Sam Larner  BSC (Hons) MBA MCMI

Managing Successful Programmes^®, ACMP Change Management, Lean six-sigma Black Belt, DSDM Agile Practitioner, PRINCE2^®, ITIL^®4

                   Programmes - Process - Change                      

Personal Profile

A highly effective digital programme, process and change leader, with an extensive record of delivering in high impact; challenging stakeholder, cross-sector environments. A specialist in application adoption: requirements, analysis and engagement. A result orientated, MBA valedictorian, with 25 years’ experience.

 

Key skills

o   Line management of up to 120 staff and 13 projects within a programme.

o   Budget, benefit and stakeholder management within programme delivery, of up to £4m.

o   Front and Back office transformation. BPMN based process redesign L1-6. PhD level stats.

o   Online workshops and facilitation via MS Teams/365, video presentations and collaborative apps.

o   Proven track record of rapid delivery of outcomes and achieving targets: Efficiency savings of £3-5m.

o   PRINCE2 and Agile for software, systems and teams; from feasibility studies to restructuring.

o   Led 400 face-to-face process workshops, mapping activities and change roadshows.

o   Apps: Visio, MS Project/365, Power BI, Excel (inc VB), Smartsheet, Monday, SQL, ITSM (Halo).

o   Analysis: Benchmarking, ERD design vs. workflows, schematics, customer journey, value chain.

 

Professional Experience

2008-2023   Sam Larner Consultancy Ltd   Project, Process and Change Consultant

 02/18 – 11/22:     Programme/Senior project manager - Haringey Council

Managed team of 13; BAs, BPOs and developers. 

Digital, Finance, Corporate services and HR ITSM transformation. Brought in to rescue a project which had failed with 4 prev. project managers. Transitioned entire local authority helpdesk to new processes and system whilst staff in redundancy consultation. Reduced direct contact by 40%, halved wait times.

Contact Centre: Reduced direct contact, by 25% via automation: Innovated a method to channel shift from calls and emails, to online portals, helpbots and contact forms using automated SMS to callers and email diverts to self-service, following BPR. Savings £0.5m pa. KPIs 98%.

Data and automation strategy: Maturity, market, sector and business analysis for data science options.

Power BI: Analysis of data processes to design flat file multi-system feed for dashboard visualization.

MS Teams: Converted adult education team to online teaching, applications and enrolment in 5 weeks.

Monday.com: Requirements and procurement of Monday.com. Process analysis for Covid-19 team.

Service centres and libraries: Full process and service redesign for architects to online self-service tools. Implementation of Citrix zero client estate across borough including self-service parking permit kiosks.

 

 02/16-01/18 Maternity Leave  Patient Partnership Chair for a local surgery, NCT group coordinator.

 01/14-01/16:   Head of Project Management Office

Portfolio of £5m+ driving digital and cross-departmental change programmes and projects. Set up Agile.
Led University Risk strategy. Managed four permanent PMs and two BAs, plus contractors.
Developed and delivered PMO strategy: Increased successful implementation by 30% in 1 year.
Directed at pace, 36 projects from small to EU tender across all digital streams with detailed SLAs.
Transformed library, ICT and registry services into physical and online one-stop shops.
Implemented portfolio dashboard, automated reporting, process analysis and BPMN.
Transformed enrolment from queues to online, and café/market place customer focused experience.
Delivered departments first ever on time, in scope and on budget project via Agile.
Brought failing Security access project (5 years in initiation) to contract completion within 6 months.
Chaired Customer Service Excellence, leading to triage processing and improved change policy.

 

10/12-12/13:   Small projects: NHS, China, Young Foundation. PhD, Sabbatical in Greece.

 

03/12-09/12:    Balfour Beatty Workplace -  facilities management company -  Senior process manager

Restructure of Finance (team, process, IS, relocation) saving est. £4M in 2 years. Headed up and set up process management and implementation function; redesigning team structure, benefits realisation tracking, SLAs and evaluation. Engaged staff at risk of redundancy with process, team and location redesign, via roadshows, workshops and media. Covered core Finance, work orders and asset management.

 

04/11-02/12:   Transport for London (TfL)  -  Horizon programme -  Senior process manager

Integrated and rationalised four operating companies’ processes, to reduce headcount by 60%. Engaged and consulted via over 100 roadshows and workshops with Finance (fraud and cash), HR and Marketing functions. Developed online engagement tool to communicate change and matrixed, multi-discipline approach. Facilitated employee owned process redesign by presenting analysis which enabled individual control and creation of strategic vision, in line with market needs. Developed ‘stop, start, continue, change, how’ tool to create lasting solutions and reducing staffing structure by 60%. Savings - £5M.

 

07/10-02/11:    Action Duchenne       (muscular dystrophy charity) -  data analysis and HR/charity policy

Annual review, Creation of HR policies and procedures. ANOVA, Friedman, and factor statistical analysis.

 

01/09-06/10:   National College for School Leadership - Programme Manager

Web Strategy: Research, visioning, consultation (local and national workshops), embedding DMAIC process. Video production and web content/management for online leadership development programme and qualification engagement tool. Participation increased 5x. Content retained with change in government.

 

10-12/2009:     Hillingdon Borough Council and NHS Trust - pre/post natal care assessment project (PM)

Interviewed 25% of parents with under 5s; via education, NHS, retail and transport. Delivered strategy.

 

06/07-09/09:   Childcare sufficiency analysis and engagement  -  collaboration with Coda Consultants.

Programme feasibility study and delivery. Innovative engagement events (pop ups, play and survey) empowering over 5000 parents and employers to shape childcare location, timings and provision types in six boroughs/counties. Liaison with health visitors, GPs, schools, community groups and businesses including Stansted airport and Ford. Survey design and SPSS based statistical analysis for correlation, repeated measures and data validity. Development, training and data analysis for Essex-wide childcare supply and demand planning tool, informing service change and training priorities.

 

2003-2007   The Learning Trust (Hackney Local Education Authority)

 07/06-10/07:    Project Implementation Manager (Business & IT Services)

Integration of multi-agency processes to child centred approach, followed by implementation of a multi-platform childrens' services application with 13 modules (service and knowledge management, service analytics), Tripled use of system in 12 months, reduced data errors by a 1/4 to 95% accuracy.

 

05/03-06/06:    Early years and childcare Development Manager (Head of Training and Qualifications)

Led 13 childrens' services and training teams with £4m turnover and 120 staff. Transitioned three early years centres to children’s centres. Coordinated introduction of health, social service and childcare sites for multi-purpose use, by multi-agency professionals. Halved absences, reduced vacancies 20 fold. Tripled qualification levels via outsourcing. Raised £1m in funding and administered £1m in small grants.

 

1994-2003   Previous roles:

UN Association: Volunteer Consultant in India, Thailand and Malawi. 

Raleigh International & Millennium Volunteers: Programme Development Officer. 

Mental health helpline project co-ordinator. 

NHS Exec. Private office assistant.

Aylesbury Vale District Council: Senior and mobile playworker (whilst a student).

 

Education

 2010-12:         London Metropolitan University          PhD    Completed 2/8 years. Left to focus on business.

Hermeneutic systems and process change through employee engagement.

 2005-6:          London Metropolitan University          MBA    Distinction, Valedictorian - 86%.

Chartered Management Institute Award for innovative systems implementation and change research.

 1994-98:        Cardiff University                               BSc (Hons) Genetics           2:2

 

Other Cert. Courses: Scrum Master, coaching, training the trainer, social intelligence.