Design the programme |
 This process will develop the Governance controls that will keep the programme on track. Once completed, the programme will have: a. A fully defined Business Case b. Organisational structure for the delivery c. A set of strategies for maintaining control during delivery |
Objective:
Deliver a coherent plan to mobilise and deliver the first Tranche of the programme.
Detail:
This is the plan to manage the programme through the first Tranche, it will include initially establishing the tranche, managing the capability building and transition of the new services.
Governance Structure
Task:
Check strategic alignment of the programme outcomes.
Confirm that the gate reviews of projects are effective.
Confirm that the support of high impact stakeholders is in place.
Initiate independence assurance of the viability of the programme direction.
Task:
Check strategic alignment of the programme outcomes.
Confirm that the gate reviews of projects are effective.
Confirm that the support of high impact stakeholders is in place.
Initiate independence assurance of the viability of the programme direction.
Guidance:
This work to gain the approval will be led by the SRO, but with the support of the programme team.
Having an independent review of the programme and how it has achieved progress and decisions would be a wise move to ensure thoroughness.
The governance theme is checking that the political support is in place for the level of change, it should also be ensuring that there are thorough impact assessments on other initiatives for alignment.
The current membership and terms of reference for the programme board should be reviewed and updated to reflect the changing roles as the programme moves forward.
Input:
Programme Governance arrangements
Programme plans
Project Dossier
Links:
Output:
Approval to proceed
Management Control
Task:
Check that the proposed controls for the next stage are robust.
Maintain an audit trail of decisions.
Review effectiveness of project controls.
Gate review should be undertaken in line with the assurance plan.
The level of issues and the ability to resolve should be included in the decision process.
Task:
Check that the proposed controls for the next stage are robust.
Maintain an audit trail of decisions.
Review effectiveness of project controls.
Gate review should be undertaken in line with the assurance plan.
The level of issues and the ability to resolve should be included in the decision process.
Guidance:
For the gate review the controls should ensure that the approvals are auditable and any changes are recorded and actioned.
The gate should be undertaken in accordance with the assurance plan.
The gate should ensure that controls from the programme are being applied consistently to projects.
The approval should be auditable. The Authorisation must take into account the internal review.
The assurance plan will need to be reviewed and may need to be updated for the next stage.
The effectiveness of the programme in controlling the projects and their alignment with the framework should be part of the review.
Input:
Programme Issue Register
Programme Assurance Plan
Tranche Plan
Links:
Output:
Approved programme controls
Revised assurance plan for next stage
Benefits Management
Task:
Prepare the business performance monitoring metrics in first tranche.
Review and confirm m the projected benefits and their ownership.
Independent assurance of the validity and viability of the benefits.
Record lessons learned related to benefits management.
Task:
Prepare the business performance monitoring metrics in first tranche.
Review and confirm m the projected benefits and their ownership.
Independent assurance of the validity and viability of the benefits.
Record lessons learned related to benefits management.
Guidance:
Business Performance monitoring should already be in place to track benefits, but they may need to be extended to monitor other factors for negative or positive impact. The provision of regular performance information and impact analysis should be built into the plan.
It is essential that the level of benefits are fully defined, their level of sensitivity and dependency on the Blueprint is fully understood. The justification for the programme will be based on the anticipated benefits.
Independent assurance of the basis for estimates and risk for the benefits should be undertaken to give the programme board confidence.
Ensure lessons from the stage are recorded in the Gate report.
Input:
Benefits Realisation Plan
Benefit Profiles
Documents:
Links:
Output:
Approved benefit profiles
Benefits management lessons learned in the Gate report
Stakeholder Management
Task:
Confirm adequate high impact stakeholder support exists.
Revise the stakeholder profiles as a result of the impact assessment.
Develop the communications plan for the next stage.
Develop communications materials to announce the decision to proceed.
Review the effectiveness of communications up to this point and lessons learned.
Review project communications plans to ensure alignment with the programme.
Prepare the communications events to support the launch of the programme.
Task:
Confirm adequate high impact stakeholder support exists.
Revise the stakeholder profiles as a result of the impact assessment.
