National Assessment Agency
05/07/2007
“Andrew confirmed his value within days of starting his first assignment with us, showing himself both sensitive and diplomatic whilst upping the quality of output and therefore our confidence.” – Simeon Gann, Head of Development Programmes.
The National Assessment Agency (NAA) was launched in April 2004 to develop and deliver high quality national curriculum tests and supervise the delivery and modernisation of GSCE and A-Level examinations. To do this, the NAA work directly with schools, colleges, other exam centres and partners including local authorities and awarding bodies.
Due to the nature of their work, the NAA “will always need new mixes of skills as new remits are acquired” Simeon Gann, Head of Development Programmes explains. Simeon continues, “ In the early days at NAA, recruitment of permanent staff had not resulted in us acquiring the project managements capabilities we urgently needed. Having lost time, we needed to recruit quickly”. This being the case the NAA contacted Praxis, a recommendation from their then head of HR, to help resource “an industry strength project manager who could hit the ground running”.
Praxis executive is a leading interim management provider and search and selection business, dedicated to placing experienced interim managers and executives across all major functional business disciplines.
With extensive project management skills and experience, Interim manager Andrew Kearns proved the ideal choice. “At interview Andrew impressed us because he came across as both capable (he clearly new his stuff) but also he presented as someone who would integrate well into a newly recruited team. There was an absence of arrogance/seen it all before that often characterises project managers keen to impress,” Simeon recalls.
The original assignment was estimated to last for five months, however it has now entered its twenty-eighth month with Andrew successfully undertaking a number of sub-assignments. This has included running standalone projects and work streams of larger programmes.
Andrew is responsible for the management of projects designed to deliver modernised administrative processes for the general qualifications system in England. Andrew has driven the development, installation and delivery of numerous web tools as well as leading a very successful major consultation exercise with schools and colleges. While following standard IT development procedure, Andrew has negotiated the input of a number of stakeholders and integrated the work of different specialists from across the business. Andrew explains, “I am currently leading the team, developing the solution specification for a computer system that manages the delivery of a new qualification called the Diploma being introduced in Sept 2008”. Although not without its difficulties, the assignments have been tremendously successful and rewarding.
The continued success of Andrew’s work with the National Assessment Agency is highly regarded. Simeon Gann explains; “Andrew confirmed his value within days of starting his first assignment with us showing himself both sensitive and diplomatic whilst upping the quality of output and therefore our confidence. His value to us had continued and has become rooted in our capability offer across the NAA with Andrew now playing a leading management role in his third assignment with us over a number of years”.
This regard was confirmed with the NAA’s nomination of Andrew for Interim Project Manager of the Year 2005. Subsequently Andrew went on to win this award reflecting his continued outstanding contribution made to the modernising mission of the National Assessment Agency. Andrew comments, ‘It has been rewarding to see my role grow. I have enjoyed contributing to something of wider value. This has been particularly rewarding as my kids are still at school and my wife is a teacher”.
Simeon Gann explains “The key thing that interim managers offer us is high skill staff, targeted at our particular short term need coupled with speed of recruitment and adaptability of the person recruited. And concludes, ‘we are extremely pleased with what Andrew has to offer.”
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