I am a graduate analyst at PA Consulting within the Architecture, Engineering and DevOps (AED) capability. I am a software engineer and currently working on a project for the Department for Transport.
My probation has been extended as I do not have enough ‘utilisation time’ (time being sold on client work and making money for the company). Therefore I have been put on a PSP (Project Support Plan). I have gotten onto a project as a developer and now need to meet my requirements for the PSP to get off it and my probation.
Here is my PSP:
Performance Support Plan Name Awais Amjad Line Manager Bradley Tenuta Plan start date 08/05/2026 Plan review date 19/06/2026 Meeting Frequency Weekly
The purpose of this plan is to provide informal support to your continued growth and enable you to achieve high performance across all dimensions of our career framework. The objectives set out are intended to enable your growth in areas identified as requiring development. The Aim: By the end of the plan date, you will have demonstrated the required growth against your development areas, enabling you to attain and sustain high performance.
How to use the plan: This is a tool to be used by you and your manager to give you the additional support to build strengths in your development areas. There are a few principles related to the plan, which is normally supported by an individual’s line manager. • The review duration will be agreed in conjunction with your line manager (this may vary in length dependent on needs, typically this will be in between 8 weeks and 12 weeks) • The frequency of progress updates will be proposed by the line manager (weekly or fortnightly meetings are recommended).
Your responsibilities: • Identifying and agreeing activities with your manager to ensure you build upon areas of development, which reflect expectations of your role and job level (see Career Frameworks) • Escalating any issues that you encounter or where you are unclear of what is expected • Using the support and resources available to you (e.g. your mentor, assignment manager, coach) • There will be some short form notes recording progress and actions flowing from the meetings, providing a tool for monitoring your progress and picking up next step actions
Development Goal. What do I need to do in order to meet the expectations of my current rank? Knowledge (Head), Skill (Hand) or Behaviour (Heart) Being Developed Continue to work on increasing visibility within AED
How does the development goal link to the PA career framework for my rank? What knowledge/ skill/behaviour is being developed? Delivering brilliant work
Action Steps What actions will I take to address my development needs in this area and meet the goal?
Success Measures What realistic and objective metrics can be used to measure my progress? What milestones can I use to ensure I am on track?
Target Completion Date How long will it take me to demonstrate sustained competence in this area? Is the timeline challenging but realistic?
Support Agreed Who is best placed to help me with each action i.e, line manager, assignment manager, resource manager, mentor, peer, coach?
Outcome achieved at agreed review date Has the objective been met/partially met/not at all?
Continue to work on increasing visibility within AED
Delivering Brilliant Work
Action Steps
- Attend ATC calls
- Awais attended ATC calls regularly and raised his interest in all roles available
- Weekly meetings with the Resource Manager to review available roles
- Awais had weekly meetings with Grace and some with Julia when ATC. When nearing his end dates on the DfT project he always had a meeting with RM to prepare in the case he was not extended. This included updating the CV and Profinda profile for new skills as well as researching new roles and connections
- Minimum 2 networking / catch up calls per day to increase exposure across AED
- Awais had meetings to catch up and meet new people within AED. This allowed him get updates on any new possible opportinites as well as to expand his network and develop new connections
- Minimum 2 ATC tasks delivered per week (whilst ATC)
- Whilst ATC awais volunteered for ATC tasks
- Volunteering
- Whilst ATC awais volunteered for ATC tasks
- Attend training / identify development opportunities to develop networking skills
- Awais has completed ‘Pandas’ training via LinkedIn learning which is extremely relevant to his current role as is what he uses day to day
- He is also completing ‘Python’ and ’.NET’ training as he is moving to backend work
- Awais is developing a side project with similar architecture to his work project to get a good understanding of the language and framework which will help him develop good work for the client
- Secure first sold role by the end of the extended probationary period and set ADR objectives with AM
- Secured role as developer on DfT project and has set goals with AM
- Receive positive feedback – either from assignment team if on sold work or from ATC work delivered
- Awais has received feedback from his teammates and an ADR
- Attend training / learning on networking / developing my “pitch”
- LinkedIn learning
- AWS Skillbuilder
- Pitch as a backend developer
- Complete weekly log of activities to review with LM
- Biweekly meetings with line manager to discuss updates in the week
- To seek involvement in AED / COP activities.
- Helping on the F1 Game project
- Participated in the BECOP quiz
- Volunteered for Women In Tech support
- Helping with the Eid Al Adha event
- Awais joined the AWS Alliance after networking with Rahul Gupta and Prabhat Handoo
Support Agreed
- Mentor (Lee)
- Line manager (Bradley)
- Resource Manager (Grace)
Awais to continue to look for side of desk work.
Continue to support BID work when the opportunity arises Delivering Business Growth Reach out to Partners, Bid Managers & attend ATC calls for latest Bid opportunities. Get involved within a Bid or something that supports business growth (interviews & workshops) June 19th Mentor
Line manager
Resource Manager Awais will listen in on ATC calls to find new opportunities.
Further improve your technical skills
Managing Myself and Developing Others
Action Steps
- Complete a qualification/certificate
- Achieved ‘Pandas’ LinkedIn learning certificate
- GitHub CoPilot
- AWS Certificates
- Failed on Cloud practitioner. Will attempt again
- Python - In the works
- .NET - In the works
- AWS AI practitioner
- Presenting a technology to the AED community in activities like engineerium or tech talk
- to do
One of the following is done:
Complete a qualification/certificate.
GitHub CoPilot / AWS Certificates / Python / Java
Complete Workday or LinkedIn Courses June 19th Mentor
Line manager
Resource Manager Awais will use his AWS training / exam token to gain a certificate.
Development Goal Date Action Steps Todo Completed Continue to work on increasing visibility within AED Friday 22nd May Attend ATC calls
Weekly meetings with the Resource Manager to review available roles
Minimum 2 networking / catch up calls per day to increase exposure across AED
Minimum 2 ATC tasks delivered per week (whilst ATC)
Attend training / identify development opportunities to develop networking skills - Attended ATC Call
- Attended Weekly meeting with RM and reviewed roles
- Booked and attended 2 networking/catch up calls a day
- Working on F1 game internal project
- Continuing to work on Consulting LinkedIn learning
- Attempted Continue to support BID work when the opportunity arises Delivering Business Growth Reach out to Partners, Bid Managers & attend ATC calls for latest Bid opportunities. - Working on F1 Game internal project Further improve your technical skills Managing Myself and Developing Others Examples are:
Complete a qualification/certificate.
GitHub CoPilot / AWS Certificates / Python / Java
Complete Workday or LinkedIn Courses
Presenting a technology to the AED community in activities like engineerium or tech talk - Completing Python, Pandas and .NET training via LinkedIn learning which are both extremely relevant for his current work
- Revising for AWS exam
- Awais attempted the AWS Cloud practitioner exam. While he unfortunately did not pass he scored 688, close to the 700 required to pass. He will further revise and attempt further
- Awais joined the AWS Alliance after networking with Rahul Gupta and Prabhat Handoo