Project Management Challenge Finals Night

Six teams contested this year’s final of the Wessex branch Project Management Challenge with two teams from each of:
•    BAE Systems
•    Bournemouth University
•    Southampton University

Each team had already survived the Knockout stage back in November and so, working with their nominated mentor, had spent the time since then working towards the successful delivery of their individual projects.

Finals night saw a 10-minute presentation by each team on their journey to project closure followed by 5-minutes Q&A primarily with the project board.

The Project Management Challenge is a highlight in the Wessex event calendar for me, as co-creator some 8 years ago now, with Roger Atkinson. This year was no exception and the future of project management could well be in safe hands if ‘the class of 2105/16’ take to PM as a career path.

The teams were certainly multi-cultural this year, bringing a global perspective to Wessex and after much deliberation the project board declared Team Apex from Southampton University our worthy winners. Their initial scope was to develop a food app for overseas students but the complexities and timelines were not achievable so a change request later they held an evening of eating various overseas foods which was well attended and likely to be repeated with a new mix of foods from other countries. Congratulations to team members Edgar Obregon Morales, Zhi Qu, Marija Jojic, Harrison Phillips and Nur Farahin Binti Puasa along with their mentor, our own Joe McNeil.

Whilst the project board were deliberating we were delighted to welcome APM Young Project Professional of the Year Finalist (2015), Tom Clarke from LV=, who shared with all present his submission on saving in excess of £4 million on their various processes for dealing with property insurance claims.

In closing, a special word of thanks to the challenge organiser, Melvin Young, who has the very difficult job of pulling together teams, mentors and the project board – great effort Melvin – thanks. 

Russel Jamieson
Wessex Branch Committee Member