How I Designed a Career Pathway- by Leena Madden

With over 25 years of experience in education across various vocations, I have developed a strong foundation in facilitating professional growth and training. Most of these professions offer clear pathways for advancement, typically structured within the framework of the Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF).

I successfully transitioned into the nuclear sector as a Training Developer, where I was assigned the responsibility of creating a career development pathway and training program for a specific profession within the organisation: Programme Management.

The challenge I faced was to design a comprehensive career path for highly qualified professionals within their technical fields, enabling their progression in the Programme Management discipline. This initiative needed to align with the organisation’s systematic approach to training and adhere to the analytical and design requirements set forth by the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR). Additionally, it was essential that the new framework integrated seamlessly with the existing Project Manager career path and complied with the guidelines established by the Government's Infrastructure and Projects Authority.

Venturing beyond my comfort zone and traditional career structures, I began to explore how other projects had successfully navigated similar challenges. I discovered that they employed complexity assessments and project difficulty levels, as well as formal qualifications in project management. This exploration raised concerns; not only was the Programme Management profession still developing within the organisation, but there was also a lack of dedicated academic programs specifically focused on Programme Management. The closest available option was a module within a Project Management degree.

In my professional journey, I began with integration and engaged in close collaboration with Project Management Professionals, gaining insights into their career development within the field. I discovered that they were pioneers in establishing the standards for Project Management degrees, which inspired me to consider the possibility of making a similar impact.

During the implementation of recognised training concepts for Programme Management, such as the Managing Successful Programmes (MSP) framework, I recognised a critical limitation: Programme Managers cannot be effectively trained through conventional instructional methods. Consequently, I concluded that a traditional training approach would not suffice for the design of this career path. Instead, I leveraged my expertise in assessment methodologies and employed the Kirkpatrick model to develop mentor guides aimed at evaluating Programme Managers. These guides enabled Programme Managers to document their work across various competencies.

The foundation of this approach is rooted in the application of the APM competency framework, which emphasises the importance of experiential knowledge in Programme Management.

A thorough complexity assessment of programmes was essential to ensure that Programme Managers were appropriately matched to their assignments based on their experience and the intricacies of the programmes at hand.

This structured methodology facilitated career progression, allowing new entrants to begin with less complex programmes and gradually advance through their career paths by evidencing their work on increasingly complex projects. This approach was in alignment with the APM Chartership pathway, fulfilling the necessary eligibility criteria. Not only did this initiative roll out successfully, but it also laid the groundwork for a mentorship programme that pairs trainees with seasoned Programme Managers.

Undoubtedly, this has been one of the most challenging aspects of my career. I was tasked with ensuring compliance with nuclear site license conditions in the design of training while simultaneously adapting those designs to meet the unique requirements of Programme Management, which often do not conform to traditional training frameworks.

If I had my time again, I would do it at the drop of a hat !

This is a blog written by a Training Professional, Leena Madden, who I had the pleasure of working alongside when I was employed as an Internal Coach - Programme Management.