September 2020 | The biggest challenge in managing benefits, the Human Factors presented by Kevin Parry

This webinar will introduce how psychology and cognitive bias affects what we think we know and how we make decisions. It is based on research by Kevin and his team, and surveys of almost 700 professionals during the first half of 2020.

It will cover the impact of the way that we estimate and make decisions on outcomes and benefits realisation, what was the result of the research by Kevin and his team as well as some practical ideas to improve our influence and effectiveness.

Project Management topics that will be covered;

• Benefits Realisation Management
• Estimation and planning
• Sponsors and Governance of projects, programmes and portfolios
• Value Management and Change Management.

Kevin is a member of the APM Benefits and Value Management Specific Interest Group Committee and Thought Leadership Working Group, he also sits on the APM Research Steering Group.

He is MSP qualified, has post-graduate diplomas in Management, and Company Direction from the Institute of Directors, and has completed the Advanced Management Programme at Oxford University.

Kevin has worked at Chief Operating Officer level in two telecoms businesses, has served on the boards of companies in France, Ireland and the UK, and as a Charity Trustee.

As a Programme Director, he has led major programmes in France, Sri Lanka, Hong Kong and the UK in Telecoms, IT, aircraft pilot aids for a major international airline, as well as for the NHS. He has been lead consultant on airline infrastructure and finance portfolios as well as with West Midlands Police.

The author of several articles for Project Magazine over more than a decade is co-author of Managing Organisational Change, published by Kogan Page and writes for LinkedIn on Benefits Management and Organisational Readiness, on which all benefits depend. Kevin is a part-time Supervisor at the University of Manchester School of Science and Technology’s MSc in the Management of Projects.

He has led a research project for the Department of Health and Social Care into benefits management failings in 2018 and has gone on to lead an investigation into the role played by human factors in benefits and value management by the APM SIG members during 2020.

Kevin has played the role of Programme Leader, Project Manager, Assurance and Reporting Head in a Corporate Portfolio Office, Sponsor and governance body member. From this, he has seen personal dynamics and influences on thinking affect outcomes at a very large scale and in many different settings.

He developed the theory that the management of human factors was not given the profile they should have and that our training and selection almost entirely misses these critical aspects. This webinar is the first to share his team’s findings in the latest stage of this work.