Episode 134 – Creating an Olympic Legacy: London 2012

The podcast by project managers for project managers. Creating an Olympic legacy: The project story about successfully ensuring the delivery of venues and infrastructure of the London 2012 Olympic Games while overcoming huge constraints which impacted project planning. 



Table of Contents



01:54 … Meet Ian03:04 … Planning Short-Term Needs and Long-Term Vision04:55 … Project Themes and Project Objectives09:20 … Key Stakeholders11:38 … Responding to Feedback12:46 … Olympic Planning Process15:50 … Immovable Time Constraints18:05 … Delivering on Time18:49 … The Value in Testing22:37 … The Legacy Viewpoint24:08 … Budget Challenges27:12 … Disciplined Project Management29:25 … Project Teams32:16 … Team Building in Cultural Diversity33:38 … Surprises36:21 … Biggest Takeaways40:03 … “When Did it Hit You?”43:04 … Praise from the IOC44:20 … Get in Touch with Ian45:40 … Closing



IAN CROCKFORD: It really is an opportunity to stage the greatest show on Earth.  And you’ve got to give it your best, haven’t you.



WENDY GROUNDS:  Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers.  I’m Wendy Grounds, and joining me is Bill Yates.  Today we’re talking with Ian Crockford, and Ian is based outside London, near Heathrow Airport.



BILL YATES:  Yes.



WENDY GROUNDS:  So you may get to hear a plane or two...



BILL YATES:  Yes.



WENDY GROUNDS:  ...going over.  He was the project executive at the Olympic Delivery Authority, the ODA.  And this was the public body responsible for ensuring the delivery of the infrastructure, the design, and the construction of buildings, transport, and the legacy of the London 2012 Olympic Games.  We’re busy with the 2021 Olympic Games right now, so we’re very excited about this episode.



BILL YATES:  Yeah, it’s great timing.  One of the things you’ll pick up on a theme as you listen to this conversation with Ian, the venues that he was responsible for delivering.  Those venues were required to use materials and components that could be reused, relocated, or recycled to meet the Olympic Delivery Authority’s sustainability objectives.  That’s a huge constraint.  And it’ll be interesting, I think, for our listeners as we go through and have the conversation to hear how frequently and to what degree this impacted the planning that Ian and his team did.



WENDY GROUNDS:  The London 2012 Olympic Games were an incredibly successful Olympic Games.  I know Ian is very proud of the work that they have done, and they have received high praise from the Olympic Committee for the work that they have done.  And they’ve served as an example to many other countries who’ve been hosting Olympic Games since then.



BILL YATES:  Yeah, they’ve set the bar incredibly high.



WENDY GROUNDS:  Hi, Ian.  We’re so excited to talk with you today.  Thank you for being our guest.



IAN CROCKFORD:  You’re welcome.  I’m looking forward to talking with you.



Meet Ian



WENDY GROUNDS:  First of all, I want to find out how you got to be part of this project.  What was the story that led to you becoming involved in this huge project?



IAN CROCKFORD:  Well, that’s an interesting one.  I guess we’re back in 2005.  And as a new organization, the Olympic Delivery Authority was looking for people who could lead and manage the development of certain venues around the park.  I was approached then, and I guess in my CV was delivering the London Eye.  So I had actually had the benefit from the late ‘90s right through a rollercoaster, one of those 24/7 jobs, delivering the London Eye for the Millennium Eve.



And that, you know, that teaches you not only about innovative projects and being a bit agile as a leader, as well as project delivery, but also great media interest that comes with these projects, and the need to publicly speak a lot.  And there’s all that other paraphernalia, dealing with politicians at high levels and the other stakeholders.  So I guess that played in my favor,