ADVANCED PROJECT PRINCIPLES - Key Persons

Job Titles:

• Director
• Project Manager
• Deputy Chairman of a Standards Australia Working Group
• Member of the Department of Finance Assurance Review

Phil Walker, Director of Advanced Project Principles, established his career in the complex project management environment of Defence major projects, spending 22 years within that organisation and enjoying the shared sense of purpose within many professional project teams. In that time, his career pathway lead him to a number of leadership roles on major projects and programs. Phil Walker, Director of Advanced Project Principles, is a highly skilled professional in the field of project management and risk management with 22 years experience in senior positions within the Australian Public Service and 17 years as a management consultant. Phil holds an MBA in Project Management and is a member of the Australian Institute of Project Management (AIPM). Phil had a long and successful career in the public services where he specialised in project management, commercial management and contract management for major Defence projects. While in Defence, Phil completed a successful posting to the USA to an embassy position embedded within the US Navy Foreign Military Sales program, supporting major Defence projects and logistics functions. On return, he held a series of senior management positions within important Defence projects, including Business Manager for the P3 Upgrade Project ($700m in value), Business Manager and then Commercial Director for the ANZAC Ship Project (>$5bn in value), Project Manager for the C-130J Acquisition Project ($1bn in value) and Project Director for the C-130 Systems Project Office (program value >$3bn). In the latter stages of his APS career Phil frequently acted at the SES Band 1 level. In 1995 he received a joint Secretary and Chief of Defence Force Staff commendation for his long-term work on complex, high risk and high value projects. Phil convened a number of important committees and forums whilst the Director of C-130 SPO. He formed and chaired the inaugural C-130J Users Group, a forum of international military operators of the new C-130J aircraft. Phil had a close relationship with Defence executives and regularly briefed government executives and Commonwealth Ministers on his projects. Whilst in senior project management positions in Defence Phil Walker furthered the project management capabilities of the organisation by developing and delivering training courses to Defence project managers on specific core project management skills. He wrote a range of publications and instructions to further Defence project management capabilities and regularly lectured within the Department on key project management topics. As a private consultant, Phil is a highly experienced project manager, facilitator and trainer. His provides high quality advice on project management, project governance, risk management, contract management, procurement and business management of projects, and conducts workshops and training in these fields. He works with both public and private sector organisations in Australia and overseas. Phil has been instrumental in progressing the use of quantitative risk assessment to determine limits of supplier liability in government contracts. With several legal experts, he co-authored "A Guide to Limiting Supplier Liability in ICT Contracts with the Australian Government". With members of Broadleaf Capital International Pty Ltd, he co-authored ‘Project Risk Management Guidelines: Managing Risk with ISO 31000 and IEC 62198,' published by John Wiley & Sons in March 2014. Phil Walker is the deputy chairman of a Standards Australia working group and was a major contributor to Standards Australia handbook HB 192-2007 Guide for Managing Risk in Motorsport. Due to his extensive experience in large and complex contracts, Phil has been called upon as a contracts and procurement expert witness in international arbitration cases, requiring him to work with international Defence agencies and companies, and provide expert contract management advice in arbitration. Phil has assisted in establishing Defence industry presence in Australia working on, and leading, a number of large tenders for government work. Phil is an active member of the Department of Finance Assurance Review panel and has successfully participated in many Gateway reviews. These reviews address complex, high value ICT and change management projects for Commonwealth agencies. As a result of his performance on reviews Phil has been recommended to become a Review Leader for future Assurance reviews. Phil is also a member of the Victorian, NSW, Queensland, West Australian and New Zeland Government Gateway Review panels. Whilst in Defence, Phil received training and gained formal qualifications in PRINCE2 and Earned Value Management, skills that he continues to use in project work. Phil Walker is a highly skilled professional in the field of project management and risk management with 22 years experience in senior positions within the Australian Public Service and 19 years as a management consultant. He is a Director of Advanced Project Principles Pty Ltd. Phil holds an MBA in Project Management and is a Member of the Australian Institute of Project Management.