Science and Art

Many have mastered the Science of project management by applying well-established methodologies, utilising libraries of web resources and taking one of the hundreds of formalised courses and training programs on offer.

The Art is a little harder. It’s about experience and judgement. It’s about tailoring project artefacts to match the nuances of the organisation and its processes. It’s about understanding stakeholders and – above all – it’s about managing people.

Lonsdale understands the need to combine rigour and creativity in our work – the Science and the Art.

Project SpringBoard®

Project SpringBoard® is our project management mentoring strategy that gives you “insurance” for large projects.

With SpringBoard® you have the opportunity to strengthen your existing project management skill base through ongoing coaching and mentorship with one of our senior consultants.

How does SpringBoard® work?

• Lonsdale Solutions conducts a SWOT-based skills assessment of the candidate project manager(s).
• Lonsdale works with the project manager(s) to develop a coaching plan that builds on the areas for improvement identified in the skills assessment.
• The project manager is matched with a Lonsdale consultant who is strong in the areas identified for improvement.
• Lonsdale provides regular face-to-face meetings and coaching sessions to assist your project manager(s) in their ongoing professional development.
• A skills re-evaluation at the end of the project allows the project manager(s) to measure their development.

Learn more about Project SpringBoard®

Experience and Capability

The Lonsdale Solutions team consists of professionals with substantial experience at every level of IT management – from board-level presentations right through to the coalface of complex, high-risk projects.

Lonsdale consultants offer straightforward, constructive advice – and our breadth of IT experience means it’s probable we’ve executed a delivery similar to yours.

Learn more about our people and our clients. .
 

Principals

PROFILE:
Anna is a dynamic IT leader with extensive experience in technology delivery through project management, IT management and PMO. She is passionate about setting up projects and teams for success, drawing on her 20 years of experience in diverse roles, including leading teams through transformation. Anna has successfully delivered outcomes using various resourcing models including multi-site, offshore and vendor augmented. Anna is able to deliver business benefit through technology and her flexibility between project, program and PMO management allows her skills to be applied where they are most needed.

STRENGTHS:
Anna’s ability to respond to dynamic environments by quickly assimilating new information and making pragmatic decisions is one of her key strengths. This allows her to deliver the best outcome at each stage of the software development.

Please email contact@lonsdalesolutions.com.au for Anna’s resume.

PROFILE:

A talented IT executive with over 25 years experience in the design, development, implementation and operation of IT solutions, Stephen has successfully delivered IT business value as an executive, project director, program manager and project manager.

This breadth of experience means he is able to operate effectively in a variety of environments, switching quickly from high-level to low-level analysis to make sound, timely decisions. His project/program management experience has been primarily in banking and finance, including retail/commercial banking systems (such as Hogan), delivery systems (internet banking, branch, ATM and EFTPOS networks) and data security and integrity technology (encryption algorithms and the use of smart cards). Stephen has successfully managed a significant number of medium/large projects to aggressive deadlines.

STRENGTHS:
Stephen is team-oriented with strong leadership, communication and people skills. With his strong technical background, Stephen can support the team from a management, architectural or technical perspective across a variety of platforms. Stephen also has strong business analysis skills and is experienced in liaising with senior executives and board representatives.

Please email contact@lonsdalesolutions.com.au for Stephen’s resume.

PROFILE:
Roy has over 25 years experience in the design, development, implementation and support of business-driven IT solutions. He has been closely involved in the development of strategies that recognise future requirements, the implementation of infrastructure and procedures to support current operations, and the design and management of programs to enable change. In recent years, Roy has managed and completed projects for some of Australia's largest business and private sector enterprises including ANZ Bank, TXU, National Australia Bank, Jemena, County Natwest Australia Investment Management, Mercantile Mutual, Colonial State Bank, St George Bank, Australia Post and the NRMA.

STRENGTHS:
Development of strategies for the deployment and operation of IT solutions. Practical experience in managing technology in support of business operation. Project management of small, medium and large projects. Coordination of multiple projects. PMO experience in a large (300+) IT department. Extensive experience in systems development and support.

