THE CLIENT & THE INITIATIVE

Nuclear Waste Services was established in 2022 through the consolidation of Low-Level Waste Repository Ltd (LLWR), Radioactive Waste Management Ltd, and the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority's Integrated Waste Management Programme. This integration brought together over 900 specialists across nuclear science, engineering, and environmental safety with a critical mandate to safely manage the UK's radioactive waste.

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The consolidation presented significant integration challenges, creating an urgent need for standardised governance frameworks and operational efficiencies. Firewood was engaged initially with LLWR in 2021 and continued through the transformation into NWS, providing strategic expertise to establish cohesive P3M capabilities that would enable the newly formed organisation to fulfil its complex mission.

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OUR ROLE

Firewood deployed a team of senior P3M professionals to design and develop strategic improvements across four key areas:

1. Baseline maturity assessment: We conducted comprehensive assessments before and after the organisational merger, establishing baseline measurements and developing targeted recommendations. Our proprietary SPARK framework, aligned with MSP and PRINCE2 methodologies, and enhanced with agile delivery principles, provided the foundation for a unified project governance model.

2. ISO9001 accreditation: We led a critical programme to align project management practices with ISO9001 standards across all NWS subsidiaries. This included extensive document reviews, stakeholder interviews and gap analyses to create a comprehensive governance document that harmonised with both Nuclear Decommissioning Authority requirements and the Government's Project Delivery Framework.

3. Assurance strategy: We designed a tailored assurance framework to support the development of NWS's critical Lifetime Plan (LTP). Our approach centred on consistency, transparency, and outcome-focused delivery, creating a detailed roadmap for embedding assurance activities into future planning cycles despite organisational siloes and fragmented working practices.

4. Competency framework: We created a unified P3M Competency Framework built on the proven 70/20/10 model, defining 23 core competencies across key delivery roles with corresponding self-assessment tools. This framework was designed to support workforce integration, capability development and succession planning in the newly formed organisation.

 

Throughout the engagement, we facilitated structured ‘Learning from Experience’ sessions and formal ‘Close-Out’ reviews to embed knowledge transfer mechanisms and establish platforms for continuous improvement.

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KEY BENEFITS DELIVERED

Our partnership with NWS established robust foundations for continuous improvement in delivery:

• Governance architecture: We designed a unified project governance model calibrated to NWS's organisational complexity, establishing the structural framework necessary for consistent delivery across previously siloed entities.

• Quality standards: Our work enabled NWS to secure ISO9001 accreditation by April 2024, creating a standardised approach to project management that reinforced their commitment to quality and regulatory compliance.

• Strategic planning capability: The assurance framework we developed positioned NWS to build greater confidence with the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority and provided a roadmap for more effective risk management and interdependency coordination.

• Talent development: The competency framework equipped NWS with tools to assess skills, identify progression pathways, and align capability development with industry best practices, positioning them for sustainable workforce planning.

• Knowledge management: Our structured approach to lessons learned created mechanisms for capturing valuable insights and applying them systematically to future initiatives, fostering a culture of reflective learning.

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LESSONS LEARNED

The NWS engagement demonstrated the power of strategic frameworks and architectural design in setting the conditions for organisational transformation. Our work established the building blocks for effective project delivery and management, even as full implementation would require ongoing commitment from the organisation.

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The partnership highlighted the importance of coupling technical expertise with change management principles when navigating complex organisational integrations. By focusing on knowledge transfer and self-sufficiency, we positioned NWS to gradually internalise capability improvements at a pace aligned with their evolving organisational readiness.