PMFORUM Breaking News
Breaking News in the Project Management World
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Risk Management at the Olympic Delivery Authority to be discussed at February International Congress on Programme & Project Management in UK
The Olympic Delivery Authority’s risk specialists will share their experiences with delegates at the International Congress on Programme and Project Management, set for 10-11 February 2009 in the UK. The ODA is the body responsible for delivering venues and infrastructure for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. It was formed in 2005 and adopted a 2:4:1 strategy – 2 years to design, 4 years to build and 1 year to test. It is currently in the ‘Big Build’ phase of the project.
David Law, Head of Risk & Audit and Chief Risk Officer, and Rob Hoccom, Head of Fraud Prevention, at ODA will position some of the risks facing both the wider Olympic Programme and the many individual projects associated with it. They will also discuss the steps being taken to strengthen fraud prevention and promote a fraud awareness culture.
“In common with all major projects, effective risk management is key to successful delivery,” David Law says. “Our session will describe the risk governance framework through which the project will be delivered, a key element of which is the ‘3 lines of defence’ under which Line management represents the first line of defence; a strong Programme Assurance Office represents the second line of defence; and Risk & Audit represents the third line of defence.”
Law and Hoccom will discuss how the ODA is managing risk and position the scale of The Olympic Park Project – which is slightly larger than Hyde Park. “There are 35 sub projects underway at the moment and landscaping the park is one of them. This means transforming a wasteland into the Olympic Park.
“We’re currently finding lots of interesting items such as hundreds of old shopping trolleys, a Second World War US Jeep and the remains of a Spitfire which is partly composed of radioactive material,” Law says.
Hoccom will also detail how fraud risk is combated on many different fronts: “Some of the potential fraud risks associated with the construction of the Olympic Park include colluding to obtain contracts in the procurement process or billing for the supply of large quantities of materials like sand, but under delivering on those supplies.”
The ODA and its sister company the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games also have to contend with the formation of new companies with London 2012 in their company name. The ODA work closely with the authorities to investigate all such companies.
The Congress will represent an opportunity for delegates to gain insights into the latest news regarding the update of PRINCE2; the event will feature a broad programme of speakers from both the public and private sectors. The event will also provide excellent networking opportunities during the day and evening at its Gala Dinner. The 2009 International Congress on Programme and Project Management will take place on 10-11 February 2009 at the Radisson Edwardian Hotel, Heathrow, UK. A full conference pass costs £550 + VAT. For further details and to register visit www.bpugcongress.com.
“In common with all major projects, effective risk management is key to successful delivery,” David Law says. “Our session will describe the risk governance framework through which the project will be delivered, a key element of which is the ‘3 lines of defence’ under which Line management represents the first line of defence; a strong Programme Assurance Office represents the second line of defence; and Risk & Audit represents the third line of defence.”
Law and Hoccom will discuss how the ODA is managing risk and position the scale of The Olympic Park Project – which is slightly larger than Hyde Park. “There are 35 sub projects underway at the moment and landscaping the park is one of them. This means transforming a wasteland into the Olympic Park.
“We’re currently finding lots of interesting items such as hundreds of old shopping trolleys, a Second World War US Jeep and the remains of a Spitfire which is partly composed of radioactive material,” Law says.
Hoccom will also detail how fraud risk is combated on many different fronts: “Some of the potential fraud risks associated with the construction of the Olympic Park include colluding to obtain contracts in the procurement process or billing for the supply of large quantities of materials like sand, but under delivering on those supplies.”
The ODA and its sister company the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games also have to contend with the formation of new companies with London 2012 in their company name. The ODA work closely with the authorities to investigate all such companies.
