Programme Review and Assurance

 

Overview

The purpose of CPS Programme Review and Assurance is to provide the Programme Board with independent assurance that the Programme and its constituent Projects are being well managed in line with both:

• External Best Practice methodologies and
• Internal Governance and Control requirements

 

CPS Approach: Review and Assurance

Expertise
The Programme Review is led and delivered by experienced and qualified practitioners. CPS consultants have substantial experience of leading and delivering programmes and projects in high risk environments using proven, public-domain methodologies that are widely accepted as representing best practice.

Planning and Initiation
The Programme Review exercise is preceded by an assessment and orientation meeting with the programme Accountable Executive. In this session the terms of reference for the review are agreed including strategy, authority, scope, reporting and preliminary thinking on implementation approach.

The second, more detailed planning session involves key representatives from the Programme team and Programme Board. This session provides a solid foundation for the review by establishing a shared understanding of the objectives and nature of the review along with agreement on the practical arrangements for its execution.

The Programme Review
The programme and its constituent projects are evaluated within a standard framework comprised of 25 components; the presence and health of each component are acknowledged to be critical to the control and successful delivery of a change programme.

By way of example, a subset of the 25 components includes:

1. Governance and Reporting processes
2. Business Case
3. User and Business requirements
4. Financial Controls
5. Risk Management framework, culture and processes
6. Planning and estimating
7. Third Party commercial contracts

There are two key outputs from the Programme Review process:

• A completed Programme Assurance Framework summarizing on one page the status and health of the Programme, on aggregate and by component, against external best practice and internal organizational standards
• A Programme Assurance Plan to enable the improvement and where necessary the recovery of critical components of the Programme. In addition, examples of existing good practice are identified and actions to consolidate, reinforce and extend these strengths are integrated into the plan

Once established, the Programme Assurance Framework is updated regularly and is used on an ongoing basis by the Programme Board as a key point of reference in Governance meetings, providing the Board with a simple but effective mechanism to track progress on the stabilization, and recovery of the Programme.

Implementation
A number of implementation approaches are proven to work well.

These include a CPS consultant working alongside the Programme team to execute the plan; a CPS consultant coaching and shadowing members of the team as the plan is implemented; CPS agree the plan with the internal team who then work the plan for a set period, with CPS returning to undertake an interim review.

Tangible Benefits

CPS Programme Review and Assurance has consistently added substantial value and significantly increased the quality of outcomes across a wide range of programmes.

Improved Outcomes through enhanced Risk Management
The key benefit of Programme Review and Assurance is the significant increase in the probability that the objectives of the Programme will be met and ultimately the intended benefits realised.

Problems and risks are identified and tackled early leading to higher quality outcomes at lower average cost throughout the life of the programme.

The rigorous application of the Programme Assurance Framework enables the Review team to rapidly identify the components of the Programme that are in need of recovery and to take action as necessary.

Enhanced Control; Improved Confidence
Independent Programme Review and Assurance provides the Programme Board with a robust framework within which:

• The informed allocation of scarce resources can take place
• Responsibility for the planning and management of the Programme and the constituent Projects can be delegated with confidence
• The Programme Board can begin to manage by exception, confident that the Programme is being managed in a controlled environment

Independence and Objectivity
CPS is independent of the organization and of the programme. This yields a number of benefits including:

• Enhanced ability to be able to review the programme dispassionately, from a fact-based perspective
• Improved engagement and a higher degree of ownership of the process by the core programme team
  

Engagement and Ownership
The collaborative, inclusive and open approach adopted is central to the success of the CPS Programme Review and Assurance process. Members of the Programme team, key stakeholders and the Programme Board are fully engaged in the process.

Energy and Focus
Our typical experience has been that the Programme Review Process acts as a force for good; an opportunity for the team to re-focus and to take early action to manage key risks, to consolidate strengths and extend current good practice.

The Programme Review process is high-energy and positive, with a laser-like focus on the ultimate success of the Programme.

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For more information on CPS Programme Review and Assurance or to discuss the characteristics and challenges of the change portfloio in your organisation please contact CPS.