Lorna Richardson

Said the following about Alana Davoren:

“Alana's has developed into an extremely accomplished project manager by ensuring that there is continual improvement in both her, and her teams, performance of all project deliverables. Alana key responsibility is delivery of the £20m digital railway ETCS Level 2 programme on the historic Great West Mainline.

The 30 people strong team that Alana leads are based in Derby, Birmingham, London and Charleroi, Belgium. Alana's has an excellent ability to communicate across such a diverse team, that is, the key messages that prioritise the issues without distributing the teams focus on their responsibilities. Alana's leadership is positive and focussed yet, significantly, always able to anticipate and react swiftly to any issues that may disrupt project delivery.

A prime example of this was when leading the Alstom and Network Rail Safety Assurance teams in prioritising the review and close out of key safety deliverables to enable the start of RBC and IXL system integration testing. Without this approval in place key critical activities would have challenged the delivery of this project.

Since joining the company as Project Administrator in 2016, Alana has become a trusted employee who demonstrates the core company values of integrity, reliability and responsibility in all facets of her work. Alana worked tirelessly to help everybody achieve their goals by going above and beyond her own key deliverables and when the opportunity arose to join the project management team, as an assistant prior to the final commissioning of the five year £80m CrossRail West signalling project, there were few reservations or concerns that Alana would not only support an already successful delivery team but enhance it.

To do this, Alana tirelessly with the team providing support to both the installation and test teams tasked with the safe delivery of works on time. Alana's energy was fundamental to updating both the supervisors of the teams delivering the works and manager interfacing the client delivery team, as well as their stakeholders, with the progress being made and issues that required, when necessary, escalation for resolution by senior management.

This ability to effortlessly support those working around whilst taking on greater responsibilities has seen Alana deservedly rise to Project Manager of the ETCS programme of works. This project, due to its technical nature and evolving set of requirements and changes that are require careful development for incorporation into the programme without delay the target delivery dates. This is a difficult task for all project managers but, in addition to leading her own delivery team, Alana places great importance on working with the client. To do this, Alana has established a collaborative relationship by not only working open and honestly but understanding what the common goal is between the two teams, the programme. With his common goal understood and agreed between the two organisations, and their respective stakeholders, all individuals know where to focus their attention and work together. This, for any project manager, is an aspirational target that Alana has realised effortlessly.

Alana does not just confine this attitude to reach out and help others, whilst developing herself, to the project delivery team but externally as well. Alana has joined the 'Women in Engineering' initiative to represent both her profession and company to widen the diversity of this industry. This attitude to reach out to others and support them has gained both admiration and respect of her colleagues and peers.

Tom Wood, Alstom: Alana's progression in both the company and the profession has strengthened Alstom's ability to deliver complex projects of strategic importance to our client, Network Rail. Alana's calm persona and seamless ability to identify and resolve key project issues serves to reassure all that work with her. Alana's efforts are recognised by our client who appreciate her determination to maintain delivery of the programme whilst keeping them abreast of the developing issues. The ability to develop, maintain and strengthen these relationships form the foundation of successful delivery teams that can work together to realise opportunities and savings to both programme and cost.“