Programme Assurance (W)

Programme Assurance (W)

Bui lding confidence through Programme Assurance

Par tners in Change

About Partners in Change

Stakeholders of large, complex, risky or expensive change programmes want confidence that the investment that they are supporting or being affected by is secure, and that planned outcomes will be realised. However, even with the best programme managers, suppliers and delivery teams on board, things will not always go according to plan. Programme Assurance, planned and executed well, brings together the combined expertise of multiple minds and focuses them on identifying, prioritising and resolving those issues that are, or are likely to, cause the programme to go off plan, or in some cases, out of control. Even the best-run change programmes face risks that threaten successful delivery

We designed Partners in Change to bring outstanding value, by doing things differently. Our name reflects our philosophy. We don’t see ourselves as suppliers; we want you to see us as your partners, working with you shoulder to shoulder every step of the way to plan, orchestrate and to deliver effective, profitable and sustainable change. We’re passionate about doing a great job and being an excellent firm to work with. Our team has been carefully chosen to deliver a positive, collaborative and uplifting consulting experience. Add to this our unique blend of deep expertise, integrity, flexibility and keen pricing and we’re confident we deliver unrivalled value in change and transformation consulting.

You believe things are going well, but it’s a big programme and you would value an independent assessment

01

The programme is not going well and is showing signs of distress. You want to understand what needs to be done

02

Your sense tells you that despite what is being said, not all is well. You want to know if you are right and if so, what is needed

03

The delivery team is inexperienced and are facing quite a challenge. You want assurers with experience to work with your team

04

3

www.picconsulting.co.uk

Assurance is not always done well

Prepare well - We always make sure that everyone agrees on what is being assured, why it is being assured but more importantly, how it is being assured. Use our Reference Model - as a tailorable foundation We use our own model of what good looks like in every area of change delivery. It is kept up to date and relevant by our community of experts; we tailor its use for purpose, but it always provides confidence in terms of considered- coverage, consistency and objectivity. Bring the right, expert Partners - We always build a team of expert partners to meet your needs and ensure you get the best out of your assurance. They have the collective experience to assure the specific programmes with credibility. Deliver the findings in the right way - We have no interest in scoring points; we make sure our findings are based on facts and experience, and are constructive and actionable. Review and tune - In long programmes the Assurance need can change significantly. We take every opportunity to tune how we assure and feed back the findings your partners in assurance Partners in Change We view Assurance differently We understand the challenges of assurance, the potential pressures on the assurers and the delivery teams. In order to get the right results we follow our set of hard-won guidelines. 01 05 04 03 02

It often falls short of what is needed

Many assurance activities deliver good results and provide the information, insights, recommendations and confidence that everyone is looking for. But some do not. When assurance disappoints and delivers less than was expected, our experience suggests that some of these six key issues are likely to be at play.

The assurance is not effectively planned or mobilised

The way the assurers are working is not effective

The core reference model is flawed

The assurers do not have the necessary experience

Messages from the assurers lack sensitivity and land badly

The messages are being ignored

4

5

Building confidence through Programme Assurance

www.picconsulting.co.uk

1. Prepare well

2. Use the PiC reference model

Just as every change programme is different, so is the way it should be assured. It is important work does not commence without exploring what works best for your organisation. • Style: Should we act as ‘police’, trusted advisor or coach? We explore several important areas to make sure we are all agreed. • Approach: Should we come in, ask questions, report findings and recommendations and then go, or should we be an embedded part of the delivery team, potentially coaching and helping to drive any necessary improvements? • Risk: How do you view risk? What is the appetite for risk on this particular change programme? • Scope: Do you prefer us to start with a broad assessment, or focus our efforts on known areas of concern? • Rigidity: To what extent should we recommend rigid best practice or tailor solutions to accommodate aspects of your culture and current situation?

