In order to increase its project delivery capacity, the Cabinet approved funding to support a new Project Delivery Unit for two years (26 July 2024). The proposed team will sit within the Economic Growth, Sport and Culture Directorate. Its primary goal is to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of project delivery, ensuring that projects are completed on time and within budget. The Unit will likely focus on a range of projects, potentially including infrastructure, community development, and other council initiatives.
Cabinet approved the allocation of £1m of funding, in addition to £90,000, made available by the Government as capacity funding to support the Levelling Up Partnership Project, and a sum of £86,000 made available by the Government as capacity funding to support the Levelling Up Capital Project bringing the total initial funding to £1.176m for the Project Delivery Unit.
Cabinet also noted that the Chief Executive will undertake the activities required to recruit the necessary capacity within the Project Delivery Unit, as Head of Paid Service (being non-executive functions)
The proposed staffing structure will be agreed by the Head of Paid Service. With the fixed-term nature of the posts that recruitment may require secondments, fixed term recruitment, and interim, depending on the market for specific skills.
Public Practice is a not-for-profit specialist recruitment that helps local authorities struggling to find the right skills in their teams and help build environment professionals to transition into the public sector. They undertake two recruitment drives a year, and we have already successfully filled one temporary project manager post (a qualified and experienced architect) in the spring drive, and we now have the opportunity to appoint another 12-month placement in the autumn recruitment drive, with a deadline of 9th August, which would enable us to have a new post starting in October.
We are drafting a restructure report for the project delivery unit, but it will not be complete and signed off in time for the 9th of August deadline. However, we know that short term capital delivery project managers will be a key part of the new team, and this public practice recruitment round provides a perfect opportunity. We have been paired with an experienced architect with project management and community engagement experience
To this end the Workforce Panel approved the appointment of Grade 10 Project Manager on Friday 2nd August to be recruited through Public Practice. The funding for the salary, pension and oncosts, and the travel cost for learning visits, will be paid for from the £1.176m allocated in the Cabinet report of the 26 July 2024 for the Project Delivery Unit. The funding for the £6,000 placement fee can also be funded from this budget.