Managing During A Programme
The role of senior management and the Board is to ensure that the programme/project keeps its focus on the strategic reason why it exists. This is partly about ensuring good management practice to keep things on track but also about keeping an eye on the bigger picture to ensure that the Business Case for the programme/project remains valid.
Again it is suggested that the principle of Management by Exception should apply.
In order for this to happen, the Board needs regular communications from the Programme/Project Manager about the status of the current stage and the activity as a whole. This is accomplished using a Highlight Report, so named because it needs to contain the highlights - not the entire detail of every day's routine occurrences. The intervals at which these highlight reports are submitted is for the Board to agree with the relevant manager, but it is likely that the Board would want to receive reports more frequently at complex or 'busy' stages in the programme/project than at more quieter stages, where perhaps not as many tasks are being undertaken concurrently, or there are fewer dependencies between tasks. A suggested template for such a Status/Highlight Report can be downloaded here.
Similarly it makes sense for the Board to meet in line with key milestones in the project or programme plan rather than necessarily meeting at regular calendar intervals. This is bound to raise some grumbles as people inevitably say they find it easier to schedule a regular weekly or monthly meeting. What they often mean is they will get their secretary or PA to put it in the diary knowing it doesn't matter if they miss it because there will be another one next month.
Communication is a two-way avenue and the Board has a responsibility to the Programme/Project Manager/s to keep them up-to-date with any change to internal policy or any external factors that may affect the programme/project or its reason for existence.
The SRO/Executive also has a role to play in communicating with other senior managers to ensure continued engagement with and commitment to the programme/project. Whilst on one hand staff above a certain level will undoubtedly be aware of, and engaged with, the corporate strategic objectives, it is inevitable that there will be times when they act tactically and territorially. Your role is to keep the focus on the enterprise objectives.
It is unrealistic to expect nothing to happen during the course of a major programme or project that will have an impact on its objectives.
Likewise, it is unrealistic to expect that there will be no need - and no call - for any changes to the original scope and plan. As stakeholders get engaged and involved, some of them will see new possibilities and will have ideas of their own. One of the most dangerous phrases that can be uttered in any project environment can be the sentence starting with those three innocuous words: 'If we just...'
The Board and hence the SRO will therefore be involved in:
Championing the Project/Programme and communicating to stakeholders
Managing the Risks associated with the activities
Resolving Issues escalated by the Project/Programme Manager
Managing Changes that could take the Project/Programme outside agreed Tolerance Limits
Reviewing the Business Case for the Project/Programme at key stage boundaries
