Qualifications
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National Centre for Project Management
About the Centre
The National Centre for Project Management (NCPM) is an interdisciplinary centre of excellence, operating in collaboration with industry, government, third-sector organisations, national and international think tanks and the learned societies. We foster a trans-disciplinary perspective that covers all aspects of implementing successful project and programme management, regardless of sector.
NCPM was established in 2003 to encourage transdisciplinary thinking in project management and has earned a stellar reputation for thought leadership and shaping the profession through its engagement, dissemination, educational, consulting and business activities. In the autumn of 2018 it relocated to Lancaster University, where it is part of the Management School.
In exploring the new frontiers of project management knowledge and capability, NCPM endeavours to reflect the increasing role of projects and project management in modern society as well as the organisational, strategic, cultural, environmental and societal implications associated with instituting sound project practice.
This broad perspective positions NCPM as the leading centre of excellence specialising in all aspects of managing projects and strategic change initiatives.
Our vision
NCPM aims to set the national agenda and establish project management as a major profession and discipline in the UK.
Our mission
We aim to foster active dialogue about the integration of successful practice and theoretical research within project management.
Strategic objectives
NCPM focuses on developing the trans-disciplinary and essential facets of the discipline of project management, by means of:
- providing thought leadership
- disseminating and publishing new ideas through two established book series
- directing the development of the project management body of knowledge
- encouraging, fostering and participating in leading-edge research
- developing innovative educational programmes and courses
- launching the UK’s first professional doctorate in project management
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Publications
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Our expertise
NCPM provides a forum for addressing national issues and challenges and draws on industry, government and academia to promote best practice and foster improvement in project practice. Participants share a common concern over the understanding and skill levels in project management and seek to improve and build upon current knowledge and capability.
Background to project management
Project management has grown beyond its roots in the construction, engineering and aerospace industries and is increasingly recognised as a key competence in many organisations in both the private and public sectors. The award of Royal Charter to the Association for Project Management (APM), has established a formal recognition of the profession.
Accordion
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The need for capable project managers
The media are widely reporting soaring demand and premium rates for project managers. In an attempt to quench this thirst, the National Centre for Project Management is developing a range of programmes. Current worldwide estimates suggest that over 25 million people define themselves as project managers and many others are heavily involved in project management.
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Critical to national prosperity
It is no exaggeration to say that the progress of modern society is totally and irrevocably dependent on the ability to deliver project outcomes as required. Project management is rapidly becoming a key skill that underpins progress and prosperity. The ability to control and manage projects has become a critical national capability that will play a part in defining success and determining sustainability, wellbeing and competitiveness.
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Projects raise national issues
The national dependence on projects raises many issues and challenges that must be addressed in a systemic manner. Such issues include understanding the role of projects in the national economy, reducing the national failure rate, ensuring competitiveness in managing projects, meeting public needs for trustworthiness in project outcomes and educating the current and future generations of project managers.
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Addressing the national agenda
The NCPM will build on existing strengths and endeavour to provide a forum for addressing key issues. We will draw on industry, government and academia to promote good practice and foster improvement in project management practice. It will create a common focus on enhancing project management knowledge, expertise, insights and research and offer the guidance and thought leadership required to underpin and support local, regional, national and global excellence.
Our services
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Bespoke training and development
We offer training activities tailored to your needs, designed to address your specific challenges, including a range of diagnostic workshops and a variety of developmental activities designed to improve teams, interpersonal relationships, and project management skills and competencies.
Managing external projects
Consultancy and management support, or an actual service offered for managing a variety of externally funded projects
Project rescue
Help and support in the rescue and turnaround of live projects.
Assessment and evaluation
We offer a range of recognised and bespoke improvement, assessment and evaluation activities, including project assurance, benchmarking and a variety of maturity assessments and evaluations and process improvement workshops.
Our programmes
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Our people
For more information on the National Centre for Project Management, please get in touch using the details below:
- Email: ncpm@lancaster.ac.uk
- Tel: +44 (0)1524 593507
Centre Director
Professor Darren Dalcher
Professor in Strategic Project ManagementCentre for Technological Futures , Pentland Centre
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A044, A - Floor, Management School
External members
Mary McKinlay is a Teaching Fellow at NCPM and Managing Director of Mary McKinlay Projects Ltd Project Assessment and Training.
She is a former Board Member and Trustee of APM and a former Vice President of the International Project Management Association. She is an Adjunct Professor of Project Management at ESC Lille. Mary’s expertise is in project and programme management, risk management and systems engineering. Her special field of interest is aerospace and defence.
Mary has worked in project management for over 30 years as a practitioner, researcher and trainer. Following a degree in Systems Engineering, she started her career on the Tornado aircraft project and has subsequently worked on many large programmes. A further dimension was added by participation in research programmes involving collaboration between industry and academics (Alvey, SERC and ESPRIT). One of these projects was to generate a process model for project management. This underlined the need for project management improvement and influenced her later work.
Industry Advisory Board
The Industry Advisory Board (IAB) is a high-level independent advisory group constituted to provide guidance and direction to the NCPM in the areas of research, business and educational/training trends. The IAB is a volunteer organisation and represents industry, commerce, government and the professional societies through a combination of representative and individual members.
The IAB provides a defined mechanism to:
- identify, assess and discuss new trends in project management
- provide guidance to NCPM and the research and teaching communities associated with it
- share experiences and perspectives across domains
- offer a forum for interaction between researchers and academics, industry and government in shaping the national agenda and seeking improvements
- propose new directions in education, training and research and development
- provide the underlying support for the development and promotion of NCPM and the interdisciplinary approach to project management.