Define the programme |
 The Define process takes the detail in the Programme Brief and develops the scenarios and options that the business should consider to solve the challenge. The main pieces of information developed during this process are: a. The Blueprint or Target Operating Model which the programme will create b. Clear understanding of the Benefits that will come from the change c. The step changes in capability that will be produced at various stages of the programme lifecycle and the projects required to deliver them. |
Objective:
Ensure that all activity within the programme, both existing and new projects, maintains alignment and deliver the changes required to achieve the Blueprint.
Detail:
This is the point where the high level plan and stages can be identified. Once the preferred outcomes have been developed it should be clear whether the existing projects are required. This will be the point to stop any that are not clear and plan to re-align others.
Each of the outcome variants may have different approaches or they may be defined by external events, e.g. legislation change.
Governance Structure
Task:
Approved Tranche Plan.
Consult the project sponsors about the changes to the project requirements and build in changes to governance through different tranches, if required.
Confirm alignment with other major events during the programme lifecycle.
Task:
Approved Tranche Plan.
Consult the project sponsors about the changes to the project requirements and build in changes to governance through different tranches, if required.
Confirm alignment with other major events during the programme lifecycle.
Guidance:
The Tranches must fit to the programme plan and dependencies with other programmes.
There must be appropriate approval of the Tranche plan by the programme board and any other influential bodies.
The tranches may also highlight significant changes to the nature of the programme, so changes to the programme board can be forecasted and planned.
Project resources released from closed projects can be integrated into the programme team to help with other tasks. The Programme Manager should take a lead on this work and focus on identifying the outputs that will be required to achieve the step change.
Output:
Revisions to project board structure
Approved the tranche plan
Revisions to programme board structure
Management Control
Task:
Define how each project contributes to the Blueprint.
Refine existing project plans to meet the Tranches and raise change requests for projects.
Tranche plan should be placed under version control.
Inter dependency network should be updated.
Impact assessment on assets.
Task:
Define how each project contributes to the Blueprint.
Refine existing project plans to meet the Tranches and raise change requests for projects.
Tranche plan should be placed under version control.
Inter dependency network should be updated.
Impact assessment on assets.
Guidance:
The Tranche plan will define the programme controls points where stop go decisions can be made, so these must be optimised to enable control at the right points.
Different tranches will probably need different types of controls, so the Tranche plans should define how the control arrangements change.
Changes to projects should be managed as issues and delivered under change control and tracked by the programme.
Any existing physical assets that may be affected by the programme delivery will need an impact assessment to understand the implications on services and service contracts.
Projects may need to stopped, so the criteria for culling projects should be set, with systematic analysis and alignment being undertaken.
An independent check of each of the existing projects to assess their status and performance will help inform the decision making.
Tranches should be aligned to any external major events that the programme may contribute to and be aligned with work going on in other parts of the organisation.
Output:
Tranche Plan under version control
Updated Issue Register
Project plan change requests
Benefits Management
Task:
Assess the impact of project realignment on benefits.
Attribute benefits to individuals project delivery is possible.
Use the tranches to outline the benefits realisation plan.
Task:
Assess the impact of project realignment on benefits.
Attribute benefits to individuals project delivery is possible.
Use the tranches to outline the benefits realisation plan.
Guidance:
Benefits identified in the Programme Brief should be a factor in selecting and aligning projects. If a project cannot clearly explain how it will be contributing to the benefits, its justification for continuing will be harder.
Benefits will tend to happen after a Tranche completes, this must be reflected in Benefit Profiles and the Benefits Realisation Plan. Some early benefits may be linked to the achievement of a Tranche. Releasing benefits may well be required to fund the future tranches.
Decisions about the Tranche plans and the programme delivery may well be driven by benefits realisation plan, particularly if there is a compliance element to the programme where there is pre-defined deadlines.
The full project dossier doesn’t exist yet formally, but it should now be possible to allocate benefits activities to existing or key projects that are already known about.
Input:
Benefit Profiles
Documents:
Links:
Output:
Draft benefits realisation plan
Stakeholder Management
Task:
Consult stakeholders over impact of changes.
Build their priorities into tranches.
Undertake impact assessment of each option on each of the major stakeholder groups.
Develop the communications activities needed to gather information to make the decision.
Ensure that feedback is being managed and processed.
Project stakeholder impact assessment.
Task:
Consult stakeholders over impact of changes.
Build their priorities into tranches.
Undertake impact assessment of each option on each of the major stakeholder groups.
Develop the communications activities needed to gather information to make the decision.
