The assessment provided insights into the overall effectiveness of project management and leadership, delivering an action plan for improved collaboration and performance improvement focused on health and safety

Priorities

Our client was the construction division of one of Europe’s five leading electricity and gas companies. With more than 70,000 employees and supplying over 16 million customers with electricity and 8 million with gas, our client is at the forefront of new power generation. Some €7 billion are earmarked annually for investments in environmentally friendly and flexible generation capacity.

Health & Safety (H&S) is the top priority for all involved with our client, including members of the Board, the management team, employees and contractors. Clear leadership and direction are among the most crucial elements of successful H&S performance, which is simply a reflection of good overall management and leadership of an organisation. Investing in health and safety clearly leads to better company performance.

Achieving good H&S performance consistently and predictably in a complex and hazardous work environment such as major engineering projects requires a systematic approach that is fully integrated into the overall management and leadership effort.

As a part of their commitment to continuously developing class-leading H&S performance the senior management team decided to gather information about the fundamental effectiveness of management and leadership of the project considered in relation to appropriate best-practice standards.

TRIMENTIS were invited to lead an assessment of the overall management and leadership effectiveness of a major power project, applying our expertise in management and leadership best-practice. This expertise is based on our experience in a range of industry sectors including civil engineering, construction, telecomms, technology and energy, together with our specific experiences with the management and leadership of health and safety in major civil engineering and construction organisations.

Approach

TRIMENTIS lead a rigourous fact-based approach guided by an assessment instrument called PITSTOP used as a reference standard. PITSTOP is based on tried-and-tested best-practice and is routinely used with clients to assess the effectiveness of management and leadership by examining a number of key indicators to establish the likely extent of alignment to best-practice indicators.

Interviews and meetings were held with a wide cross section of management, technical staff, contractors and employee representatives together with site health and safety staff. The structure and effectiveness of routine project meetings were reviewed together with an examination of various supporting minutes and documents.

A detailed report was produced setting out observations, structured to show areas of strength as well as areas to review (target improvement areas).

A one-day workshop was then held to consider both the management and leadership assessment results together with specific health and safety findings. Attendees included key senior managers for the project as well as senior managers from their corporate office. The client was represented by senior management and health and safety specialists.

Results

• Key management and leadership issues fundamental to the ongoing development of health and safety were identified, including 6 areas of strength and 10 areas for review
• Some of the issues identified during the assessment were both a surprise to the on-site management team and represented considerable risk to the ongoing health and safety of the site
• A 30 point plan was developed at the workshop, with full commitment to implementation from all the senior managers present
• Participants in the assessment were very positive, open and honest. Issues were raised from all levels of site personnel that greatly enhanced the value and credibility of the approach
• A repeat assessment was committed to in order to test improvements and monitor the ongoing development of site management and leadership