Improving Project Governance
A customer uplifting their Project Governance
Scenario
Ad hoc strategy hindering not-for-profit provider
Terry* works for a medium-sized not-for-profit aged care provider; part of the leadership team charged with strategic projects.
As an experienced program manager, Terry was recruited to oversee a major package of work and also to provide project governance capability. The existing practice was ad hoc. While most decisions were meant to be made by the CEO and Board, some projects were being run ‘under the radar’ or as ‘BAU activity’ with minimal oversight.
Terry had previously worked with Core Consulting Group (CCG), and he recalled being impressed by the company’s professionalism and pragmatic approach. It took just a 15-minute discussion with a CCG director for Terry to feel confident that he would receive the guidance and assistance required to have a positive impact on his business.
CCG quickly understood Terry’s concerns, and their knowledge and grasp of the inner-workings of not-for-profit organisations – particularly the aged care sector – only enhanced Terry’s confidence. A capped timing and material (T&M) engagement soon followed.
CCG influence
Introducing project governance
CCG worked with Terry to implement a basic level of project governance. With emphasis on key decision-making, drawing from CCG’s ‘PMO Light’ resources, together they achieved:
- Five key decision points on all projects, regardless of type or size, including criteria for escalating projects to the board.
- Monthly leadership team ‘high risk/high value’ projects oversight meetings.
- An agreed set of reporting KPIs – for scope/quality, time, cost, and stakeholder satisfaction – along with agreed thresholds and a standardised report format.
- Agreed, consistent terminology.
- Centralised ‘ideas capture’ and ‘approved projects’ listings.
- A focus on ‘whole of life’ project costing, not just current financial year.
Outcome
Clarity and efficiency make tangible difference
Terry worked with CCG to focus effort on change and adoption, encouraging the leadership team to support the initiative with the theme ‘if it’s not on the list, it’s not happening’. Terry was pleased with the outcome, and better yet he was happy to see the engagement finished well under the T&M cap.
*Name changed to protect client confidentiality
Case studies
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Further reading
White papers & articles
Improving Project Governance
Whitepaper – by Phil Mann
Contingency reserve and Uncertainty
Whitepaper – by Carol Elzink
Automating governance
Article – by Martin Vaughan
PPM Aligning projects with organisational strategy
Article – by Chris Dwyer
Priority and the business case
Article – first published in The Project Manager Magazine
What is project governance
Article – first published in The Project Manager Magazine
Best practice
OGC’s P3M3
External link
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