Ensure that feedback is being managed and processed.
Project stakeholder impact assessment.
Guidance:
Careful consultation will be required as some stakeholders could be alienated by the loss of projects important to them.
Some stakeholders may well lose out, so some compromise will probably be required to keep them onside.
Where possible, Tranches should reflect stakeholder priorities and the step changes should be used to mobilise supportive stakeholders or achieve early, long term wins.
Communications with project stakeholders will need to be managed carefully if they are negatively impacted by this strategy.
Input:
Stakeholder profiles
Communications plan
Documents:
Links:
Output:
Updated stakeholder profiles
Updated communications plan
Planning
Task:
Re-align Project Plans and integrate into Programme Plan with focus on early tranches.
Provide estimates of the timing for each of the tranches.
Refine project schedules to align with the programme tranches.
Task:
Re-align Project Plans and integrate into Programme Plan with focus on early tranches.
Provide estimates of the timing for each of the tranches.
Refine project schedules to align with the programme tranches.
Guidance:
Projects that remain should be included in the plan and their dependencies identified. Projects will need to be categorised to show their contribution to the Blueprint and Benefits. At this moment, you only have headline information so some decisions may need to be deferred until the work on the Blueprint starts to bear fruit.
The tranches should reflect two dimensions, namely the business time constraints for the achievement of the new capability and the ability of projects to achieve them.
The results of this work will almost certainly require changes to existing project plans.
For new projects joining the programme, their requirements and timetable should be built into existing tranches.
Output:
Risk & Issue Management
Task:
Tranches should be used to reduce risk where possible.
Define how the tranche plans will affect the risk profile of the programme.
Review the impact on project risks.
Task:
Tranches should be used to reduce risk where possible.
Define how the tranche plans will affect the risk profile of the programme.
Review the impact on project risks.
Guidance:
This is the start of the formalisation of the programme plan, so the windows when the risks could occur will become clearer and the Tranche plan can be used to manage risk exposures or mitigate risks, so this is an opportunity to lower the programme risk profile.
The Tranche plan will clarify projects that will not be needed but may already be running.
Culling of projects without proper understanding of value and impact may have long term implications for the programme, positive or negative. As such, these should be recorded as risks.
Using step changes reduces big bang style risks and enables avoidance of time bound risks. Selection of the end game and the journey will significantly affect the risk profile of the programme.
Output:
Resource Management
Task:
Update the resource plan to show the realignment of projects resources. Identify the initial programme level resource requirements for the programme.
Task:
Update the resource plan to show the realignment of projects resources. Identify the initial programme level resource requirements for the programme.
Guidance:
The Tranches provide the starting point for developing the resource management strategy. As the major changes are defined, an embryonic plan can begin to form.
The internal resourcing of the programme for this stage will be helped as you will know the types and quantity of resources required to develop the delivery strategy.
There may well now be opportunities to stop some projects that obviously do not fit. This offers a big opportunity to release project resources from closing projects to help with resourcing the programme or early contender projects.
Input:
Consult existing project resource plans
Documents:
Links:
Output:
Finance and Business Case
Task:
Review project budgets to aggregate Business Case costs and correlate funding plans to ensure tranches are achievable.
Provide expenditure estimates against each of the tranches.
Task:
Review project budgets to aggregate Business Case costs and correlate funding plans to ensure tranches are achievable.
Provide expenditure estimates against each of the tranches.
Guidance:
Expenditure on projects avoided should be built into the Business Case and identified as an early benefit. Funds from closed projects can be used to resource priority initiatives.
Existing financial commitment can be better controlled by scheduling funds based on the step changes. It may be that funding constraints will be a key element or constraint to what can be achieved and by when, which will affect the Tranches.
Output:
Commercial
Task:
Undertake impact assessment on the project’s commercial activities and consider external finance options for the Tranches.
Task:
Undertake impact assessment on the project’s commercial activities and consider external finance options for the Tranches.
Guidance:
The Tranches could be linked to the EU procurement process if it is large, this in itself will bring constraints.
The Tranches also give an opportunity to identify contract termination or changes that will need to be negotiated.
Input:
Output:
Vision & Blueprint
Task:
Begin closure of projects which cannot be aligned.
Link the Tranches to the intermediate states in the Blueprint.
Ensure that all activity within the programme, both existing and new projects, maintains alignment to deliver the changes required to achieve the Blueprint.
Task:
Begin closure of projects which cannot be aligned.
Link the Tranches to the intermediate states in the Blueprint.
