Prepare project programme and project execution plan

Create a responsibilities chart (RACI) at this point to be clear about who is doing what over the lifecycle of the programme.

Focus on outcomes

Be clear about the outcomes to be achieved before starting the project, and who commissioned them.

• Translate outcomes into tangible deliverables and realistic measurable benefits and use these to steer decisions on project scope, time, cost, risk and design priorities.
• Set out a clear project business case for investment of funding and other resources needed to deliver these benefits and outcomes in the most efficient and effective way.
• Be clear how success will be measured, focusing on delivery of benefits and outcomes throughout the project. If these no longer appear deliverable or affordable, the project should be stopped.

Plan realistically

Invest time in thorough upfront planning to ensure the project is deliverable and affordable before commitments are given.

• Use expert, evidence-based cost estimation, using benchmarking and reference-class forecasting to identify the range of possible scenarios, increasing accuracy between each stage.
• Use ranges for costs, benefits and delivery dates, adjusted as certainty increases through the life of the project. Plan for contingencies and be aware of optimism bias.
• Maintain the plan throughout the project and track progress against it, taking decisive action quickly if things go off track.

Prioritise people and behaviour

Plan ahead for the diversity of people, skills and experience needed to deliver the project and build a strong, properly resourced and competent team, evolving as necessary through the project lifecycle.

• Agree the delivery structures, internal and external, needed to deliver the project and how these will be established, managed and governed as the project evolves.
• Be clear on individual accountabilities and responsibilities across project delivery structures, and check that they are working as expected. Consider organisational capabilities and take action where improvements are needed.
• Agree clear expectations on behaviours and make the project a great place to work, where everyone in the team can thrive, grow and feel valued for their part in the project.

Tell it like it is

Foster an open project culture, where people feel safe to challenge and raise risks and issues, and where assurance is valued as a key element of successful delivery.

• Agree standards for realistic performance reporting and challenge optimistic assumptions and inaccurate data.
• Encourage honest conversations within the project team, with sponsors, stakeholders and suppliers, and as a fundamental principle for assurance.
• If something isn’t right, isn’t ready or isn’t working, say so, and take action accordingly.

Control scope

Agree project scope from the start and stick to it at each stage. For evolving agile and transformation projects, agree a clear scope for each stage, within an overall envelope.

• Exercise strict change control and test unavoidable changes in scope or design for impact against the plan, business case, benefits and outcomes before decisions are taken.
• Work in manageable project stages, with gated decision points, pausing to assess delivery and ensure continuing viability at each stage of the project.
• Track progress to plan in terms of cost, schedule, deliverables, risks and opportunities, always assessing impact on benefits and outcomes.

Manage complexity and risk

Reduce complexity and risk where possible; where not, plan for them and manage them.

• Take a system-wide view of what it will take to deliver the project, including operating context, boundaries with partners and operational change, and plan for it, with a detailed project execution plan in place before moving to delivery.
• Minimise internal and external dependencies where possible at the design and planning phase; actively manage those remaining through the life of the project.
• Pay attention to integration and ensure a single point of accountability. Plan how to bring elements together, testing that they work together at each stage and that the outcome works for users.

Be an intelligent client

Build a clear understanding of user needs and design the project accordingly.

• Consider the whole supply chain in terms of market appetite, capacity and capability, and whether it can deliver what is needed, as part of planning. Involve the supply chain early and have firm bids for scope before full business case.
• Establish channels for dialogue with users and stakeholders to ensure their voice is heard throughout the project.
• Build trust-based relationships with the supply chain and partner organisations. Contract collaboratively to ensure a viable contract and incentivise successful delivery where everyone benefits.

Learn from experience

Seek out relevant experience from other projects and use it in planning and delivering the project.

• Value experience and learning in the project team and build a culture of continuing professional development.
• Maintain an ‘outside view’ of the project: bring in independent perspectives and integrated assurance, and learn from them.
• Capture lessons throughout the life of the project and share them as feedback, stories and case studies to improve project delivery for wider public benefit.

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