Develop the communications plan for the next stage.
Develop communications materials to announce the decision to proceed.
Review the effectiveness of communications up to this point and lessons learned.
Review project communications plans to ensure alignment with the programme.
Prepare the communications events to support the launch of the programme.
Guidance:
There should be a communications plan to communicate the decision and launch the programme into the next stage.
There should be a review of the main stakeholders and a rescan to see if any new groups will be affected in the next stage.
Beware of project communications plans not aligning with the programme, the programme communications team should have the final say on what communications happens from projects.
The gate review process should actively include high impact stakeholders to include their views and include them in the decision to proceed.
The Communications Plan should include launch activities and a process for managing feedback to ensure optimal communications channels are developed.
Input:
Stakeholder profiles
Communications plan
Project communications plan
Documents:
Communications Planning how2guide
Links:
Output:
Project stakeholders integrated into programme stakeholder profiles
Decision announcement plan
Communications plan for next tranche
Lessons learned in Gate review report
Planning
Task:
Revise the plan to reflect the key delivery dates in the first tranche.
Stop decisions on existing projects.
Go decision on projects to initiate.
Task:
Revise the plan to reflect the key delivery dates in the first tranche.
Stop decisions on existing projects.
Go decision on projects to initiate.
Guidance:
The plan should set the pace for the programme and ensure that there are adequate controls in place to enable delivery. There should be focus on the Intermediate Blueprint, but later Tranches may need feasibility work to be undertaken. Any residual projects remaining under the control of the programme should now be terminated. Recruitment or procurement of resources to enable the mobilisation as described in the Resource Plan. The guidance and controls that will be needed to control the projects will also need to be put into place, along with any technology to support them. It may well be that some are already in place if there are early projects running.
After this gate review the programme will move into full delivery of the first tranche.
There may be projects that are already completing or will undergo significant governance or structural changes, in this situation they should follow the project closure steps to ensure that lessons learned and handovers are formalised.
The decision to go into Tranche delivery will trigger the initiation of a number of projects, preparations should be made for this and the other alternative is that the programme will close.
Output:
Risk & Issue Management
Task:
Review the individual major risks.
Review the overall risk profile.
Scan for aggregating risks.
Task:
Review the individual major risks.
Review the overall risk profile.
Scan for aggregating risks.
Guidance:
The overall risk profile should be a key element of the decision process. The Portfolio Board should have visibility of all the risk and the overall risk profile for the programme, and the plan to mitigate the level.
This is a good point to re-scan (to identify) any new risks or aggregating impacts that had not been identified before.
Viability of existing mitigation plans should be reviewed as well as the effective of the risk management activities so far.
Depending on the nature of the programme, external independent assurance of the risk profile may be required.
Output:
Resource Management
Task:
Approve the mobilisation of resources to launch the first Tranche.
Confirm resource budgets.
Task:
Approve the mobilisation of resources to launch the first Tranche.
Confirm resource budgets.
Guidance:
This gate review is the final approval before going into full delivery. However, the reality may be that there are elements of delivery already under way to achieve quick wins or projects with a long lead time.
Once an independent review has been completed, the resource plan will need to be mobilised. This may be part of the main resource plan, or it may be useful to provide this separately.
In the lead up to the gate review, it is wise to reconfirm internal and external commitments to making resources available. Once the approval to proceed has been provided, they will need to be released in accordance with the schedule.
Input:
Resource Management Plan
Resource Management Strategy
Links:
Output:
Finance and Business Case
Task:
Check availability of funding to support first tranche.
Task:
Check availability of funding to support first tranche.
Guidance:
Funds to mobilise the programme and put the infrastructure in place need to be ring fenced to ensure availability. The budget should be clearly defined and allocated.
Output:
Commercial
Task:
Ensure effective communications to the supply chain about the impact of the launch.
Gain authorisation to proceed with procurement plan.
Task:
Ensure effective communications to the supply chain about the impact of the launch.
Gain authorisation to proceed with procurement plan.
Guidance:
This is the major decision point where the decision to proceed into delivery will happen.