Ensure that all activity within the programme, both existing and new projects, maintains alignment to deliver the changes required to achieve the Blueprint.
Guidance:
Tranches are a very important (and often missing) concept which underpin control. Programmes often become unwieldy due to their size and Tranches help to manage that. They are used to group projects and focus efforts on achieving a ‘step change’ in capability; this avoids lots of expenditure on many fronts with no clarity about how it all comes together. Tranches are time and achievement bound.
They are closely linked to the Blueprint intermediate states; at the end of a Tranche an intermediate state will have been delivered.
Tranches provide an opportunity to stand back, take stock and decide if the Blueprint end state is still where you want to go – you’ll validate whether the benefits to confirm they are genuine and achievable, and that you can still afford to get there. It is also an opportunity either to gracefully exit the programme if it is no longer required or to re-energize it if it has lost some momentum.
As such, this is the point where the programme planning begins, as the Tranches will show the overarching sequence of major events.
Input:
Programme Vision Statement
Blueprint for the Programme
Benefit Profiles
Documents:
Output:
Intermediate states aligned to Tranches
Tranche impact assessment on the programme Blueprint
An Updated Blueprint for the Programme
Senior Responsible Owner
Task:
Ensure the Business Plan priorities are reflected in the Tranche end points. This may involve engaging with execs whose projects should be stopped.
Task:
Ensure the Business Plan priorities are reflected in the Tranche end points. This may involve engaging with execs whose projects should be stopped.
Guidance:
Realignment of projects will not be popular with some of your peers. Manage this sensitively to avoid political resistance by explaining the rationale behind the culling of certain projects. Emphasise the benefit of clearing the decks of distracting projects and cost savings involved.
Ensure that the tranches align with other changes in the organisation to coincide with the organisation’s direction and allow you to maintain control.
Input:
Output:
Theme tasks for Senior Responsible Owner:
Governance Structure
Task:
Approved Tranche Plan.
Consult the project sponsors about the changes to the project requirements and build in changes to governance through different tranches, if required.
Confirm alignment with other major events during the programme lifecycle.
Guidance:
The Tranches must fit to the programme plan and dependencies with other programmes.
There must be appropriate approval of the Tranche plan by the programme board and any other influential bodies.
The tranches may also highlight significant changes to the nature of the programme, so changes to the programme board can be forecasted and planned.
Project resources released from closed projects can be integrated into the programme team to help with other tasks. The Programme Manager should take a lead on this work and focus on identifying the outputs that will be required to achieve the step change.
Inputs:
Links:
Outputs
Business Change Manager
Task:
Undertake impact analysis of project changes to deliver anticipated outcomes.
Task:
Undertake impact analysis of project changes to deliver anticipated outcomes.
Guidance:
You will need to do an impact analysis on the consequences of losing projects from your short term business requirements and needs. Sacrifices will need to be made and it may be a good opportunity to draw a line in the sand around some ‘sacred cow’ projects in your business areas.
If the Tranches can be aligned with a strategic Business Plan, committing to leverage or avoid certain events, then this is the opportunity to do it. You need to look carefully at the benefits opportunities associated with these step changes.
Input:
Output:
Theme tasks for Business Change Manager:
Benefits Management
Task:
Assess the impact of project realignment on benefits.
Attribute benefits to individuals project delivery is possible.
Use the tranches to outline the benefits realisation plan.
Guidance:
Benefits identified in the Programme Brief should be a factor in selecting and aligning projects. If a project cannot clearly explain how it will be contributing to the benefits, its justification for continuing will be harder.
Benefits will tend to happen after a Tranche completes, this must be reflected in Benefit Profiles and the Benefits Realisation Plan. Some early benefits may be linked to the achievement of a Tranche. Releasing benefits may well be required to fund the future tranches.
Decisions about the Tranche plans and the programme delivery may well be driven by benefits realisation plan, particularly if there is a compliance element to the programme where there is pre-defined deadlines.
The full project dossier doesn’t exist yet formally, but it should now be possible to allocate benefits activities to existing or key projects that are already known about.
Inputs:
Documents:
Links:
Benefits Management Techniques Page
Outputs
Stakeholder Management
Task:
Consult stakeholders over impact of changes.
Build their priorities into tranches.
Undertake impact assessment of each option on each of the major stakeholder groups.
Develop the communications activities needed to gather information to make the decision.
Ensure that feedback is being managed and processed.
Project stakeholder impact assessment.
Guidance:
Careful consultation will be required as some stakeholders could be alienated by the loss of projects important to them.
