An interview with Mark McGowan, WA Premier, on the importance of Project Management

 

What is your understanding of the term “project management”?

As Premier, I recognise the importance of best practise procurement as part of good project management, and as such I am focused on achieving value for money for the taxpayer as part of any project and ensuring we create local jobs and use local content to benefit Western Australians.

 

The inclusion of key state government policies such as the WA Industry Participation Strategy, Buy Local Policy, the Aboriginal Procurement Policy a, plus the experience, capabilities and past performance of the tendering contractors are to help achieve best practise procurement and great outcomes for any WA driven project.

 

Project management encompasses a range of knowledge, skills and tools to deliver project requirements.

 

Generally, key elements of scope, quality, scheduling, budget, risks, procurement, resources and stakeholder management need to be considered as part of any project and are intertwined with each other in the sense that if one factor changes it is likely that another will be affected.

 

How important is good project management to achieving the outcomes that you need?

 

My government’s focus is on delivering our signature congestion busting and job creating transport plan METRONET.

 

We’ve worked hard to secure the biggest funding commitment to date from both sides of politics to further our METRONET plans whether it’s funding for a job-creating Railcar Manufacturing Facility from Federal Labor, additional funding for rail lines and extensions or funding for upgrades to current train stations – these are all integral in achieving a good outcome in a financially responsible way that doesn’t burden WA taxpayers for generations to come.

 

In order to progress METRONET, as a government, we have had to plan methodically and develop detailed plans for land around new train stations, carefully following all due process. Business cases have been prepared and submitted to at a state and national level and these are vital in order to obtain approvals and funding.

 

Best practice project management is integral in achieving objectives but it is the development and focus on the goals and objectives throughout the project that is important.

 

A rigorous project planning/definition stage helps to justify and define the goals and objectives of the project, leading to the development and definition of the project’s scope – i.e. all the work required to complete the project successfully, and what is excluded from the project.

 

As part of the scoping phase, how the project will be defined, developed, monitored, controlled, verified, and the manner in which the project will be delivered to achieve the required goals and objectives is also developed and documented.

 

The project definition phase is also the ideal time to consider the procurement strategy or strategies that might be best suited to deliver the required project outcomes.

 

In your view, what are some of the key factors that make for a successful project?

 

Whole-of-government cooperation is a key focus area of mine to better deliver services to the community. As highlighted in Our Priorities: Sharing Prosperity, problems are not just the responsibility of one department or portfolio to solve rather we need to work across government and with the private sector and community to unlock the potential of the State economically, socially and environmentally.

 

With a significant project like the new Inner City College and the broader Subiaco East project in Perth, there are several government agencies that have been charged with the responsibilities to deliver it.

 

This collaboration has been evident in other major WA projects including METRONET, Perth Children’s Hospital, Optus Stadium and newer projects in the pipeline including the new LNG facility in Kwinana.

 

With confidence returning to the WA economy we’re starting to see several lithium manufacturing facilities are being established across WA. These have required cross-government support and good project management to ensure appropriate parcels of land can be unlocked for development and streamlining approvals for such projects.

 

Consideration of the procurement strategy or strategies is vitally important to the success of the project.

 

A consistent and transparent process is also a key success factor. Good project teams will develop a suite of procurement and project plans to bring rigour, robustness and transparency to the procurement process.

 

Other key factors to a successful project include proactive risk management and stakeholder engagement. A good project manager will bring all stakeholders along for the journey and will follow an iterative process of risk identification and mitigation to ensure there are no surprises.

 

What advice do you have for our project management readers when managing a difficult project?

 

Learning from challenging and former projects helps ensure we avoid repeating the same mistakes.

 

Upon coming to government, I commissioned a special inquiry into decision making processes, accountability and culture of the previous government.

 

The special inquiry examined 32 projects, managed by the former government, in detail and provided recommendations to address key findings which will enable future governments to avoid the same mistakes.

 

It identified the former government’s poor governance culture, lack of financial discipline and unsustainable spending decisions as the key factors behind the record debt and deficit created and provided many lessons to be learned.

 

My Government will continue to strengthen governance, accountability, transparency and focus on the key economic and social benefits of government decisions when dealing with taxpayers’ money. We will continue to govern in the interests of all Western Australians.

During challenging times, project managers need to remember who they’re delivering the work for and who will benefit in the end so they work towards the best interests of many and deliver what may be a difficult project as responsibly and as fairly as they can.

 

A clear and strong governance framework utilised across the project lifecycle is a critical element to any project, especially complex and risky projects. The governance framework defines the roles, responsibilities and accountabilities and offers a clear decision-making model for every level of a project.

 

The process of identifying risk, outlining the characteristics and developing mitigation strategies will help prepare for or decrease the likelihood of negative events in the project. To ensure a successful project, project managers and the broader organisation should be committed to proactively and consistently addressing risk management.

 

Good stakeholder management practises will also ensure that challenges posed by difficult projects can be addressed effectively through collaboration and the sharing of information and risk management strategies.

 

How important to you is the correct setup, initiation and governance of projects at the start, to ensure successful outcomes?

 

Detailed planning and getting front end of any project set up correctly is crucial in smoothing out the rest of the project.

 

My government is bringing on legislation to for Infrastructure WA. An election commitment, Infrastructure WA will help build a strong economy by improving infrastructure co-ordination and planning, encouraging investment and supporting job creation.

 

Establishing and maintaining a strong governance framework that outlines decision making at appropriate levels, and ensures effective ongoing reporting and management of project risks, is important to get right at the start of a project as it sets the tone for the delivery of the project.

 

The legislation will establish Infrastructure WA as a statutory authority that will advise Government on the State’s infrastructure needs and priorities, and ensure maximum value from every dollar spent by government agencies on major proposals.

 

Infrastructure WA is about ensuring the State’s long-term infrastructure priorities are informed by robust independent advice, and will foster a bipartisan approach and greater collaboration between the Government, community and industry.

 

In the past, governments have been too short-sighted and only focused on the election cycle.

This lack of co-ordinated strategic planning has at times led to poor decision making and resulted in costly project delays or cancellations.

 

A 20-year State Infrastructure Strategy will be developed by IWA and that will identify this State’s long-term infrastructure requirements and recommend significant projects and programs to meet those needs.

 

It will help develop a pipeline of investment, provide business certainty and create long-term, secure jobs.

 

Finally, what project, that you have been involved in, are you most proud?

 

Continuing to deliver METRONET for Western Australians is a key focus for me as the Premier and a project I’m proud my government is progressing well.

 

During my time as Premier I’ve been part of some integral WA infrastructure projects that I’m pleased we’ve been able to lead and complete. These are building the Inner City College in Subiaco and progressing works to improve public and community amenity in the area including the decommissioning of Subiaco Oval, taking control of Perth Children’s Hospital to address outstanding issues to enable it to finally open and completing Optus Stadium – delivering a world-class facility and securing premier events to WA.