Programme assurance
Independent project assurance for a running IT programme: a monthly review, a seat on the steering group and a written report for the board. For programmes that are moving, not for projects that have already stalled. For those there is the Programme Recovery Review.
At a glance
What is project assurance?
Project assurance, or programme assurance, is an independent check on a running IT programme: a monthly review, a seat on the steering group and a written report for the board. The programme manager keeps running the programme; assurance looks on independently and reports to the board, not to the supplier.
Sound familiar?
- The supplier reports green every month, and nobody on the board can check it.
- The steering group decides on scope, timeline and budget without an independent voice at the table.
- The programme still has months to run, and the board wants certainty along the way, not only at the next milestone.
- The programme manager is good, but nobody looks on independently.
What you get every month
A review
Progress, quality and risk, measured against the plan rather than the supplier's report.
A seat on the steering group
An independent voice in decisions on scope, timeline and budget.
A report for the board
Short, written and with a clear verdict. Written for board members, not for project managers.
Early warnings
Problems surface when they start, not at the next milestone.
How it runs
Assurance follows the rhythm of your programme. This is what that usually looks like.
Baseline or recovery plan
If there has been a Programme Recovery Review, its recovery plan is the starting point. If not, we start with a short baseline of where things stand: plan, budget, scope and the state of the system.
Review, steering group, report
We read the status reports, talk to the people doing the work and check the running system against what the reports claim. Then the steering group, then the report for the board.
A warning when it cannot wait
If we see something that should not wait until next month, the board hears it straight away.
How we agree it
What we need from you
Access to plans, budgets and status reports, a seat on the steering group and, each month, time from the people who carry the programme.
Who does the work
One senior lead, joined by a specialist when the system calls for it.
What is fixed
First a scoped baseline of where things stand. After that, usually 3 to 5 days a month for a fixed monthly fee, with a term we agree period by period.
Frequently asked questions
Does assurance replace our programme manager?
No. The programme manager runs the programme. Assurance checks independently and reports to the board.
How is this different from the Programme Recovery Review?
The Recovery Review is a one-off review of a stalled project, in 3 weeks, ending in a recommendation to continue, reset or stop. Assurance is continuous oversight of a programme that is running, usually 3 to 5 days a month.
Is this a gateway review?
It serves the same purpose: an independent view before major decisions. The difference is that assurance is continuous, with a review every month and a seat on the steering group, rather than a single gate.
Can assurance start without a Recovery Review?
Yes. We then start with a short baseline of where things stand.
What if the report says the programme should stop?
Then the report says so, with the reasons. The decision is your board's. If you want the continue, reset or stop scenarios worked out with cost and risk, we do that in a Programme Recovery Review.
How much of our time does it take?
A steering group each month, a few conversations with the people who carry the programme, and access to the reports. We do the rest.