project assurance presentation that would allow for assurance

1. Project Assurance
Project Governance and Social Responsibility

2. Learning Objectives
Learning Objectives:
• Overview of Project Assurance: Definition, principles and benefits
• The role of the PMO in project assurance
• Audits as an Assurance tool
• Project Decision Gates
Expected Outcomes:
• Understanding of key Project Assurance principles
• Understanding of Decision Gate features and processes
• Appreciation for how information supports decision making
Slide 2

3. Slide 3
Project Assurance

4. What is Project Assurance? (1/3)
Slide 4
• The Assur­
ance process provides confid­
ence to the
governance board that the project, or wider programme or
port­f
o­
lio is on track to deliver the inten­
ded bene­
fits
• Governance relies on Assur­
ance to support sound decision-
making and change control
• Risk analysis provides guid­
ance to Assur­
ance on where the
greatest vulner­
ab­
il­
it­i
es lie and where to focus efforts
Source: APM Bok 7th
edition

5. What is Project Assurance? (2/3)
Slide 5
• Project Assurance is an independent process that assesses the
health and viability of a project. It is designed to provide a
clear sense of whether a project will accomplish its objectives
and if there are significant risks (PMI )
• Governance, Assur­
ance and risk manage­
ment work together
because any weak­
ness in one discip­
line damages all three

6. What is Project Assurance? (3/3)
Slide 6
• Project Assurance is broader than quality assurance in that it
spans the three areas that can impact your project (e.g.,
Business Environment, Project Framework, Project Execution)
• Note: Quality assurance typically focuses on the processes
and products within the project
• The focus of Project Assurance leans towards preventive vs.
detective

7. Key Project Assurance objectives
Slide 7
Assessing the risks and strengths of new or existing projects
Ensuring known requirements for project success are present
Providing unbiased, independent evaluation of the project
Working with project stakeholders to ensure that risks are effectively managed

8. Developing an Assurance Strategy
Slide 8
Source: APM Bok 7th
edition

9. Implementing Project Assurance
Slide 9
• Implementation of Project Assurance can be achieved through
formal reviews and risk assessments of the project processes
and organisation, project execution activities, project
deliverables, and the environment within which the project
operates

10. Project Assurance Benefits
Slide 10
 Project Assurance provides a holistic view of those risks facing
a project
 Evidence from Assur­
ance improves risk assess­
ment as well as
inform­
ing decision-making at decision gates
 Project Assurance creates a culture of shared responsibility
within an organisation (rather than a culture of blame)
 Experience shows that project success rates increase when a
Project Assurance function has been utilised (PMI)

11. Three lines of defence
Slide 11
• In a large project or programme, there may be several differ­
ent assur­
ance providers, for example internal audit, or
external consultant-led reviews
• In such cases, the sponsor coordin­
ates the activ­
it­i
es of
the separ­
ate providers and ensures that there are no
gaps in the cover­
age

12. Slide 12
Source APM Bok 7th
Edition

13. The PMO
Slide 13
• A PMO is a group or department that defines, maintains and
ensures project management standards
• The PMO may be a project manage­
ment office, programme
manage­
ment office or port­f
o­
lio manage­
ment office,
depend­
ing on what is being suppor­
ted

14. Major areas of PMO focus
Slide 14

15. Assurance Relationships
Slide 15
Simplified view of Assurance relationships

16. Slide 16
Audits and Assurance

17. Project Audits
Slide 17
• An audit is an import­
ant assurance tool
• A key prin­
ciple is that the auditor is inde­
pend­
ent of the area being audited
• Auditors are commonly deployed from the PMO, from a wider organ­
isa­
tional internal audit func­
tion or from a third-party provider (typic­
ally, a
consultancy or an accred­
it­
a­
tion body)
• Audit scope must be agreed with key project stakeholders upfront
• Audit Findings may include major or minor devi­
ations from plan,
obser­
va­
tions of proced­
ural irreg­
u­
larit­i
es and inconsistencies -
obser­
va­
tions that will help the audit­
ees (project team) perform more
effect­i
vely in future.

18. Slide 18
Decision Gates

19. Decision Gates
Slide 19
• The purpose of Decision Gates are to review and confirm
viab­
il­
ity of the work across the chosen life cycle
Source APM Bok 7th
Edition

20. Life Cycles (1/3)
Slide 20
• In a linear life cycle, Decision Gates are event-driven, at the
end of a phase of work
• In the case of an iter­
at­i
ve life cycle, they are time-bound
• Many projects or programmes adopt a hybrid life cycle with a
combin­
a­
tion of main Decision Gates at the end of major
phases of work, supple­
men­
ted by interim review points to
reflect the iter­
at­i
ve nature of the devel­
op­
ment
• In all cases, the sponsor and the wider governance board are
account­
able for the decision to continue the work

21. Life Cycles (2/3)
Slide 21
 Linear: Where the initi­
at­i
ve progresses through a sequen­
tial
series of steps. In a programme, each step would provide only
partial capab­
il­
ity until the final desired state is reached. This is
suit­able for stable, low-risk envir­
on­
ments.
 Incremental: Where the target state is achieved through a
staged series of smaller steps. This can be used to deliver
‘quick wins’, conserve scarce resources or deliver early bene­
fits. It fits with the idea of deliv­
er­
ing tranches in programmes.

22. Life Cycles (3/3)
Slide 22
 Iterative: Where proto­types, time­boxes or paral­
lel activ­
it­i
es
are util­
ised to acquire new insights, obtain feed­
back or explore
high-risk options. The scope of this activ­
ity depends on the level
of uncer­
tainty and the organ­
isational risk appet­i
te. The dura­
tion may extend through­out deployment.
 Evolutionary: Where deployment entails a number of major
trans­
itions, each based on user feed­back from the preced­
ing
trans­
ition. This may be applied in innov­
at­i
ve or time-critical
entry to new markets

23. Decision Gate Reviews (1/2)
Slide 23
Reviews in advance of Decision Gates ask four key ques­
tions:
o What has been achieved?
o What is required for the next stage?
o What are the key decisions to be made?
o Is the busi­
ness case still viable?

24. Decision Gate Reviews (2/2)
Slide 24
• Within a stan­
dalone project, the Decision Gate is dealing only
with the contin­
ued viab­
il­
ity of that project’s busi­
ness case
• In programmes and port­f
o­
lios, decisions will include whether
to rephase or termin­
ate exist­i
ng or initi­
ate new projects
• Decision Gate reviews feed into project status reporting and
communication of achievements and/or issues/major risks

25. Decision Gate Responsibilities
Slide 25
 The project, programme or port­f
o­
lio manager has the lead respons­
ib­
il­
ity to
ensure read­
i­
ness for a Decision Gate
 The primary goal of prepar­
ing for Decision Gates is to get a ‘go’ decision, the
respons­
ib­
il­
ity of the sponsor is to make the right decision for the organ­
isa­
tion, which may be to pause, replan or termin­
ate the work
 Gate Decisions are often formally made at Governance Committee meetings

26. Slide 26
Example project stage/decision gate review

27. Slide 27
Source APM Bok 7th
Edition

28. Slide 28
Information Management

29. Information Management
Slide 29
• Information Manage­
ment is the collec­
tion, storage, cura­
tion,
dissem­
in­
a­
tion, archiv­
ing and destruc­
tion of docu­
ments,
images, draw­
ings and other sources of inform­
a­
tion
• The availability relevant Information (data) is a key input to
the decision making process

30. Data Considerations
Slide 30
Data stored
securely in a
central system
Data converted
into appropriate
format
(reports etc.)
Data collected
to support
project needs
Data used to
support
decision making