At this point the authorisation to proceed with the approved.
Input:
Output:
Signed off procurement plan
Vision & Blueprint
Task:
Set performance metrics to track evidence of intermediate Blueprint achievement.
Task:
Set performance metrics to track evidence of intermediate Blueprint achievement.
Guidance:
This gate is mainly focused on how the Blueprint will be achieved, as opposed to the earlier gate which was about the destination, this one is about the journey.
From the perspective of ‘to be’ Blueprint, it should be checked that the ‘“as is”’ state is still current and that the delivery plans will achieve the Blueprint intermediate and end states at the appropriate times.
The achievement of the intermediate Blueprint should be seen as one of the success criteria for the first Tranche.
Input:
Blueprint for the Programme
Output:
Senior Responsible Owner
Task:
Ensure that the key stakeholders will be involved in supporting the launch.
Task:
Ensure that the key stakeholders will be involved in supporting the launch.
Guidance:
Be aware that there is about to be step change in competence required as you move from concept and design into setting the pace of delivery and keeping conflicting priorities balanced.
Input:
Output:
Theme tasks for Senior Responsible Owner:
Governance Structure
Task:
Check strategic alignment of the programme outcomes.
Confirm that the gate reviews of projects are effective.
Confirm that the support of high impact stakeholders is in place.
Initiate independence assurance of the viability of the programme direction.
Guidance:
This work to gain the approval will be led by the SRO, but with the support of the programme team.
Having an independent review of the programme and how it has achieved progress and decisions would be a wise move to ensure thoroughness.
The governance theme is checking that the political support is in place for the level of change, it should also be ensuring that there are thorough impact assessments on other initiatives for alignment.
The current membership and terms of reference for the programme board should be reviewed and updated to reflect the changing roles as the programme moves forward.
Inputs:
Links:
Outputs
Business Change Manager
Task:
Arrange for local business leaders to be involved in the programme launch.
Task:
Arrange for local business leaders to be involved in the programme launch.
Guidance:
You will now need to provide the resources to join the Change Team and support you in being effective, the plan must cover this. There may be a bigger focus on projects just at this moment, but you and the Change Team cannot afford to let the momentum of the launch leave you at odds with the programme.
Input:
Output:
Theme tasks for Business Change Manager:
Benefits Management
Task:
Prepare the business performance monitoring metrics in first tranche.
Review and confirm m the projected benefits and their ownership.
Independent assurance of the validity and viability of the benefits.
Record lessons learned related to benefits management.
Guidance:
Business Performance monitoring should already be in place to track benefits, but they may need to be extended to monitor other factors for negative or positive impact. The provision of regular performance information and impact analysis should be built into the plan.
It is essential that the level of benefits are fully defined, their level of sensitivity and dependency on the Blueprint is fully understood. The justification for the programme will be based on the anticipated benefits.
Independent assurance of the basis for estimates and risk for the benefits should be undertaken to give the programme board confidence.
Ensure lessons from the stage are recorded in the Gate report.
Inputs:
Documents:
Links:
Benefits Management Techniques Page
Outputs
Stakeholder Management
Task:
Confirm adequate high impact stakeholder support exists.
Revise the stakeholder profiles as a result of the impact assessment.
Develop the communications plan for the next stage.
Develop communications materials to announce the decision to proceed.
Review the effectiveness of communications up to this point and lessons learned.
Review project communications plans to ensure alignment with the programme.
Prepare the communications events to support the launch of the programme.
Guidance:
There should be a communications plan to communicate the decision and launch the programme into the next stage.
There should be a review of the main stakeholders and a rescan to see if any new groups will be affected in the next stage.
Beware of project communications plans not aligning with the programme, the programme communications team should have the final say on what communications happens from projects.
The gate review process should actively include high impact stakeholders to include their views and include them in the decision to proceed.
The Communications Plan should include launch activities and a process for managing feedback to ensure optimal communications channels are developed.
Inputs:
Documents:
Communications Planning how2guide
Links:
Stakeholder Management Techniques Page
Outputs
Programme Manager
Task:
Formalise the mobilisation arrangements to ensure momentum.
