HDC’s team of project managers to cost £200,000

Around £200,000 could be spent every year by the council on a team of project managers.
JPCT 17-08-12 S12330140X Horsham, Horsham District Council, office building, HDC -photo by Steve Cobb ENGSUS00120120817141105JPCT 17-08-12 S12330140X Horsham, Horsham District Council, office building, HDC -photo by Steve Cobb ENGSUS00120120817141105
JPCT 17-08-12 S12330140X Horsham, Horsham District Council, office building, HDC -photo by Steve Cobb ENGSUS00120120817141105

Horsham District Council’s Personnel Committee approved the creation of a project management team and recommended to approve a budget of £45,000 to fund a project support officer role on Wednesday November 26.

Tom Crowley, HDC’s chief executive, said the cost would be around £200,000, but would be funded through the individual project budgets.

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Mr Crowley said: “The time feels right to bring forward a proposal to bring in a small team of project managers.

“With the amount of project management that goes into each project and looking at the length and complexity of future projects we need the management to along with it.

“The plan is at the moment to bring in four but that may change depending on the size of the project, and the cost will be met through the project budgets.

“In addition to the project managers there is a need for a for a project support officer. £45,000 is needed to support the officer’s role.”

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The new support officer would be a permanent position, whilst the project mangers would be employed on limited short-term contracts which could last the length of each project they were undertaking.

There were concerns from councillors about placing these managers on short-term contracts.

Mr Crowley replied: “What we need is flexibility. I think we have to match the contract terms of the managers with whatever the project is.”

David Holmes (LDem, Horsham Park) said: “When I first came to Horsham we said we would not need project managers as all the projects had been completed and there was no need for them.”

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Liz Kitchen (Con, Rusper and Colgate) agreed, adding: “It seems like we are bringing back things that we have spent the last five years getting rid of.

“But I am delighted to see this proposal and all the other proposals that are coming back.”

As well as approving the creation of a new project management team the committee also approved the creation of a new technical officer and environmental health practitioner.

The new role would replace the assistant engineer post that has been vacant in the council for the past few months whist also offing support to the environmental staff and licensing manager.

An increase of budget to fund this new role was also approved.