Ballerup Municipality

Background and need

Ballerup Municipality wanted to rethink the way project leaders are developed. The starting point was a need to link project leaders' capability development more closely to the reality in the projects and to the municipality's current needs and challenges. The programme shouldn't be a 'ready-made package' but rather take its starting point in the reality of the projects - and therefore be able to differentiate learning depending on participants' experience and tasks. At the same time, the programme needed stronger anchoring in leadership.

The municipality's dynamic approach to projects also needed not just to be taught but integrated as a living method in the programme itself. That placed demands on participants to actively co-create and apply the tools in their own everyday practice - taking concrete projects as the starting point.

Solution

We designed a new project-leader programme that took its starting point in the reality of the projects and project leaders. The programme is split in two parts so it's flexible for participants. It's built around a series of learning loops - a model where knowledge, practice and reflection are continuously linked - and at the same time has a range of themes that together support all relevant leadership dimensions. Each loop consists of:

Preparation through participants' own acquisition of knowledge by reading articles, listening to podcasts, watching videos and so on. This gives the individual both the calm to take it at their own pace and a high degree of flexibility.
Shared workshop for all participants focused on short theoretical input. Self-preparation leaves time for traditional teaching to be replaced by training of theory and methods in practice.
Transformation and application in own everyday practice. Participants get a home assignment and work the tools into their own project and their own project-leader practice. This secures the transformation from knowledge into new capabilities.
Sparring and reflection. Each learning loop closes with sparring from the consultants on the challenges and questions the transformation has raised. The sparring takes place in buddy pairs, so there's also shared knowledge-sharing and reflection with a sparring partner.

The starting point for the first part is the workshop 'Get a grip on the project at your workplace', where foundational project tools (goal formulation, stakeholder analysis, milestone plan and risk analysis) are linked to the municipality's general approach to projects. From there it's possible for participants to stop - or to continue into part 2: 'Leading projects', where the leadership dimensions of project work are addressed.

The following loops each have their own theme:

Leading outward - focus on embedding and value creation of the projects in operations, and on involving central stakeholders through everyday implementation, change management and creating impact.
Leading downward - motivation and ownership in the project group combined with a strong focus on steering and follow-up so deliverables and impact are secured.
Leading upward - how best to lead projects in a politically governed organisation, and how to lead one's own leader in a helpful way and build support.
Open programme - form and content are decided along the way by the participants themselves, so relevance and content are sharply matched to the specific participants. The programme also includes a recap of the content from the whole course.

Each workshop is linked through the learning loop to participants' own projects, and they work continuously on adjusting and developing their projects in step with the learning and feedback. Another important element of the programme is the involvement of the nearest leaders. Each participant starts with an expectation-setting conversation and takes part in a kickoff together with their leader. This secures both organisational anchoring and shared direction, and creates fertile ground for local follow-up. The participant's own leader therefore also takes part in the final workshop, where the next steps are planned - so the value of the programme is secured over the long term as well.

Results

The programme creates both individual and organisational development. Project leaders strengthen their project-leader practice, gain insight into internationally recognised knowledge and best practice in project leadership, and gain the courage to try new tools as well as a greater understanding of their own strengths and preferences. They gain the abilities to drive a professional project process together with the project team and at the same time keep the overview. Their leaders, moreover, are better equipped to support and follow up on the learning. Project leaders experience increased quality across the entire project process - in development, in follow-up and in handling the many stakeholders in a politically governed organisation.

A more flexible, needs-driven approach to project leadership has also been created, where tools and capabilities are brought into play when the need is there - not only from a fixed curriculum. The programme has helped lift both the projects and the collaboration around them, and has proven itself as a concrete method for uniting learning, leadership and concrete deliverables in everyday practice.