Jason Cornwell

I am a senior Project and Programme Manager and PMO Consultant with more than 20 years’ experience helping charities, non-profits and purpose-driven organisations turn ideas and organisational priorities into well-structured, deliverable projects and programmes.

Through RootRise Consulting, I provide practical, flexible support in three areas: project design, project management and external PMO support. This can mean helping an organisation develop and structure a new project, providing experienced project management capacity when an internal team is stretched, or establishing the governance, reporting and coordination needed to manage a portfolio of projects effectively.

I particularly enjoy working with organisations where there is an important piece of work that needs to move forward but limited internal capacity, experience or time to manage it. I can provide senior project leadership without necessarily requiring an organisation to make a permanent appointment, making the support suitable for interim, fractional, part-time or defined project assignments.

My approach is practical and collaborative. I work alongside existing teams rather than creating unnecessary layers of process, helping people establish enough structure and governance to give them confidence while keeping the focus on delivering the work and achieving its intended outcomes.

My experience spans project and programme management, PMO development, organisational change, transformation, governance and implementation. I am particularly interested in non-technical projects where successful delivery depends on bringing people, plans, decisions and different parts of an organisation together.

Through RootRise, I can also work with other specialists where a project would benefit from additional expertise, including funding research and bid and grant writing.

I am based remotely and work with organisations across the UK and internationally.

Clients

My experience includes working with charities, not-for-profit organisations and other purpose-driven organisations, including organisations operating nationally and with complex stakeholder environments.

My client experience has covered a range of organisational challenges rather than being limited to one particular cause or service area. This includes organisational transformation, project and programme delivery, PMO development, governance, implementation and change.

I am particularly comfortable working with organisations where there is a gap between ambition and delivery capacity: a new strategic initiative that needs turning into a workable project; an important programme that needs experienced management; several projects that require better coordination and oversight; or an organisation that needs additional senior capacity without committing to a permanent role.

I also understand that charities and not-for-profits need consultancy support to provide value for money. My approach is therefore focused on being proportionate, practical and useful to the organisation, rather than imposing a large consultancy model or unnecessary process.

Where appropriate, I can also work collaboratively with other RootRise specialists to bring additional capability into a project. This includes funding research and bid and grant writing, allowing organisations to access complementary expertise while retaining a single practical point of contact for project and delivery support.

I am happy to work directly with senior leaders, project teams, PMO functions and trustees, adapting my role according to the organisation’s needs and the stage of the work.

Previous clients include:
– The Scouts (UK)
– Scouts Canada
– Special Olympics GB
– Mencap

Qualifications

I bring more than 20 years of professional experience in project and programme management, organisational change, transformation and PMO leadership, supported by formal professional training and qualifications in project and programme delivery.

My professional development has focused on the practical disciplines required to lead complex organisational work: project and programme management, governance, risk and issue management, stakeholder engagement, change management, planning, reporting and benefits-focused delivery.

I have continued to develop my professional practice through senior delivery roles and consultancy assignments across the charity and not-for-profit sector, applying recognised project and programme management approaches in real organisational environments rather than treating methodology as an end in itself.

My qualifications and professional training include:
BA Hons Degree
PRINCE2 Foundation & Practitioner
Strategic Project Management
Building a PMO
Governance for PMOs
Strategic Portfolio Management
Change Leadership
Project Recovery
Project Risk Management
PMO Metrics & Reporting
Advanced Project Management
Smartsheet for PMOs
Advanced Smartsheet

In addition to formal qualifications, my experience leading projects, programmes and PMO functions provides a substantial practical foundation for the consultancy work I undertake. I am accustomed to working with senior stakeholders and leadership teams and to applying project and programme management principles proportionately according to the size, complexity and resources of the organisation.

I believe professional qualifications are most valuable when combined with practical experience and judgement. My focus is therefore on using the right tools and approaches for the organisation rather than imposing a particular methodology simply for the sake of compliance.

Through RootRise Consulting, I continue to apply this experience to practical project design, project management and external PMO assignments, helping purpose-driven organisations strengthen their capacity to deliver important work.

Experience

I have more than 20 years’ experience working in project, programme and organisational change environments, with a particular focus on helping organisations move from strategic intentions and ideas into practical delivery.

My experience includes establishing and developing PMO functions, managing complex projects and programmes, supporting organisational transformation, improving governance and reporting, and providing senior project management capacity where organisations need additional expertise or resource.

A significant part of my recent work has been within the voluntary and not-for-profit sector. I established a PMO for Scouts Canada and have also delivered national transformation programmes for The Scouts. These roles have required me to work across organisational boundaries, bring together stakeholders with different priorities, establish effective governance and reporting, and maintain momentum across complex programmes of work.

I have experience working at senior level with leadership teams, directors and other decision-makers, translating strategic objectives into practical plans and helping organisations make informed decisions about priorities, resources, risks and delivery.

My approach combines the discipline needed for effective project and programme management with a pragmatic understanding of the pressures facing charities and other purpose-driven organisations. I understand that organisations in the voluntary sector often have ambitious objectives but constrained resources, competing priorities and limited capacity for additional management infrastructure.

I therefore focus on proportionate approaches that provide clarity and control without creating unnecessary bureaucracy. Depending on the requirement, I can provide hands-on project management, programme-level oversight, PMO establishment or improvement, project design and mobilisation, governance and reporting, or additional senior delivery capacity.

I am comfortable joining an existing team, taking responsibility for a defined piece of work, or helping an organisation establish the structures it needs to manage a wider programme of change.