The Project Leadership Programme will seek to improve the quality of management amongst project leaders by tackling the common causes of project failure and sharing the lessons across government.
The Major Projects Authority will manage the programme. The MPA already works with senior civil servants delivering the 200 largest government projects through its Major Projects Leadership Academy, and the Project Leadership Programme will work with the 300 civil servants working on projects outside the top 200.
A pilot, for up to 50 participants, will begin in October, with a tender process launched to find a training provider for the longer term.
Announcing the scheme, Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude said: ‘Already, major project leaders across government have access to the world-class MPLA and this new pilot programme targets the next wave of project managers.
‘It will help us to ensure that throughout the civil service we are continuing to drive standards, developing the right skills and ultimately delivering better services for the public.’
John Manzoni, chief executive of the MPA added the programme would also help ‘to create a career path for staff who work in project delivery across government’.
The MPA was launched in 2011 to improve major projects and ensure they achieve results for taxpayers.
The authority was created after the National Audit Office had warned in 2010 that there was no effective central system to monitor large Whitehall schemes.
