Section B
Business Change Programmes
The previous section explained the interweaving of projects and programmes. This section focuses on some of the differences from conventional project management and where business programme management has additional emphasis or needs extra attention.
In the same way that a process or construction project will describe the product to be produced, a programme for business projects will describe a blueprint. The Office of Government Commerce2 (predecessor to the Crown Commercial Service) describes a blueprint as a detailed vision for an organization, covering what the organization will look like when all the projects (forming part of the programme) are finished and the business transformation or change is complete.
1 Blueprint
1.1
A blueprint will comprise a background history and description of the business issues and problems to be solved. It will identify what is necessary to support the future business in terms of:
- Processes.
- Organization and people.
- Tools and technology.
- Costs/performance and service levels.
1.2
It is necessary to continually check the blueprint against the approved strategic objectives of the business. If the corporate strategy changes then the programme may also need to change.
2 Programme Organization
2.1
Whilst there can be a ‘project board’ to act as the client on a project, the client for a business programme will be a sponsoring group with a senior responsible owner (the client project manager) ultimately accountable for the programme and the benefits realization.
2.2
The senior responsible owner will establish and chair the programme board responsible for delivering the programme of projects.
2.2.1 Other roles and responsibilities on the board can be as follows:
- A Programme manager who is responsible for delivering the mechanics of the projects; basically a project manager of a portfolio of projects.
- A Business change manager, in effect the users' representative, with the additional prime responsibility for delivering the benefits of the programme.
- Project managers of the projects forming the programme.
- Functional/department managers.
- A representative of internal and/or external suppliers.
2.2.2
This group is too large. In order to reduce the number of people on the board, make the programme manager responsible for and represent the individual project managers, as well as the supplier representative.
2.2.3
Having a business change manager, with equal rank to the programme manager, means that the senior responsible owner is in fact the true ‘programme manager.’ The senior responsible owner must take real hands on responsibility (for example, managing stakeholder and functional management interfaces). Otherwise, a fundamental rule of project management of only having one person in charge would be broken.
2.3
The organization structure of the individual project teams will be mainly a Balanced Matrix Structure C, Part I, Section D The Project Management Role, paragraph 2.3. There may be the odd strong matrix ‘task force’ Structure D. The reason why this type of programme is difficult is the conflict between the ‘project work’ and the ‘day job.’
3 Change Stakeholders
3.1
There is a greater diversity of stakeholders. As a consequence, more emphasis is needed to identify internal and external stakeholders and produce a stakeholder engagement strategy. See Part VI, Section F Politics in Projects, Figure VI.F.1.
3.2
There is a need for a structured communications plan to support the stakeholder engagement strategy to explain the planned changes.
4 Benefits Realization
4.1
The benefits to be achieved by the programme require a distinct realization plan that contributes to strategic corporate objectives. This realization plan will involve early communication of the changes that will occur.
4.2
Benefits may be realized after the programme has been completed.
4.3
It will be necessary to stop people using the old systems and working procedures.
5 Gate Reviews
5.1
Part I, Section B Project Management Characteristics, subsection 3 Key Management Decisions, identifies the decision gates that have to be satisfied before a project can proceed to the next stage.
5.2
In change programmes there are more gates and a very formal gate review process. Reviews will focus on the realization of the benefits and assessing that the benefits are balanced with the risks.
5.3
The reviews are carried out by the project board and different levels of approval sought, depending on the capital investment and levels of risk.
6 Project Controls
6.1
The cost, schedule, and resource planning services together with monitoring and control are provided through a programme office (responsible to the programme manager) for all of the projects forming part of the programme. The office also acts as an information and communication hub.
6.2
Documentation requiring additional emphasis or differing from that normally required on a project is as follows:
- A vision statement forming part of the programme brief.
- A benefits map showing the relationship between benefits, (equivalent to a product breakdown structure).
- A list describing each benefit (the deliverables).
- A strategy and plan for realizing the benefits (the execution plan).
- The blueprint (the client's brief, business objectives).
- A project's dossier listing all the projects and showing their interdependency and cross referenced to the benefits map.
- The stake holder engagement strategy (the client's contracting strategy).
7 Terminating the Programme
7.1
Because business‐change programmes can last for many years, people can lose interest. In addition, there is natural staff turnover, and personnel changes will be necessary. Ultimately, the programme manager may not stay to the end because they are needed for the next special assignment.
7.2
Because some benefits have been realized, corporate commitment and the business case will be weakened. Consequently, it is sensible to terminate the formal programme. A few remaining projects may be selected for reassignment to appropriate parts of the business for completion.