Debbie Harris

Project Control Specialist @National Grid

Warwickshire, GB

Establishing a project controls environment for National Grid Electricity to support the customer growth. Design fit for purpose processes and deliver trusted controls from cradle to grave projects; this means the capability and capacity for creating a robust performance baseline enabling financial investment decisions; defining a contracting strategy to deliver against NEC 4 schedules. Ensuring a project drumbeat is in place that brings data together at the same time to measure performance. Utilising standard work, cost and risk breakdown structures that enables leading indicators such as earned value management to be used consistently for decision making principles. Putting in place monitoring processes to manage the pipeline of work across multiple projects, programmes or portfolios, placing contracts the appropriate time that does not compress the programme but does not lead to wasted standing time. Working with the estimating team, to cost load programmes, creating out-turn costs and utilising the activity schedules to help inform the contracting strategy. I’ve set up cost management teams, utilising the baseline information to inform the business where cost over-runs are forecast against plan, to build trust with major stakeholders, and enabling faster decision making to mitigate threats to the objective. I’ve lead teams aligned to risk; planning & scheduling, performance reporting, and change control. All with assured processes for a governance backbone sponsored from the most senior member of the Programme Board. The teams over time have demonstrated the value of project controls via quality capability for forensic analysis, knowledge of NEC schedules, collaboration with the Project Manager and Contractors, supporting values for doing the right thing, ability to speak up, offer up new ideas to make things happen; be trusted to do their role, with the right tools. I believe in building teams that are the right sized for the job, not just the budget.

Tile Hill Woods Girls School

English Language and Literature, General