Interim Programme & Project Planner Recruitment:

If your organisation has a recruitment need to fulfil the role of an Interim Programme Planner or Interim Project Planner then a PRINCE2 or MSP Accredited Interim Programme Planner / Interim Project Planner from KPS Consultants might be exactly what you need. We have published some information below on Programme Planning and Project Planning which may help you decide whether you wish to place your Interim Programme Planner / Project Planner interim recruitment needs with KPS. What ever your decision we hope that you find the information of use and would welcome requests for other specific information you would like to have guidance or assistance on and we will look towards getting this information published on your behalf either through our Knowledge Centre or otherwise.

Placing your interim programme planning and/or project planning recruitment needs with KPS is very easy and does not involve a lengthy process as our programme planners and project planners are permanent employees/consultants and established associates as opposed temporary contractors that one has to find first. If you are seeking highly experienced programme planners or project planners, simply contact KPS by email or telephone and leave the rest to us. You will have the best Programme / Project Planners in the industry at your service in no time at all.

Purpose and Role of an Interim Programme Planner/Interim Project Planner

The purpose of an Interim Programme Planner/Interim Project Planner is to enable the programme and/or project teams to map out clearly what planning steps/planning activities are required to achieve the goals of a programme and the output of any given project. It is a continual activity throughout the life of a programme and project which enables the Programme Manager and Project Manager to maintain control and monitor progress of products/services during product design, development and delivery.

The Interim Programme Planner/Interim Project Planner will support the Programme and/or Project Manager in developing both the delivery plan for the project definition and business case to funding approval (the planning stage of the PRINCE2™ project management process) and a delivery plan for the programme/project delivery once funding has been approved (the controlling stage of the PRINCE2™ project management process).

In some circumstances if there is no Programme/Project Planner or Programme/Project Support Office (PPSO/PSO) available, the Programme/Project Manager may be expected to undertake planning responsibilities. This situation is not ideal (certainly not recommended by KPS) and may have a considerable impact on the delivery timescale of a programme or project as planning tasks require much time and effort. If the Programme/Project Manager is expected to carry out planning activities then it is important to note that their own day to day management responsibilities may be neglected.

The Programme/Project Planner role is a vital component of any programme or projects back bone. It is therefore essential that sufficient planning time and resources are allocated to the programmes and projects from the start and during the lifespan, doing so maintains accurate planning and realism from start to finish. Proper programme/project planning will help to drive programmes and/or projects forward by pro-actively monitoring the plan(s) progress on all activities, tasks, milestones and deliverables as opposed re-actively when something goes wrong!

General Responsibilities of an Interim Programme Planner/Interim Project Planner

The general responsibilities that an Interim Programme/Project Planner undertakes are as follows:

Understanding of the business/organisations' blue print model i.e. its working practices, processes, the information it requires and the technology that is needed to deliver the capability described within the vision statement.
Prepare a Project Breakdown Structure (PBS), Work Flow Diagram (WFD) and plan according to the requirement guidelines.
Programme/Project plan integration along with stage and team planning.
Construction of a baselined schedule for programme/project delivery in line with realisation of benefits aligned to the organisations strategic objectives/programme initiatives.
Creation and integration of project plans as it starts and progresses through the life of the programme.
Identification of programme/ project interdependencies, assumptions and constraints.
Ensure that the plan is fully resourced and cost loaded and monitor progress to the plan and make changes as required.
Continual monitoring and updating of plan inline with progress and changes, ensuring key milestones are tracked.
Report the actual performance/progress and variances against the plan and forecasts.
Highlight critical path issues to members of the team, provide an assessment of the impact of such issues and recommend solutions to correct the position.
Review the planning risks and monitor the updates on the risk register/log.
Develop exception plans in order to meet changed objectives.
Managing the plans using change control procedures.

How can a KPS Consultant help you with Programme Planning/Project Planning?

If you are interested in recruiting an interim Programme Planner/Project Planner to assist you with programme and/or project planning KPS can offer you highly experienced consultants who are not only expert programme planners / project planners but also use best practice programme/project management methods such as PRINCE2™ (PRojects IN Controlled Environments) and MSP (Managing Successful Programmes) to ensure a structured planning framework is always used.

Our consultants are practitioners in the areas above and use the tried and tested methods and planning techniques such as Product Breakdown Structure (PBS) and Product Flow Diagram (PFD) to help you and your programme/project teams understand what the end products should be and how they come together to achieve your end goal. In addition our expert programme planners and project planners are proficient users of planning tools such as MS Project, Niku/Clarity Workbench and can help you build programme/project plans which are interlinked and identify interdependencies between your project portfolio as well as programmes, giving you a high level perspective.

In summary KPS Programme Planners and/or Project Planners will work along side your Programme/Project Managers and teams to:

Seamlessly integrate and work as part of your team.
Develop, maintain and manage a systematic approach to programme/project planning using best practice methodologies such as MSP and PRINCE2™, M_o_R.
Determine what level of detail the programme/project plan should go to, and what tools will be used to monitor and maintain the plan.
Ensure programme/project plans meet overall requirements of the business in the most cost effective and reliable manner.
Understand what the programme/project level activities will be, and when they will be done to meet the quality requirements of the programme/project.
Provide a common understanding of the work ahead and ensure that the team and stakeholders have clear visibility of what and why something is required including when and how it will be achieved.
Ensure programme/project plans are sensibly planned and achievable this in turn will help you manage your stakeholder's expectations.
Establish how and when the benefits are going to be tracked and monitored during the programme/project.
Promote planning and control standards in alignment with MSP and PRINCE2™.
Closely monitor key milestones, dependencies and constraints, to ensure slippages are addressed promptly and effectively.

A phrase KPS programme planners/project planners like to remember is the 5 P's - 'Professional Planning Prevents Pathetic Performance'.

If you would like to discuss your programme project planner recruitment needs further or have a requirement to recruit an Interim Programme Planner or Interim Project Planner please contact us by email or telephone KPS on + 44(0)208 572 7667.