Task:
Formalise the mobilisation arrangements to ensure momentum.
Guidance:
The mobilisation will largely focus on activating Governance and launching early projects, some may already be in flight. It is worth seeing the launch and establishing of the programme as a project in itself, allocating a Project Manager to ensure it is well run.
Input:
Output:
Theme tasks for Programme Manager:
Management Control
Task:
Check that the proposed controls for the next stage are robust.
Maintain an audit trail of decisions.
Review effectiveness of project controls.
Gate review should be undertaken in line with the assurance plan.
The level of issues and the ability to resolve should be included in the decision process.
Guidance:
For the gate review the controls should ensure that the approvals are auditable and any changes are recorded and actioned.
The gate should be undertaken in accordance with the assurance plan.
The gate should ensure that controls from the programme are being applied consistently to projects.
The approval should be auditable. The Authorisation must take into account the internal review.
The assurance plan will need to be reviewed and may need to be updated for the next stage.
The effectiveness of the programme in controlling the projects and their alignment with the framework should be part of the review.
Inputs:
Links:
Management Control Techniques Page
Outputs
Risk & Issue Management
Task:
Review the individual major risks.
Review the overall risk profile.
Scan for aggregating risks.
Guidance:
The overall risk profile should be a key element of the decision process. The Portfolio Board should have visibility of all the risk and the overall risk profile for the programme, and the plan to mitigate the level.
This is a good point to re-scan (to identify) any new risks or aggregating impacts that had not been identified before.
Viability of existing mitigation plans should be reviewed as well as the effective of the risk management activities so far.
Depending on the nature of the programme, external independent assurance of the risk profile may be required.
Inputs:
Links:
Risk & Issue Management Techniques Page
Outputs
Resource Management
Task:
Approve the mobilisation of resources to launch the first Tranche.
Confirm resource budgets.
Guidance:
This gate review is the final approval before going into full delivery. However, the reality may be that there are elements of delivery already under way to achieve quick wins or projects with a long lead time.
Once an independent review has been completed, the resource plan will need to be mobilised. This may be part of the main resource plan, or it may be useful to provide this separately.
In the lead up to the gate review, it is wise to reconfirm internal and external commitments to making resources available. Once the approval to proceed has been provided, they will need to be released in accordance with the schedule.
Inputs:
Links:
Resource Management Techniques Page
Outputs
Finance and Business Case
Task:
Check availability of funding to support first tranche.
Guidance:
Funds to mobilise the programme and put the infrastructure in place need to be ring fenced to ensure availability. The budget should be clearly defined and allocated.
Inputs:
Documents:
Identifying and Controlling Costs how2guide
Links:
Finance & Business Case Techniques Page
Outputs
Head of Business Architecture
Task:
Sign off business architecture alignment.
Task:
Sign off business architecture alignment.
Guidance:
As part of the Internal Scrutiny Gate procedures you should ensure that the direction and change being proposed by the initiative is aligned with the needs of the business architecture.
Input:
Output:
Theme tasks for Head of Business Architecture:
Portfolio Office
Task:
Refresh the Comms Plan and ensure that it deals with the short term launch arrangements.
Task:
Refresh the Comms Plan and ensure that it deals with the short term launch arrangements.
Guidance:
Mobilisation may mean more pressure on your resources, have you got capacity to deal with this?
Input:
Output:
Theme tasks for Portfolio Office:
Head of Portfolio
Task:
Sign off portfolio alignment.
Task:
Sign off portfolio alignment.
Guidance:
As part of the Internal Scrutiny Gate procedures you should ensure that the direction and change being proposed by the initiative is aligned with the objectives, direction, delivery, dependencies and plans within the portfolio.
Input:
Output:
Theme tasks for Head of Portfolio:
Head of Business Change
Task:
Sign off change team alignment.
Task:
Sign off change team alignment.
Guidance:
As part of the Internal Scrutiny Gate procedures you should ensure that the direction and change being proposed by the initiative is aligned with the ability of the organisation and the change team to support it.
Input:
Output:
Theme tasks for Head of Business Change: