Sometimes, government has to build something big. Really big. A high-speed railway network, a fleet of nuclear submarines, an IT system big enough for the health records of every person in the country. But Britain has a woeful record of delivering projects of this scale. They are either late, over budget, deliver less than promised – or all three. Some are never completed at all. What is going wrong?
In the wake of the cancellation of HS2, Jonathan Simcock, former Major Projects Director of the Office of Government Commerce, provides answers. This eye-opening text draws on testimony from the Ministers, officials and project managers who have tried, and mostly failed, to deliver the country’s biggest projects.
To face up to its challenges – productivity, growth, national security, and the changing climate – Britain needs huge publicly funded investment. So how do we close the Delivery Gap?
Table of Contents:
Chapter 1. Death of a Project: HS2
Chapter 2. The Delivery Gap
Chapter 3. Obfuscation and Delusion: Crossrail
Chapter 4. Vacillation and Paralysis: The Palace of Westminster
Chapter 5. Blind Ambition: Universal Credit
Chapter 6. Complexity: Smart Meters
Chapter 7. The Inverse Square Law: Astute
Chapter 8. Naivety: Privatising Sellafield
Chapter 9. Arrogance: The NHS National Programme
Chapter 10. Faster, Higher, Stronger: The Olympics projects
Chapter 11. The Business Case Fallacy
Chapter 12. Old Chestnuts
Chapter 13. Candour, Clarity, Rigour
About the Author :
Jonathan Simcock is a recognised expert in the challenges of major government project delivery. After a career in the private sector, he has spent sixteen years leading, governing, assuring and advising many of government’s largest projects.
Review :
This compelling book lays bare the systemic problems that have plagued major government projects for too long. A must-read for those who believe we can – and must – do better.
Simcock’s narrative offers real insight into the reasons for mega-project failure. For anyone involved in, or concerned with, Government delivery, this is a refreshingly clear perspective on how to improve things.
This highly readable work draws on the many expert perspectives to set out why so many major Government projects are destined to fail. It is essential reading for everyone who wants to see better delivery: and that's all of us!
A great contribution to one of the most important questions of our time. Essential reading for anyone involved with the planning or execution of large projects.
Jonathan Simcock’s succinct and penetrating insights into why major programmes fail will have some uncomfortable resonance for those who have been at the sharp end and have the scars to show. If you are about to take on a key management or leadership role in delivering a complex programme, read this book.
This book raises important issues about a long history of unsuccessful delivery of many major Government projects, and the author’s experience brings valuable perspectives to the underlying reasons.
A brave but insightful book that has grasped the essence of the challenges! Let’s hope that the theme’s from this book can influence how we improve things.
Through his own deep experience of capital projects in both the private and public sectors, Jonathan Simcock has produced a work of great insight into the many challenges of delivering major projects in a government setting. His recipe for improving outcomes should become mandatory reading for all involved.