Please email contact@lonsdalesolutions.com.au for Roy's resume.

PROFILE:
Evan is a professional Project Manager with 15 years of experience in IT, eight of those in Project and Program Management. He has successfully led both complex IT Projects and Business Process change initiatives and thrives in challenging environments. Evan’s experience has shown his ability to apply his skills across industries. He holds qualifications in both PMBoK and PRINCE2, being a fully certified Project Management Professional (PMP) and a PRINCE2 Practitioner.

STRENGTHS:
Evan is an energetic and enthusiastic motivator and this allows him to quickly form and lead strong, effective teams. He is extremely organised, and adopts a structured approach to all challenges he undertakes and his ability to effectively apply a range of methodologies to projects is a key strength. His strong emphasis on planning and operational handover maximises the opportunities for project success. Evan’s personable manner enables him to quickly establish strong professional relationships at all levels of the organisation.

Please email contact@lonsdalesolutions.com.au for Evan's resume.

PROFILE:
Mike has nearly 20 years experience within IT and related fields, and has specialised in ensuring technology projects and programs achieve business outcomes. He has proven skills in setting up and managing large projects as well as experience in consulting and business architecture. His accountabilities have included financial, delivery and customer satisfaction responsibilities across multiple, complex and large scale (in excess of $60m) technology engagements, ensuring that the programs deliver against their business objectives. His pragmatic, business focussed approach means he builds strong relationships with stakeholders.

STRENGTHS:
Mike’s business strategy development and execution, coupled with his proven program delivery skills in large complex programs of work make him an excellent candidate for any project or role requiring strong business relationships.

Please email contact@lonsdalesolutions.com.au for Mike's resume.

Project SpringBoard®

Project SpringBoard® is “insurance” for complex projects, providing a framework to support and develop senior project leaders as they deliver large, complex projects.

SpringBoard® makes skills enhancement immediately relevant for the project manager as well as adding value for the long term. It’s a training technique that puts theory into practice. It’s about learning through doing.

The SpringBoard® framework:

• reduces risk to project sponsors because coaching is specifically tailored to the project
• enhances the skills of the project manager because coaching is tailored to the job and the individual
• improves your organisation’s project management capability by focussing on valued project leaders.

For further information on Project Springboard®, email contact@lonsdalesolutions.com.au

Project failure rate for large or complex projects

The failure rate for large (over $10m) or complex IT projects is much higher than that for smaller projects. As a consequence, organisations often “buy in” the project director/program manager capability.

Although this reduces the risk of failure through inadequate skills within the organisation, it does little to improve the capabilities of project managers who are approaching the required level of expertise, but who just need some coaching.

Knowledge of the organisation

Although the use of contract senior project leaders reduces the skills-related risks associated with the project, it can also increase risk in other areas if the candidate is unfamiliar with the organisation. This can present problems in key delivery areas such as engagement of executive stakeholder management.

Developing high-calibre project leaders – tomorrow’s project directors

Developing and using an internal project management capability is an effective strategy in building a team with a good understanding of your organisation’s business environment and operating model.

However, there is an inherent challenge in developing project managers so they can operate effectively at the project director level: How can they see how it is done?

Since there can be only one project manager ultimately accountable for delivery, this can be a lonely role.

So how do project managers get to see good project directors in action?

Since the organisation and the project sponsor must always ensure the project has the best chance of success, how likely is it that a project manager will be given a large initiative to “practise” on? And if they are, how do they work out how to respond to the new challenges of executive stakeholders or complex vendor relationships or other key needs?

The solution? – SpringBoard® project management support.

Access to a range of premium resources – matched to coaching need

Project SpringBoard® allows organisations to support their project managers in taking the next step as senior project leaders by providing on-the-job coaching that is tailored to both the individual and the project. This support comes from consultants who have successfully delivered large programs of work and who provide “real-time” support to assist in any situation. This allows program managers to get independent input to help solve problems and learn contextually while still having a “safety net”. SpringBoard® can also be used to address skill gaps for an otherwise well-qualified candidate or to address a particular project need.