CURRICULUM VITAE
NAME: |
Paula Grant |
 |
PRESENT POSITION: Director trojanmice limited
PERSONAL PROFILE:
- Highly self motivated individual and very capable of motivating others
- An excellent communicator with a wide network of high level contacts
- A highly regarded ambassador for the organisations I have represented both professionally and socially
- A strategic thinker with the ability and skills to follow through into action
- A motivational leader of both immediate colleagues and partners
- Uses vision to achieve required results in complex areas of work
- Applies a flexible and positive approach to changing working environments
- Recognises good practice in self and others and takes steps to build on it and share with others
- Identifies problems, takes action to resolve, works with others to deliver solutions
- Full of enthusiasm & commitment to achieve personal & professional objectives
CAREER HISTORY:
November 2002 - present
Since joining my partner Peter Fryer as an independent consultant in our company trojanmice limited I have been working on a range of different contracts. Initially, I was sub-contracted by my former employer, the Humber Forum to deliver a programme of technical assistance to the Humber sub regional action plan partners. This involves technical project development, facilitating briefing sessions, delivering presentations, drafting reports, preparing financial reconciliations and mapping of project proposals against the plan’s priorities for action and its key targets, monitoring and evaluating action plan project delivery, preparation of a guidebook for the plan and an induction briefing pack for new employees and partners on the action plan.
In addition, I worked with an innovation company on tendering for a new products and processes delivery contracts. I also completed a mapping exercise for this company on a strategic approach external funding opportunities and extending its partnership participation. Simultaneously, I worked with North Yorkshire Learning + Skills Council on an electronic funding eligibility checklist and business support diagnostic tools for clusters, a voluntary sector organisation on setting up a social enterprise company, the sub regional chamber on international trade related contracts, and small research contracts on effectiveness of current operating models.
March 2001 - November 2002
During my employment with The Humber Forum, I took a proactive role in both the development and delivery of the Humber sub regional action plan for economic development. I was the lead contact for the sub region and had responsibility for managing the partnership and liaison with all lead partners including the Regional Development Agency. I have driven the action plan from early draft stage to its current status masterminding the project prioritisation process, the partnership model, cross cutting theme integration, designing and delivering appropriate technical support for partners. The plan’s value for 2002/3 is in excess of £13 million.
In terms of the Humber Forum’s own action plan I lead the work on all of its operational priorities, with specific responsibility for a mixed team of 12 staff, including secondees, with different levels of experience. Working closely with the Chief Executive on raising the profile and image of the sub region, I delivered highly regarded presentations on the role of the Humber Forum, the RESHAP, Humber Trade Zone and European Structural Fund Programmes to local and regional audiences. One of my key aims being to clearly illustrate the added value of integrating the implementation of strategies for the benefit of the Humber sub region.
Having contributed to the development of the model for the Objective 2 Programme Effectiveness Team and the Objective 3 technical assistance contracts, I had the management responsibility for ensuring their effective delivery. I liaised directly with the team leaders at the European Secretariat and members of the Objective 2 and 3 Regional Programme Committees to maximise benefits to the Humber sub regional economy and thereby, partner organisations operating within it.
One of my main responsibilities was the provision of a high-level secretariat service for the Humber Trade Zone (HTZ) Initiative. This required me to bring together representation of partnerships and organisations at the highest level including local politicians and private sector representatives, ensuring their key interests can be addressed as well as focusing on the objectives of the HTZ. I also lead working groups of experienced partners from multi-discipline backgrounds to focus on the implementation of the HTZ using the prioritised cluster models, demonstrating how to apply cross cutting themes and linking the skills agenda from strategy through to project delivery. I actively promoted the approach to the overall HTZ initiative as an example of good practice within the RESHAP to partners at all levels of operation.
As a member of the Business Link Humber Strategic Management Group, I was actively involved in the integration of the business support agenda into the RESHAP and Objective 2 Humber Business Support Strategy. This involved close working with public, private and third sector partners representing commercial business interests.
One of my key roles was ongoing participation in partnership development activities both as a driver and founder of new partnerships and as a proactive member of other partners’ groups representing the Humber Forum’s agenda. As an enthusiastic networker and promoter of the organisation’s role I took an active part in a variety of events ranging from one-to-one sessions with Heads of Service, Chief Officers and Directors of Companies to high level impact presentations to large varied audiences.
In executing my duties I often identified process gaps and new opportunities requiring intervention. For example, the development of an Electronic Project Monitoring System to enable simultaneous online project evaluation and faster response to the delivery of programme targets. Secondly, the masterminding of technical assistance contracts specific to the needs of our partners. Thirdly, the sharing of a best practice model for the integration of the sustainability agenda into core programme delivery.
September 1990 – March 2001
Immediately prior to my current post I was the European Policy and Programmes Manager at Humberside Training and Enterprise Council for over 3 years. I established and managed a sub regional European partnership with responsibility for £10 million of European Objective 2 structural funds. I developed and delivered internal and external training development programmes relating to this partnership and programme. The challenges addressed in this partnership included convincing local partners of the value of sub regional working and influencing regional partners to focus on targeted local needs as opposed to delivering generic schemes, which cut across core activity. I proactively engaged regional partners in this process including the Yorkshire and Humberside Universities Association, Yorkshire Enterprise and the various Regional Innovation Strategy Groups. I also chaired a sub regional European Social Fund working group for partners to influence policy.
