Policy to delivery, across sectors and borders
Grant has worked with clients from government departments to global corporations, helping them tackle everything from strategy and funding to service design and operational turnaround. Our reach starts with transport, and then spans to cover environment, security, education and more.
Policy, strategy and funding approval
Network Rail
Led the team that developed the business case for the first major digital signalling implementation in the UK (East Coast South), securing approval from Department for Transport at the first time of asking. Grant then led the team that replicated the approach to make the case for upgrades on the West Coast North route.
Midlands Connect
Led an engagement to refine the scope and purpose of a new entity charged with making the case for regional transport enhancements in and around England’s Midlands region. Grant’s role then included designing the operating model for the new sub-national transport body, updating its business plan and refining its governance arrangements.
Ticketing and passenger information
National Express Group
National Express Group, with 9 of the then 25 UK train operator franchises, wanted its own web retailing capability to protect retail commissions. Grant led a team to develop the business case and secure Board approval for the new service. He managed tendering and supplier negotiations, and then development and implementation. The resulting qjump.co.uk service went live in 2001 and was later sold to Trainline to enhance its season ticket offering.
Transport for the North
Engagement lead on the IST initiative to design a smart ticketing scheme for the north of England. Grant was responsible for design, business case and implementation plan. He served on the Programme Board and chaired the Stakeholder Board. It resulted in smart card ticketing on rail services in the north of England and encouraged private sector bus operators to implement contactless payment. The scheme covered 200 bus companies, four train operators and two urban trams.
Demand management and road pricing
Rijkswaterstaat
Explored the range of potential technologies to enable various forms of road pricing for city and inter-urban schemes. This included ANPR, microwave tags, laser-based bar codes, and more complex onboard devices. It covered case studies in Europe, Japan and North America.
Department for Transport
Grant led the overall design and technology strategy for road pricing, advising the Secretary of State, and managing 30 civil servants and consultants. The programme was set up to address congestion, capacity constraints and revenue generation (nationally and locally). Served on the Programme Board; the only non-civil servant to do so.
Service enhancement and efficiency
AstraZeneca
This global pharma business needed help to manage its 2,000-person UK salesforce. Grant developed the requirements for new processes and systems to better manage the salesforce (starting, moving, leaving, performance) and to better protect their personal data. The portal implementation returned on investment within a year.
Home Office
Cyclamen aims to counter the threat from radioactive and nuclear materials entering the UK. Grant took over managing the programme during its development phase and after a red OGC review. He restructured the team, revised the ‘in-flight’ detector procurement and launched new procurements for mobile detection. The programme subsequently secured a green review and was successfully delivered.
