British Telecommunications (BT) and the Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford have announced the formation of the world's first research centre for Major Programme Management. According to a press release on 12 March 2007, “The BT Centre for Major Programme Management will carry out a program of leading-edge and multi-disciplinary research, drawing together the expertise within the Saïd Business School and the broader University of Oxford (within departments such as engineering, computer science and law) and eminent practitioners from the global business community.”

As well as carrying out research in this field, the centre will also develop a ground-breaking teaching programme which will lead to a Masters of Science degree (MSc) in Major Programme Management to be launched in Autumn 2008. Major programmes, such as the Olympics, which are characterized by being large, complex, high value, long-term projects, have proliferated in recent years. Typically their outcome impacts millions of people. Yet there is a shortage of rigorous, empirically grounded and intellectually robust support for this discipline.

Organizations are rethinking their approaches to major transformation programmes because of the increased complexity of operations in the public and private sectors around the world. Traditional tools and techniques of project management are no longer sufficient for the complex task of major programme management. The BT Centre for Major Programme Management is intended to consolidate knowledge around this emerging and dynamic field which has considerable significance economically and politically. It will foster a practical approach to the effective management of large scale programmes.

The BT Centre is expected to be fully operational in 2008. A Director of the Centre and a BT Professor of Major Programme Management will be appointed and further research appointments will follow.

Tim Smart, President for BT Global Services in theUK, said, "BT and the University of Oxford have initiated what I firmly believe will become a globally renowned research and teaching centre for major programme management. We will see an increasing number of these huge programmes as a result of rapid technological change and the effects of global connectivity, so there has never been a greater need to create a world-class research centre focused on improving overall predictability and performance. The combination of Oxford, with its international academic reputation, and BT's global presence and practical expertise, means that the BT Centre will be uniquely placed to address this discipline. I am confident that the BT Centre for Major Programme Management will attract the leaders of the future for major programmes from the public and private sectors around the globe".

According to Professor Colin Mayer, Dean of Saïd Business School, "The field of Major Programme Management is emergent and dynamic and requires leading-edge research which takes into account the latest understanding of best practice in the area. The combined strengths of the University with BT's expertise in this area will make a significant contribution to the development of the field which will impact practice and policy.”

In welcoming the establishment of the BT Centre, Dr John Hood, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford said, "We are excited at this opportunity to be at the forefront of this emerging and important area for the economy. The Centre is an outstanding illustration of the potential that exists in the University of Oxford for the business community and academia to come together to carry out ground-breaking multi-disciplinary research of great practical relevance to business".

A survey of UK based project and programme managers conducted by Saïd Business School* found that:

• 48% of programmes were incorrectly bid
• 23% of programmes did not effectively identify milestones
• Fewer than 50% of programmes had any formal audits scheduled
• 60% of managers surveyed felt that the present level of educational activity in the field is inadequate for their needs.

(*source: survey of over 100 UK-based project and programme managers who are members of The Project Management Institute)

British Telecommunications (BT) is one of the world's leading providers of communications solutions and services operating in 170 countries. Its principal activities include networked IT services, local, national and international telecommunications services, and higher-value broadband and internet products and services. BT consists principally of four lines of business: BT Global Services, Openreach, BT Retail and BT Wholesale. In the year ended 31 March 2006, BT Group plc's revenue was £19,514 million with profit before taxation of £2,040 million. BT is a wholly-owned subsidiary of BT Group and encompasses virtually all businesses and assets of the BT Group. BT Group plc is listed on stock exchanges in London and New York. For more information, visit www.bt.com/aboutbt

.

Established in 1996 the Saïd Business School is a full service business school and one of Europe's newest and fastest growing business schools. An integral part of Oxford University, the School embodies the academic rigour and forward thinking that has made Oxford a world leader in education. The School has an established reputation for research in a wide range of areas, including finance and accounting, organisational analysis, international management, strategy and operations management. The School is dedicated to developing a new generation of business leaders and entrepreneurs and conducting research not only into the nature of business, but the connections between business and the wider world. In the Financial Times ranking of MBA programmes (Jan 07), Saïd improved its position to 19th in the world. In the university league table published by The Guardian (May 2006), Saïd ranked first of all UK universities for undergraduate business. The University of Oxford also ranked top for business studies in The Times report published in June 2006. For more information, see www.sbs.ox.ac.uk

.

Founded in 1967 and registered in Switzerland, the International Project Management Association (IPMA) is the world’s oldest project management professional organization. IPMA is an international network of national PM societies that serve the specific development needs of each country in its national language. IPMA provides an umbrella organization to represent them at the international level. IPMA is a global organization with over 40 national representative societies in Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas.

The local bodies promote project management professionalism on the specific cultural requirements across all types of projects. IPMA’s internationally acclaimed 4 Level Project Management Certification Programme continues to grow dramatically, with over 50.000 professionals having now achieved IPMA Certification. The IPMA annually presents project management awards to teams that achieve great feats in project management. IPMA maintains its continuous presence in the global PM arena through its regular hosting of International Symposia, Expert Seminars and its Annual World Congress. The president of IPMA for 2007 is Veikko Valila. Additional information is available at http://www.ipma.ch/Pages/IPMA.aspx.