At regional level, I was a proactive member of the TEC European Manager network, including an influencing role on the Objective 2 and 3 Regional Committees and links with the Yorkshire and Humber (Y&H) Brussels Office. This culminated in my representation of the Y&H TECs on the TEC National Working Group and my active engagement in the National Co-financing Working Group. The latter involved me in preparing models and frameworks for potential implementation and influencing others to address associated issues. I actively participated in a wide range of regional and national groups to influence new policy developments and inform local partners of emerging opportunities. For example, I was invited to join the Government Office regional working groups for both the Objective 2 and 3 programmes and took a proactive role in writing sections of the new programme documents. This work also included participating in the negotiating meetings with the European Commission.
The results and benefits of my contribution to this work were shared via the national TEC best practice club. Lessons learnt from this club were shared with partners in the Yorkshire and Humberside TEC network. Clearly, this experience enabled me to add value to the Humberside TEC agenda and to raise its profile with our customers.
To address a key issue arising from my development work on European structural fund programmes around project monitoring systems, I proposed, drafted and promoted an electronic project monitoring system to enable the evaluation of projects at the delivery point to assess whether they met identified programme targets. This was based on my knowledge and practical experience of project and programme management to meet both financial and physical targets within specified timescales.
As an employee of an organisation with a national reputation for its leading edge work in delivering and further developing the Investor in People standard, I was actively engaged in the process, contributing to our continued recognition, promoting the value of the standard with colleagues and partners and improving my own skills.
In 1996 as European Manager at North Lincolnshire Council I was given immediate responsibility for the Policy Team and its budget due to the team leader’s long term ill-health. Being responsible for Council policy and European structural fund programmes, I set up and managed the team within the Economic Development and Regeneration Unit. I created and managed a Council wide working group to enable the whole organisation to maximise funding opportunities. I led the setting up of a local partnership, recruitment of staff and securing of £4 million of RESIDER II funding from the Government Office for Yorkshire and The Humber. I made contributions to the Council’s economic development strategy and plans. I was also responsible for preparing and delivering workshops and briefing sessions for colleagues, elected members and partners to communicate and translate plans and processes into a format, which could be understood and implemented by all.
For six years I held the post of European Co-ordinator for Bishop Burton College of Agriculture, I quickly established myself as the European training programme advisor to all six FE colleges in Humberside. This also required me to advise the Humberside County Council Education Authority senior management, making presentations to the Education Committee, working on joint European training initiatives with the European Co-ordinator for schools in Humberside and participating in events to raise the profile of European Studies and foreign languages in the curriculum. My main responsibilities at the college were the design and delivery of European Study programmes, drafting a European strategy for the college, translating and interpreting in French, Russian, German and Italian, developing and delivering staff and student exchange programmes representing the college on regional networks and making presentations on aspects of this work at local, regional, national and international events. Travelling extensively around Europe as an ambassador for the college, I raised the profile of the college’s courses and contributed to increasing student enrolments. Acting on my advice as advisor to the Senior Management Team on the integration of European Studies and European languages into the curriculum, the college became one of the leading agricultural colleges in this field.
July 1985 – September 1990
During this period I progressed my private sector career from an assistant manager post through to a manager post with full responsibility for establishing a small public funded company. Private sector employment included working for a large multinational corporation, small and medium sized companies and working for a sole trader in a family business. The highlights of this early period of my career included:
- day-to-day business management skills including planning
- negotiating with clients, traders and other managers
- designing and presenting new procedures for financial accounting
- completing a chartered accountant’s graduate conversion course
- designing and managing new computer based information system
- recruiting and training staff on government schemes
- designing and delivering specialist visits and short stay events programmes
- problem solving relating to routine personnel and management issues
OTHER CURRENT INTERESTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Hull Common Purpose Graduate
- Hull CityImage Bondholder
- Member of Hull and Humber Chamber of Commerce and Shipping
- Registered interpreter and translator for Humberside Police and Hospitals
- Winteringham County Primary School – co-opted Governor
- Chair of Humberside Learning Consortium
- Participating and helping to organise fund raising events for local charities
- Overseas travel and tourism for recreational and educational purposes
PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT:
While completing my honours degree in French, Russian and Economics I recognised the need to add value to my academic studies in order to enable more opportunities for career progression. Therefore, I participated in a small business development course, computer studies and basic accounting training programme.
During my early career much of the training I benefited from was ‘in-house’ and very specific to the organisation and job role being undertaken at the time.
While working at Bishop Burton College I taught myself Italian, undertook a European Strategy and Planning module and completed TDLB D32/33. I lectured in foreign languages and European Studies and participated in a variety of training courses to improve my tutoring techniques. At North Lincolnshire Council I participated in IT skills training. I was also responsible for delivering European programme training and workshops to other officers, elected members and local partner organisations.
At Humberside Training and Enterprise Council I became increasingly involved in a wide variety of personal and professional development work. This included negotiating skills, neuro-linguistic programming, transactional analysis, high impact presentation skills, facilitator skills, multiple intelligence workshops, leadership skills. It culminated in my training as a 360-degree appraisal facilitator and delivering workshops on identifying development needs and how to think differently.
Throughout my career I have always taken an active and enthusiastic approach to personal and professional development, both giving and receiving feedback on performance for overall improvement of myself and others with whom I communicate.
These skills and qualities are applied to my work via an ongoing commitment to identify and implement best practice and share this with colleagues and partners. My personal commitment to continuous learning and development is translated into consistently improving strategies and processes for the benefit of the organisations I represent and the partners and customers of these organisations.
Recently my partner and I have established a development session with some of our key clients, called “trojan thinking”... the concept is to provide an opportunity to think about different aspects of complexity theory in practice and debate how they can be applied in our respective day-to-day environments, exchange good practice and really think more deeply about we operate our businesses.
Finally, I managed the personal development work for our company leading to our recognition as an Investor in People in February 2004. Also, as Chair of Personnel at Winteringham Primary School I have voluntarily assisted the staff with the necessary development work towards their achievement of the Investors in People standard.
