New APM Study Reveals the Contribution of Projects and Project Management in the Health, Pharmaceutical and Life Sciences Sector

Association for Project Management (APM), the chartered body for the project profession, has released the findings of its latest ‘The Golden Thread’ report, which provides a sectoral analysis of the project management profession across three key sectors: charity, healthcare and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The report, commissioned by APM and undertaken by PwC (prior to the coronavirus outbreak), reveals the contribution of projects and project management to the UK economy across these three sectors, as well as the opportunities and challenges facing the profession.

The study examines the types of projects each sector is typically focused on, the skills gap, challenges and future expectations. APM identified the healthcare sector (incorporating pharmaceutical and life sciences) as a key area of growth and professionalisation of project management. The study, undertaken before the pandemic, only goes to emphasise the importance of project management skills in healthcare, which has had to adapt and utilise project management techniques like the rapid establishment of the Nightingale hospitals, and innovative collaboration in the search for a vaccine.

The Golden Thread report reveals that project management in the healthcare sector contributes £17.5 billion to the UK economy each year, with much of its work being project based. The study also shows that the health sector employs 223,800 FTEs working in the project profession.

Challenges facing the healthcare, pharma and life sciences sector:

• Skills gaps – The Golden Thread identified skills gaps in public healthcare around knowledge and experience of using change management. The study shows that project management roles have nearly doubled within the NHS in recent years. However, it is often the case that project teams are led by staff with no formal training in project management.
• Technology infrastructure – The Golden Thread’s healthcare respondents believe there is opportunity for in sector organisations to further enhance the way they collaborate, with digital transformation and project management expected to play a key role in building connectivity. It requires effective leadership and change management, something that skilled and experience project professionals can provide.
• Cost pressure – Public health projects have strict budgets with strong competition for funding and need to justify expenditure. A lack of awareness of project management can increase the challenge of justifying investment in project management techniques. Recent estimates of the NHS maintenance backlog were £6.5 billion (prior to the COVID 19 outbreak) which can put further pressure on costs.
• Uncertainty and disruption – Project managers in the pharma and life sciences sector have highlighted that uncertainty around the UK’s exit from the EU is a key challenge. Respondents to the study also added that a weakening of international ties could diminish the UK pharma and science research sector attractiveness to international researchers and skilled professionals.
• Misconceptions of project management - The study highlights how there are common misperceptions of project management across the health sectors, often due to negative experiences of poor project implementation. This demonstrates the need for greater awareness of the benefits of project management skills and the need for increased professionalisation.

Future expectations:

Awareness of project management in the public health sector is growing. Professionalisation and Chartership through APM has had a positive impact. The NHS is starting to embed project management approaches and is also adapting more project management to be people-focused, rather than using traditional approaches. The emphasis on people focused project management and bringing in professionals with excellent communication and people management skills is seen as crucial.

Rebecca Fox, head of membership at APM, said “Our study reveals that project management makes a significant contribution across the healthcare sector and has the potential to drive change. However, it is evident that project practice across the sector is inconsistent and needs to be further embedded to ensure successful project delivery.

“The pandemic crisis has demonstrated just how important project management skills are in the face of immediate challenges such as adaptability and pivoting to change, and it’s the healthcare sector which has been at the forefront of the initial impact.

“APM is committed to developing and promoting the value of project management in order to deliver improved project outcomes for the benefit of society and has a Life Sciences sector group that holds regular meetings and networking events.”

A copy of the full The Golden Thread report and case studies including Jo Stanford, corporate portfolio manager/head of project profession and performance directorate at NHS HEE and Karen Vincent, lead on the delivery of strategic and governance projects at the Babraham Institute are available at https://bit.ly/2VQTKOS

For further details on the role project management is playing in the development of a successful vaccine for COVID-19 visit https://www.apm.org.uk/blog/vaccine-project-management-a-race-against-time/

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Notes to editors:

About Association for Project Management (APM)

Association for Project Management (APM) is the chartered body for the project profession and is committed to creating and upholding leading standards for the profession through chartership, qualifications, knowledge and insight.

Promoting the power of the profession for good, APM has over 30,000 individual members and more than 500 organisations participating in the Corporate Partnership Programme. As an educational charity, APM advocates for and represents the entire project profession - all sectors, all locations and at every stage of the career path. Please see https://www.apm.org.uk/ for further details.

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