Project, Programme and Portfolio: Integrated Governance

The importance of good governance in the delivery of capital investments has been recognized by the Office of Government Commerce (OGC) for some time. For instance, OGC published a pamphlet entitled ‘The eight common causes of project failure’ which refers to problems such as ‘Lack of clear senior management … ownership and leadership’ along with ‘Lack of effective engagement with stakeholders’, both important facets of project governance.

Establishing effective project governance can be an issue, however, and when an organization is running numerous projects and programmes within one or more portfolios, ensuring effective integrated governance can be a challenge.

Keep reading to find out the latest article added to our “Knowledge Center”. We hope you enjoy!

TITLE: The Integrated Governance of Projects, Programmes and Portfolios

ABOUT THE ARTICLE: The purpose of this White Paper is to present an integrated approach to the governance of projects, programmes and portfolios. It aims to demonstrate how the logic behind concepts such as ownership and accountability can be used to ensure a consistent approach to governance across an organization. This study addresses issues like “business as usual and management of change”, “identity the right accountable resources”, “decision-making processes at project and portfolio levels”. In particular, this APMG White Paper highliths 5 problems with the understanding of governance:

  1. Failure to meet the needs of senior management
  2. Lack of understanding of the true purpose of capital investment governance
  3. Insufficient understanding of the principles of governance
  4. Lack of clarity around integration of project, programme and portfolio governance
  5. Lack of clarity around tailoring of governance arrangements

The paper also features interesting images and schemes that easily explain the governance elements and relationships, like the “Governance Triangle” which shows the difference between “RUN” the business and “CHANGE” the business.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:  Ross Garland is an expert in project governance and project assurance. He is a published author on project governance and has written white papers for the UK Cabinet Office Best Management Practice website. He was an official reviewer of the OGC’s Management of Portfolios guidance. He regularly presents at conferences and has been a guest lecturer for tertiary education bodies.

TO READ AND DOWNLOAD THE FULL ARTICLE: simply follow this link!

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