Some stakeholders may well lose out, so some compromise will probably be required to keep them onside.
Where possible, Tranches should reflect stakeholder priorities and the step changes should be used to mobilise supportive stakeholders or achieve early, long term wins.
Communications with project stakeholders will need to be managed carefully if they are negatively impacted by this strategy.
Inputs:
Documents:
Links:
Stakeholder Management Techniques Page
Outputs
Programme Manager
Task:
Create the high level schedule, identifying the critical dependencies and reconfigure the requirements for the Blueprint.
Task:
Create the high level schedule, identifying the critical dependencies and reconfigure the requirements for the Blueprint.
Guidance:
You should lead this activity and undertake the systematic analysis of the ongoing need for the projects. Closed projects will provide you with much needed resources. You will need to set out the criteria and weighting schemes for projects continuing and those that will be culled. There will also be others that need to change direction. Establishing your credibility with Project Managers will be important, as they are likely to resist changes to their projects if they don't know what the future holds for them.
Input:
Output:
Theme tasks for Programme Manager:
Management Control
Task:
Define how each project contributes to the Blueprint.
Refine existing project plans to meet the Tranches and raise change requests for projects.
Tranche plan should be placed under version control.
Inter dependency network should be updated.
Impact assessment on assets.
Guidance:
The Tranche plan will define the programme controls points where stop go decisions can be made, so these must be optimised to enable control at the right points.
Different tranches will probably need different types of controls, so the Tranche plans should define how the control arrangements change.
Changes to projects should be managed as issues and delivered under change control and tracked by the programme.
Any existing physical assets that may be affected by the programme delivery will need an impact assessment to understand the implications on services and service contracts.
Projects may need to stopped, so the criteria for culling projects should be set, with systematic analysis and alignment being undertaken.
An independent check of each of the existing projects to assess their status and performance will help inform the decision making.
Tranches should be aligned to any external major events that the programme may contribute to and be aligned with work going on in other parts of the organisation.
Inputs:
Links:
Management Control Techniques Page
Outputs
Risk & Issue Management
Task:
Tranches should be used to reduce risk where possible.
Define how the tranche plans will affect the risk profile of the programme.
Review the impact on project risks.
Guidance:
This is the start of the formalisation of the programme plan, so the windows when the risks could occur will become clearer and the Tranche plan can be used to manage risk exposures or mitigate risks, so this is an opportunity to lower the programme risk profile.
The Tranche plan will clarify projects that will not be needed but may already be running.
Culling of projects without proper understanding of value and impact may have long term implications for the programme, positive or negative. As such, these should be recorded as risks.
Using step changes reduces big bang style risks and enables avoidance of time bound risks. Selection of the end game and the journey will significantly affect the risk profile of the programme.
Inputs:
Links:
Risk & Issue Management Techniques Page
Outputs
Resource Management
Task:
Update the resource plan to show the realignment of projects resources. Identify the initial programme level resource requirements for the programme.
Guidance:
The Tranches provide the starting point for developing the resource management strategy. As the major changes are defined, an embryonic plan can begin to form.
The internal resourcing of the programme for this stage will be helped as you will know the types and quantity of resources required to develop the delivery strategy.
There may well now be opportunities to stop some projects that obviously do not fit. This offers a big opportunity to release project resources from closing projects to help with resourcing the programme or early contender projects.
Inputs:
Documents:
Links:
Resource Management Techniques Page
Outputs
Finance and Business Case
Task:
Review project budgets to aggregate Business Case costs and correlate funding plans to ensure tranches are achievable.
Provide expenditure estimates against each of the tranches.
Guidance:
Expenditure on projects avoided should be built into the Business Case and identified as an early benefit. Funds from closed projects can be used to resource priority initiatives.
Existing financial commitment can be better controlled by scheduling funds based on the step changes. It may be that funding constraints will be a key element or constraint to what can be achieved and by when, which will affect the Tranches.
Inputs:
Links:
Finance & Business Case Techniques Page
Outputs
Portfolio Office
Task:
Formalise project changes under change control and build in new dependencies to existing plans.
Task:
Formalise project changes under change control and build in new dependencies to existing plans.
Guidance:
You may have a set of criteria that are being used across different projects for this. Cross reference other Programme Plans to check risk aggregation as a result of the project changes and look for cross programme dependencies. Projects that are not required may go to a different programme. You should be supporting the Programme Office in establishing appropriate controls around projects up to the organisation's standards.
Input:
Output:
Theme tasks for Portfolio Office: