APM’s Project Management Challenge: Empowering future Project Managers

Last year we saw four remarkable teams present to a packed room of peers and judges, with the Winners’ trophy being awarded to Team Synergy from Babcock who are based in Plymouth. Focusing on animal welfare, Team Synergy partnered with the Ash Rescue Centre, which provides retirement care for horses and donkeys. The team implemented a customer relationship management (CRM) system, transforming the charity’s sponsorship process. Since the system's launch, Ash Rescue Centre has seen a significant increase in sponsorships.

The other finalists were; Team Albatross from Airbus (working with Great Western Air Ambulance charity), Team Impact from Turner and Townsend (working with their charity Jessie May) and Team Uplift from Airbus (working with their charity Wild Hogs Hedgehog Rescue).

There were sixteen runners up teams who also competed in the Best Storyboard competition. The significant number of participant teams represents an astounding collective contribution by corporate project teams in the South West to the charity sector, representing corporate community reach, social value and collaboration that makes a big difference to the lives of many people across society who either struggle or are disadvantaged in life

Bruce Phillips, the competition lead, has said “All of the aspiring project professionals in all of the competing teams have worked extremely hard to deliver their projects. It is astonishing to see such a high standard from such young professionals and that their outputs are actually being used for very worthy charitable and social causes. Whilst winning the competition is ‘icing on the cake’ every member of every team is a winner as the competition is all about individual and collective learning and development. Every single member of each team should be justifiably proud of their achievements in delivering real benefit to the wider community and, equally as important, the development of their personal and professional competences for their future careers in the project profession. I would urge you all to keep that thought at the front of your mind and to build upon these experiences – both in terms of success and in what you have learned - as you develop your careers further.”

This year, the APM Project Management Challenge will be featured as a category at the APM Project Management Awards, taking place on 18 November at the Park Plaza Westminster Bridge, London. Teams who won at regional level were shortlisted to participate with the winner to be announced on the night.

Could you be part of this year’s winning team?

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