation. If you enjoy this event, please consider joining BCS. You’ll be very welcome. You’ll receive access to many exclusive career development tools, an introduction to a thriving professional community and also help us Make IT Good For Society. Join BCS today: https://www.bcs.org/membership/events
If you are attending in person, please familiarise yourself with the Visitor Instructions for the BCS London Office.
Please note, if you have any accessibility needs, please let us know via groups@bcs.uk and we’ll work with you to make suitable arrangements.
For overseas delegates who wish to attend the event, please note that BCS does not issue invitation letters.
This event is brought to you by: Project Management specialist group (PROMS-G)