We use this model because it works; it works because it is

• Broad enough to cover all of the aspects of change delivery; including the support that any programme needs from other parts of the organisation. • Multi-levelled - to support high-level questions and discussions, or very detailed questions and discussions as appropriate. • Identifies ‘ what good looks like ’ in all the key areas – a vital component to underpin rationale and recommendations and potentially act as a reference point to help coach those involved. • Measures the extent to which the programme is doing the right things • Measures the confidence of the assurers that this assessment is correct, based upon the conversations taken place, documents read and meetings observed.

Being directed

Precision

Directing

80:20

Tell me first

From front

Fix it first

From back

Formal

Conflict bad

Informal

Conflict OK

Build with me

High energy

Show answer

Low energy

Telling

Frequent

Coaching

Occasional

6

7

Building confidence through Programme Assurance

www.picconsulting.co.uk

3. Bring the right, expert partners

4. Deliver the findings in the right way

We build a team of expert Partners with the experience, expertise and style you require

We put a lot of effort into making sure the messages, be they verbal, written or presented, have the right impact:

Our Partners have ‘ been there and done it ’ themselves and know what to look for and how to recognise it. • They rapidly identify what is important and needs addressing, and what can perhaps wait a while. • They understand the art of the possible and the value of the 80:20 rule; they will be pragmatic and practical. • They are highly skilled in interpreting findings, building a narrative and communicating positively in a style that will inspire corrective action across the organisation. • They know that there is always value in sharing the findings and interpretation with their colleagues in Partners in Change and also, those within your own organisation.

• They must be prioritised

Using the experience of the Partners, we prioritise any recommendations so that improvement efforts on important issues can begin straight away.

• They must be clear

Expressed in simple, straightforward language, they must be understood by everyone.

• They must be credible

With clear evidence from interviews, documents and meetings, expressed with an assessed and objective level of confidence.

• They must be sensitive to the audience

The style of delivery must be constructive and empathetic no matter what the message.

• They must be shared as early as possible

Relevant stakeholders must hear key messages early to build support and understanding.

• They must inspire positive corrective action

The ultimate aim of all communication is to inspire action and change behaviours.

8

9

Building confidence through Programme Assurance

www.picconsulting.co.uk

With you, we will work hard to:

4. Deliver the findings in the right way

We put a lot of effort into making sure the messages, be they verbal, written or presented, have the right impact:

Plan and design assurance that is right for you We will always invest time up- front to plan where and how best to support you, knowing that this pays dividends and increases significantly the value delivered. Be flexible in our approach We try to provide a range of skills and experiences that one person simply cannot. We do not necessarily require full-time deployment, allowing us to deliver best value through the combination of several expert minds. Use a reference model that really works We take a systems-view of change with a model that works at many levels. We will use all, or part of the model, according to what is required.

Bring a team of expert Partners Our assurance is provided by delivery experts, not box- tickers. Our processes are robust, but process without interpretive skills is of limited value; especially to what are typically highly experienced delivery professionals on the programme team who will typically always listen to and act on a credible, respected opinion. Invest time in understanding and interpreting We know the importance of making contextual sense of the assurance findings, managing playback carefully and sensitively. Provide reporting and communication that inspires action Tuned to your needs, with simplicity, clarity and objectivity, inspiring clear, actionable recommendations.

• They must be prioritised

Using the experience of the Partners, we prioritise any recommendations so that improvement efforts on important issues can begin straight away.

• They must be clear

Expressed in simple, straightforward language, they must be understood by everyone.

• They must be credible

With clear evidence from interviews, documents and meetings, expressed with an assessed and objective level of confidence.

• They must be sensitive to the audience

The style of delivery must be constructive and empathetic no matter what the message.

• They must be shared as early as possible

Relevant stakeholders must hear key messages early to build support and understanding.

• They must inspire positive corrective action

The ultimate aim of all communication is to inspire action and change behaviours.

10

Building confidence through Programme Assurance

If you’d like to contact us, please just click on the link below. Thank you.

[email protected]