Tell us about yourself:
I am a professionally qualified Chartered Surveyor and Member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, an experienced company director and leader with demonstrated success leading teams to formulate strategies to transform, restructure, redesign and (most importantly) deliver projects on time and within budget.
I use my experience to help manage stakeholders (often in a political environment), successfully overseeing analysis, scoping, strategy/planning, procurement, and execution whilst containing risks, managing deliverables, and enhancing processes to deliver projects on time and within budget.
My recent experience supporting public sector organisations includes:
- Project sponsor for Greater Norwich Local Plan – senior level stakeholder management
- Corporate office strategy for a County Council including workplace solutions
- Property organisation redesign and implementation – included procurement of new asset management system
- County wide regeneration strategy – engaging constituent district councils and other “one public estate” bodies
- Property lead in County Council transformation programme developing business cases to deliver financial and enabling outcomes
- Developed Asset and Place strategy for County Council (reporting to independent commision)
Tell us about where you have come from and what has led you to be an associate/consultant on EELGA’s Talent Bank:
I started my career in the City of London. I worked for a business that is now known as Deloitte Real Estate, later running my own businesses before re-entering the corporate world working for a number of large contractors such as Balfour Beatty and Engie, managing property businesses (£26 million, management of 70 plus staff) for public sector clients. After two years with Carillion, the company went into administration in 2017, and since then I have successfully operated my own consultancy developing strong relationships with clients such as EELGA.
Which sector/industry do you work in?
Whilst I carry a property qualification my projects tend to be focused on achieving transformation and strategy objectives across the built environment and regeneration sector including planning as well as asset management.
Good stakeholder management is critical and applying strong project management techniques, with robust financial management, delivers results whatever the project or programme.
What are the most significant challenges posed by Covid?
Covid has re-organised the way we use property to deliver services. Most public sector workers have moved from a time when we spent 80% of our time in the office to one where it has reversed to 80% working remotely.
Technology has always been closely aligned with the effectiveness of property to deliver as a service but it is now critical.
The metrics by which we measure workplace effectiveness have changed. We no longer seek to maximise efficiencies through higher densities and smart working but instead use the workplace as a low-density environment for essential collaboration.
Building relationships through online interactions has become a new skill requirement as has the management of teams at a distance, and strong, robust oversight of resources (human and other) is under the spotlight more than ever before.
How does the Property offer (strategy, transformation and stakeholder management) influence positive change and results for our members?
EELGA’s offer encompasses a wide range of support, which is easily accessible – enabling the right consultant to be placed at the right time. The property offer represents a wider range than traditional asset management and covers all built environment projects where timely delivery is paramount.
Getting the right level of expertise and support early on is essential to ensure present and future aspirations and targets. The EELGA team can advise on the best way forward, and offer a range of solutions to fit all situations and budgets.
EELGA’s offer gives its members a wealth of options, and may even highlight areas they had not yet considered. The ease of access via the procurement exclusion gives members a fast track entry to securing an experienced consultant quickly who has the right skills and abilities to deliver their required outcomes and outputs.
Could your organisation benefit from Nick Booth’s expertise? Express Interest in contracting Nick by emailing info@eelga.gov.uk