Anglo American

As Strategic Programme Delivery Partner, Nichols supported Anglo American in establishing governance and project controls for the US$5.6bn Minas Rio Programme, using innovative techniques to provide them with the structure required for successful delivery.

Challenge
We were commissioned by Anglo American to be their Strategic Programme Delivery Partner for the US$5.6bn programme to develop an iron ore mine in Minas-Rio, Brazil. We established the programme structure and controls needed for successful delivery.

Experience
We integrated quickly with the Anglo American team, working collaboratively and providing much needed project and technical expertise. We provided coaching and mentoring, while showing sensitivity to different cultures and ways of working.

We transformed the governance of the Minas-Rio Programme and its constituent projects. We introduced integrated project controls to enhance the Programme Management Office, created the Project Execution Plan, designed and delivered an integrated programme schedule and provided mechanisms for monitoring and reporting. Using our strategic systems planning approach we ensured appropriate visibility of project status, risk exposure and key issues. We synthesised and presented complex project information simply and clearly for the executive team.

We created a war room which provided a range of innovative visualisation and analytical techniques to help manage external stakeholders and improve project communications and control, resulting in the optimised deployment of resources and increased productivity. This room was used by the Programme Director as the nerve centre for all critical project meetings.

Benefits
Through our collaborative approach and developments to enhance performance we ensured that at every stage of the programme, the Anglo American team were fully engaged, and that they understood and supported the changes being implemented.

Our approach to integrated project controls provided the governance and rigor required to enable the Programme Director and Board to have clear and accurate programme delivery and trend information. They remained informed and therefore empowered to take decisive action to guarantee delivery.