PMI UK London Branch Event: Rethinking project management’s responsibilities. 5th November 2025

This event will be taking place at University College London in Room 309, Roberts Building, Torrington Place, London WC1E 7JE

Project managers often complain that they are constrained by the terms of reference of the project assigned to them, stating that they were not part of the decision that defined the project scope in the first place. This is an odd but persistent argument that somehow absolves these project managers from correcting flaws in the conception of their projects, as the big decisions have been taken ‘pre-project’.

In this talk we will argue that there is therefore an inherent flaw in the classical definition of project management, if it allows flawed projects to continue. After all, if we shift the blame of flawed projects to the programme manager, say, are we not just kicking the can upwards by essentially stating that the programme manager is not a project manager?

Project management is responsible for everything manmade. Everything! Is it not time it acts responsibly?

In the talk we will try and redefine the main tenets of our profession in a way that will allow us to take the right decisions whenever these are called for. Key words include strategy, leadership, ethics, sustainable development goals, and responsible project management.

If everything manmade is the result of a project, then we are all project managers.

Speaker

Dr Nicholas Lambrou is an Emeritus Fellow of the University of Westminster. He stumbled into project management through IT and has been an educator all his life. Among others, he has managed responsible projects to set up universities in the Sultanate of Oman, India and Uzbekistan, which, needless to say, were not all successful, but they were all worth it.  Nick believes that everything humans have done was once a project, however small or big. In addition, most organisations increasingly turn to project managers for answers, advice and ideas. This means that project managers have power to influence the environment we live in, and that with power comes responsibility. In the past, Nick has imported Greek wine into the UK and exported personal computers (remember them?) and peripherals; now and then he wonders where these once glorious machines have been laid to rest.

Agenda

• 6:00 pm  Venue open, refreshments and networking
• 6:30 pm  Introduction and Presentation
• 7:30 pm  Q&A Session and wrap up
• 8:00 pm  Close