A senior manager’s guide to project governance.

Of the many strategic and tactical roles of the senior manager is often asked to take, sponsoring, providing governance or directing projects can be the most challenging.  It may be the first time for a senior manager to take on a senior project role, or they may be more experience but need advice on more detailed guidance.

PRINCE2 is a project management methodology that sets up a framework within which projects can be successful, and the important role that senior management play in projects is seen as one of the key contributing factors in order to achieve such success.

PRINCE2 sets up the three 3 key roles that must be appointed and call these collectively as the Project Board.

It is therefore vital that senior managers are given help in order to direct the project work more efficiently, consistently and successfully.  The pace of change is accelerating and hence the impact organisation of failure is severe. Such senior managers have a prime role of ensuring the operational management or business as usual is maintained yet at the same time playing a pivotal role in adapting to change within a dynamic business environment.

It is the latter that triggers the need to implement projects as these are the primary means by which change is introduced, and in particular the use of PRINCE2 hours a worldwide recognised and widely used project management method.

PRINCE2 is a flexible and generic method that can be tailored to projects of any size or type while providing a solution to the most common causes of project failure.

Key questions to be answered.

• What is expected of me
• What should I expect from the project manager
• How do I know if the project manager is applying prince two appropriately
• How do I delegated authority to the project manager but remain in control
• What decisions than I expected to make
• What information is required to assist decision-making
• How is PRINCE2 tailored for projects of different scale all type
• What is meant by unaffected project board

The answers that flow from these questions include:

• How projects differ from business as usual
• The application of project governance
• The need for a structured approach to managing projects
• The key points of a PRINCE2 project
• The roles and responsibilities of a PRINCE2 project board
• Project board activities throughout the PRINCE2 project lifecycle
• Tailoring approach for PRINCE2 on different types and sizes of project
• The structure, purpose and contents of key management documents

The Project Board Key Duties

The need for the above leads to the need of eight key duties for the project board as lack of executive/senior management support is one of the top causes of project failure:

1.       To be fully accountable for the project

This starts with providing an the executive role responsible for business aspects of the project, a senior user role accountable for ensuring that the products of the project will realized benefits, and a senior supplier role for those providing resources for the project.

2.       To provide a unified cohesive direction

The project board executive is ultimately responsible here and it is important that project board members communicate effectively and reach a common understanding and agreement

3.       To provide affective delegation

This includes clear definition of roles and responsibilities, appropriate levels and detail of plans and the implementation of management stages and tolerances.

4.       To facilitate cross functional integration

Projects are typically cross functional and the roles of senior user and senior supplier is key to managing conflicting priorities and ensure that the project is recognized and respected in the functional organizations and that the project board authority is not undermined.

5.       To have the authority to commit resources

The project board executive is responsible for ensuring that resources are made available and to this end the rolled depends strongly on the senior user and senior supplier roles to ensure such resources have been agreed.  When a plan is approved by the project board they are endorsing it as a realistic plan and undertake to commit the resources required.  The the

6.       To make affective and timely decisions

This is a key control used by the project board and this must be based on solid data, that is, taking the current status, assessing the overall project viability, looking forward and considering the next plan, and making a decision.  Factors such as risks, issues, changes and exceptions, and quality aspects will be used as inputs to such decisions.  The project board also have responsibility for a role called project assurance which may be filled by themselves or delegated to others.

7.       To support the project manager

The project manager is responsible for day-to-day management of the project, and the project board is responsible for providing an environment within which the project manager can thrive.  This will include affective two way communication and an avenue for reporting, taking and giving the advice, and escalation if necessary.

8.       To ensure affective communication

The project board should see themselves as champions for the project end must ensure the communication is both timely and effective internally and externally to the project.  Regular progress data via reports and assessments points are required as well as agreeing a communication management strategy at project initiation.

For more information on the art and skills of being an effective senior manager for PRINCE2 projects, whether at a sponsor/senior stakeholder level, or playing an active roles within the Project Board, CLICK HERE.