Using Reviews and Assurance
To Manage Programme and Portfolio Risk
Graham Oakes ([email protected]) December 2013
Outline
• Projects fail
• That’s OK
• Portfolio mgt is easier than project mgt…
• … provided you can get the right information
• Setting up an assurance programme
Why do projects fail?
Simon Schoeters
Christiaan Triebert
We lose touch with reality
Simon Schoeters
Failure becomes obvious when we run back into reality
Failure is OK!
L Gnome
There are 2 types of failure: Inherent & Unnecessary
macrophile
Statistics don’t work for project managers
Steve A Johnson
Statistics do work for portfolio & programme managers
James Bowe
Portfolio & programme managers have more tools
veryuseful
But they often don’t have the information they need
Jeroen_bennink
The role of assurance is to provide validated information
owenwbrown
How do we set up an effective programme of reviews?
Colin_K
1) Make reviews the norm
Lars P.
2) Be clear who you’re serving
Bird Brian
3) Tune investment to risk levels
digitalmoneyworld
4) Use a mix of review types
vie_ascenseur
5) Negotiate clear objectives for each review
Richard_of_England
Recommendations to improve review artefacts
Review execution
Inputs
Artefacts & otheritems to review, plus supporting details.
Outputs
Improved artefacts.
Go / No - go decision.
Baseline Criteria Reference Models
Control parameters
Feedback to improve reference models
Analysis Loop
6) Run a structured process
Simon Schoeters
7) Focus on evidence
Simon Schoeters
8) Manage logistics
strudelt
9) Minimise overheads
jcroninone
10) Train people
One Laptop per Child
11) Act on findings
mikebaird
12) Monitor effectiveness
SearchEnginePeopleBlog
13) Disseminate lessons learned
The U.S. Army
Assurance supports stakeholder communications
Keoni Cabral
Summary
• We engage with risks to achieve rewards
• Sometimes the risks win
• Aim is to eliminate unnecessary failure
• Program & portfolio mgrs have a lot of tools
• They need information in order to use them
• Reviews & assurance provide this information(provided they’re set up appropriately)
Unnecessary Failure…
… happens when people with the skills, resources and authority to act effectively don’t
get full, validated information about project status and issues.
The role of reviews and assurance is to provide this information.