A presentation given by John Davis to the APM South Wales & West of England members in Bristol, on Wednesday 18th March 2014

1. UK Submarine Dismantling:
A Case Study in
Programme Management
John Davis
SDP Programme Manager
NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKED

2. SDP: A case study in programme management
Management of decommissioned
nuclear submarines in the UK
18 submarines held in afloat storage – rising to 27 as current classes are
decommissioned
A safe approach for
over 30 years.
UK policy is to progress
nuclear
decommissioning as
soon as is reasonably
practicable.
Costs are rising as the
submarines age and
increase in number
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3. SDP: A case study in programme management
Use of good Project Management principles
• Management and controls developed to deliver specific objectives – the
Business Case for SDP (supported by options analysis) and a concept design
• Based on APM Body of Knowledge principles and the
MoD Acquisition Operating Framework
• Well defined objective and scope of work
• Provided sufficient control and monitoring and some flexibility to ensure
delivery
• Successful in execution and achievement of objective – the SDP Main Gate
Business Case was commended
• Use of ‘Workstreams’ to deliver core requirements during Assessment
Previous management
approach up to Main Gate
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4. SDP: A case study in programme management
Why a different approach now?
• Now have an increased set of
challenges for the Demo &
Manufacture phases
• Increased volume and complexity of
integration between workstreams
• Multiple outputs across dispersed
team with increased supplier
involvement
• Greater exposure to complex,
diverse and influential stakeholders
• Need for consistent and co-ordinated
communications with stakeholders
• Uncertainty – need to maintain
flexibility and focus
• Long timescales for disposing of all
27 submarines
• Solution is to move to a
Programme Management
approach
• Use of MSP framework to deal with
uncertainty in the change programme
• Programme boundary to deal with
external environment, stakeholders &
comms
• Projects to focus on output delivery
• Interdependencies managed within
programme environment
• Programme intermediate steps aligned
with MOD approval requirements
• Can differentiate between ‘change’
and ‘steady-state business’

5. SDP: A case study in programme management
Identifying the change programme
Focus on what is required – bound the change
• The entire scope of the SDP challenge consists of several key elements
• The change programme is the change of state – not the disposal of the
submarines
• Approach provides focus and clarity on the new state
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Medium-Term
Change Programme
Short-term
intermediate
step-changes in
capability
CURRENT STATE
(afloat storage)
FUTURE STATE
(planned disposal)
Long-Term Submarine Disposal
Steady State Programme
(27 submarines)
Facility
Decommissioning
(dismantling
& storage)
ILW DISPOSAL
IN GDF

6. SDP: A case study in programme management
Defining a Blueprint for the future
Clarifying what is to be done
• Know what is done currently (current
state)
• Understand what is needed in the future
and why (future state)
• Define the gap
• Plan how that gap is to be filled
• Define the structure needed to execute
the plan
• Ensure the outputs, capabilities and
resulting outcomes match the
requirements and benefits expected
“A future where the means and
approvals to safely, securely and
sustainably dismantle nuclear powered
submarines have been established and
integrated into normal operating
practices”
This area is
set aside for
images,
diagrams,
charts etc.
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From this…. … to this

7. SDP: A case study in programme management
Flexibility within a disciplined framework
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Strategic
Programme boundaries and approvals
Influenced by/affect other PTs & key external stakeholders
L1
L0
L2
L3
Programme
Overall programme definition and inter-project boundary
management
Project
Focus on delivery of individual project outputs and
support to programme outcomes
Supplier
Specific project workpackages
Supplier activities

8. SDP: A case study in programme management
Programme assurance through systems thinking
An integrated approach
from objectives and
requirements
to outputs, outcomes
and benefits
Benefits underpin
multi-criteria decision
analysis for the
consultations
Please contact APM/ INCOSE WG for V diagram

9. SDP: A case study in programme management
Managing the interdependencies
Project A
Project B
Interface Activities
Interdependencies
Programme-wide
Interdependencies
databaseSigned
“Handshake
Document”
(detailing AB
interdependencies)
Reference
Scope (details)
Agreed Dates
Programme
Integrated
Master
Schedule
Safety & Integration
Review
(e.g. changes or technical
ramifications of non-adherence)
Programme Review
(e.g. schedule implications to
programme milestones)
Threats to interdependencies are
captured and categorised as
such within Programme Risk
Register (Programme risks)

10. SDP: A case study in programme management
Reducing the uncertainty
Uncertainty arises from different sources
• Options – have downselected the options for
dismantling approach (whole RPV removal) and
location (dockyards)
– But still need to select ILW storage site
– Opportunity to dispose of whole RPV ‘as is’
• Public consultation, regulators and other stakeholder
involvement
– Strong influences and potential for change
• Dependencies - final ILW disposal in GDF
– When available? Do we need to reduce the size of
the packaged waste?
• Pace of change & alignment with planned maintenance
• Long time periods – crystal ball gazing
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Russian and US dismantling
A lot of this
uncertainty now
deferred to long-
term steady-state
planning

11. SDP: A case study in programme management
Engaging the public
A very public interaction for a typically silent area
• Independent advisory group
• Local representatives, authorities and committees
• Regulators & policy holders – ONR, EA & SEPA,
NDA, DECC, DfT, DNSR, CoRWM, DEFRA, HPA
• UK & Scottish governments
• Press coverage
• Wide ranging public consultations
– >3000 consultation documents distributed
– ~55,000 newsletters mailed
– 8 local exhibitions (>1,100 attendees)
– 2 national workshops
– Post-Consultation Report published July 2012
– MoD Response to Consultation published
March 2013
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12. SDP: A case study in programme management
Lessons learnt so far and future aims
MSP is not for everything
Split change element from long-term business as usual
Bring clarity & focus
Projects know how they fit into ‘big change picture’
Get senior commitment
Approach endorsed by SDP Programme Board
Co-ordinate stakeholder engagement
Communications must be co-ordinated and consistent
Scale the management investment
Do not swamp with bureaucracy
Efficient pooling of resources
Small team benefits from common central activities
Cope with dispersed team
Programme Management approach is the glue to hold things together
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