Cape Town, South Africa
Presenter: Charlene Strydom
Implementing Agile
Governance

Overview

Liberty Overview
• Liberty Holdings Limited is a Pan-African
financial services company
• The third largest life insurer in South Africa.
• Liberty Holdings is 54% owned by the
Standard Bank Group, the largest African
bank by total assets.
• Wholly owned subsidiary, StanLib, is the
second largest investment manager in South
Africa.
• Represented in 16 African countries
• Liberty Holding’s vision: “to be the trusted leader
in insurance and investment in Africa and chosen
markets”

Context for Transformation
• In 2016, formation of a Group Investment
Platform (GIP) Strategic Competency Unit
(Platform SCU) – inline with the 2020 vision
• An Investment Platform – a digital service (made
up of IT and operational business processes)
that allows financial advisers to manage their
clients' financial investment portfolio
• GIP PMO – support major transformation
• GIP and its PMO was formed as a new, separate
functioning “start-up business” - dedicated to
GIP
• We seek to have a different delivery process –
being more Agile
• PMO is integral to the business change process.

Transformation Timeline

Transformation Timeline
High Level Timeline

Building Blocks
• The building blocks were selected and implemented based on
the value of “digital-first”.
• PMO Type: the PMO is to be a supportive and strategic function
• New business/PMO principles: set of principles aligned to the
strategic objectives, developed with executives
• PMO Processes: that support agile principles and thus strategic
objectives
• Best practices and methodologies: based on current global
industry standards and trends
• Culture: supportive, collaborative, team orientated, flexible and
adaptable
• PMO Collaboration tools and methods: real-time, cloud-based,
collaborative
• Vendors and business partners: selected based on their ability
to align with our principles, objectives, methodologies and
adoption of Collaboration methods and tools
• Tools to form part of the culture and thus by using the tools
would also encourage the culture

PMO Principles
• May 2016 - Job descriptions were defined and
first recruitments started
• Principles of bringing the right people with the
right skills and right mind-set together.
• Initially the PMO implementation was driven by
the Chief Operation Officer (COO) and CEO
with the support of the Head of PMO
• Showing partnership, commitment and
handholding from the executives
• PMO oversight and governance was given to
the Head of PMO, with the support and lead
from the COO

Agile Onboarding
• Stakeholders and executives understood
what the principle of “being agile” was and
thus aligned the PMO accordingly
• Within GIP, “Being agile” principles included:
• Agile is a “state of being”.
• all team members are trained to
understand the Agile principles and
accepted digital practices within GIP
• Periodic “refreshers”
• Continuous commitment from
stakeholders to change management
(focused on change)

PMO Structure

PMO Structure

Delivery Vs Governance
• Project team, respects and relies on the PMO
for advice, guidance and correct standards
• PMO manages the financial payment and
reconciliation of the Statement of work,
budget and actuals of the entire business unit
• The PMO implements all the governance that
surrounds the team
• The PMO and COO work very closely
together, to ensure that the PMO office
functions optimally.

PMO Objectives

PMO Mission
1. To enable business success by ensuring
that the projects and programmes are
aligned with the strategic vision of Liberty
Holding Group.
2. Programmes and projects are delivered
predictably and consistent with best
practices

Strategic Alignment
• Align the PMO milestones with the strategic
milestones
• Ensure that the business has accurate and
suitable oversight of the projects by providing
them with short and concise information that
highlights the critical areas
• Ensure that the PMO reports and gives
feedback on the matters that are of essence
and are critical to the business.

Resources and Project Team
Resources are the core of the PMO and it is
thus imperative that the PMO:
• Recruits the right people, with the right
knowledge, skills, mindset and Emotional
Intelligence
• Ensures that the team and individuals are
driving change and that they are aligned and
committed to the PMO culture
• Continuous consulting, mentoring and
coaching of the resources

Implementing Best Practices
• Ensure that the standards and frameworks
• Define the project delivery life cycle and accepted
methodologies
• Regularly reassess and audit
• The PMO is the single source of truth
• Implementing methods, dashboards, templates
• Define and implement metrics
• Embed the tools, standards and best-practices
• Define consistent procedures and processes

Risk Management
• Define risk tolerances, escalations and risk
treatment strategies
• Reduce project risks
• Manage and monitor all the Risks, actions,
issue, decisions and lessons learnt logs
• Clear accountability and ownership of risks.

Results

Executive Value PMO
• Change the way the business and executives
viewed a PMO
• Assisting the executives to make correct
decisions.
• Executives understand and supports the
believe that removing unnecessary processes
and red-tape
• Influencing, creating awareness and
excitement in the current existing Liberty
Holdings S
• Gaining much needed credibility by Liberty
Holdings group

Culture
• Having an agreed set of principles
• Creating a culture and environment that
allows and encourages fast, frequent
feedback allowing for faster changes and
cleared decision making.
• Being able to use the lessons learnt from
the first project to improve the methods, and
standards for the next project currently
underway.

Tools and Processes
• Implemented tools that support culture and
principles
• Implementing proper budget and finance
structures
• Digital, real-time dashboards, reports and
documents

Next Steps

PMO Next steps
• Transitioning the current business culture to
the new PMO culture
• Continue the transition and improvement of the
tools
• Maintain the standards, methodologies and
process within the PMO
• Improving vendor selection process