5
Stage D: Implementation

5.1 Purpose of stage

The purpose of this stage is the initiation and execution of the various projects comprising the programme, including assessing performance of individual projects, managing the interfaces between projects, monitoring benefits realisation, managing financial expenditure and managing the introduction of any changes to the programme.

5.2 Stage outline

In this stage the physical activities of the programme are executed through a number of projects (see Figure 5.1). The focus of the programme management team is on ensuring the successful implementation of each individual project in accordance with the planned sequence and the delivery of the required outputs. At the commencement of the stage, the following tasks need to be actioned.

Schematic diagram depicting stage D (Implementation), from programme delivery to checks and controls to project to outputs to benefits realization.

Figure 5.1 Stage D: Implementation.

Initiate projects

  • Appoint the initial project management teams
  • Issue terms of reference and brief the project teams
  • Liaise (the project management office [PMO]) with the governing structures to establish processes and procedures

Performance monitoring and control

  • Implement the management processes and procedures to monitor and control the programme in the areas of:
    • Stakeholder management
    • Communications
    • Financial management
    • Benefits realisation
    • Governance
      • Risks/issues
      • Time
      • Costs
      • Performance
    • Quality management
  • Monitor progress of implementation against the programme delivery plan (PDP).

Reporting

  • Report regularly to the programme sponsor (PrgS)/programme sponsor’s board (PrgSB) on the progress of programme delivery
  • Raise any critical issues requiring consideration by the PrgSB

Projects closure

  • Manage the formal closure of projects, validate project outputs and take ownership of outputs
  • Carry out end-of-project reviews and compare actual achievement with the required outcomes and benefit realisation
  • Carry out lessons-learned review and highlight any aspects that will benefit other projects

5.3 Stage organisation structure

5.3.1 Stage structure and relationships

The implementation stage marks the maximum effort and involvement of the full programme management team as there is a collective effort to deliver the outcomes of the programme in accordance with the proposals set out in the PDP. This effort is headed by the programme manager (PrgM) who, closely supported by the PMO, initiates, monitors and closes the projects which make up the programme. The business case manager, together with the benefits realisation manager, ensures that the required benefits are being progressively realised and that the new capabilities or facilities are being effectively introduced into the client’s organisation. (See Figure 5.2.)

Schematic diagram depicting stage D (Implementation – organization structure), from programme sponsor’s board and programme business partners to programme sponsor to project teams.

Figure 5.2 Stage D: Implementation – organization structure.

5.3.2 Stage roles of key participants

Programme sponsor’s board

The PrgSB continues its role as adviser and approver, fulfilling the following duties:

  • Reviewing regular reports on the programme’s progress
  • Providing overview of the progressive realisation of benefits
  • Resolving any issues raised by the PrgS
  • Providing any approvals or decisions on matters raised by the PrgS
  • Providing overview of the introduction of any client-generated changes

Programme sponsor

Continuing to be the interface between the programme and the client’s organisation, the PrgS maintains a check on the programme’s overall progress and keeps the client advised of this progress. Principal tasks include:

  • Regularly reviewing progress towards the programme’s objectives
  • Regularly monitoring performance of the project management team
  • Referring any major issues to the PrgSB
  • Obtaining any approvals/decisions required from the PrgSB
  • Verifying the PrgM’s recommendation for appointment of project managers
  • Dealing with any client requirements for changes to programme scope, objectives or deliverables
  • Determining, in conjunction with the PrgM, any additional projects required to maintain (or enhance) the planned deliverables
  • Depending on the nature and complexity of the programme, it may be necessary for the PrgS and/or PrgM to initiate either internal or external audits of the programme or projects

Business change manager

The business change manager (BCM) is focused on ensuring that the programme is achieving its planned objectives by:

  • Monitoring achievement of deliverables against the plan
  • Managing the integration of the changes into the client’s organisation
  • Keeping aware of any changing external circumstances that may affect the outcomes of the programme and impact benefits

Benefits realisation manager

Concerned with ensuring that the programme is delivering benefits in accordance with the PDP, the benefits realisation manager has the following responsibilities:

  • Monitoring benefits being delivered by projects against the criteria set out in the benefit profiles
  • Reviewing benefit realisation against the key success criteria
  • Assessing the effectiveness of the benefits being realised
  • Reporting any variances in benefits being realised to the BCM/PrgM

Programme manager

With full responsibility for the implementation of the programme, the PrgM has a wide range of tasks, including the following:

  • Initiating projects in accordance with the PDP
  • Selecting and appoint project managers
  • Approving the selection of project teams and consultants
  • Monitoring the progress on individual projects
  • Monitoring the performance of project teams
  • Monitoring the quality of outputs from projects
  • Approving the closure of projects
  • Liaising with the BCM on transition arrangements at the closure of each project
  • Resolving any issues on projects
  • Raising any major issues with the programme management board
  • Reviewing regularly progress of the programme in terms of time, cost, risks, deliverables, etc. with the PMO
  • Reviewing regularly stakeholder issues with the stakeholder/communications manager
  • Reviewing regularly financial issues with the programme financial manager
  • Reviewing regularly benefits realisation with the BCM/benefits realisation manager
  • Reviewing regularly health and safety issues with the health and safety manager
  • Reviewing regularly sustainability issues with the sustainability manager
  • Reporting regularly progress of the programme to the PrgS
  • Referring any critical issues to the PrgS
  • Managing the introduction of any changes instructed by the PrgS

Programme financial manager

Throughout the implementation stage, the programme financial manager continues to manage the financial aspects of the programme. The tasks of the PrgFM will include:

  • In conjunction with the PrgM, monitors and reports to PrgS and client on programme expenditure and the predicted final cost
  • Liaises with funder(s) on the release of monies
  • Manages risk and contingency allowances
  • Reviews the programme’s financial performance against the business case
  • Monitors the cost implication of instructed client changes
  • Reports any significant issues/problems to the PrgM

Programme management board

The PrgMB continues to provide advice and support to the PrgM during programme implementation. The programme management board:

  • Reviews the programme’s progress regularly
  • Resolves any issues that are impacting progress
  • Refers any significant issues to the PrgSB for advice or resolution

Stakeholder/communications manager

The stakeholder/communications manager continues to ensure interested stakeholders are identified and that there is a mechanism for maintaining their engagement in the objectives of the programme by doing the following:

  • Reviewing regularly the stakeholder analysis
  • Maintaining regular communication with stakeholders
  • Maintaining regular communication with the client organisation
  • Maintaining the activities identified in the public relations plan
  • Reporting any significant issues/problems to the PrgM

Programme management office

The PMO is responsible for providing the technical functions that allow the programme to be managed and controlled, including the following tasks:

  • Ongoing monitoring of progress on programme and projects
  • Ensuring projects are being managed in accordance with the processes and procedures defined in the PDP
  • Preparing regular reports on progress for programme management board and PrgS
  • Maintaining change control process
  • Maintaining issues log and highlighting major issues to PrgM

Within the PMO, functions with specific responsibilities include:

  • Head of PMO: Maintains the ongoing operation of the PMO
  • Scheduling manager: Monitors progress on the programme and all projects
  • Cost manager: Maintains cost monitoring and control on the programme and projects
  • Risk manager: Maintains the risk management process
  • Document/information manager: Maintains the programme’s document and information system
  • Health and safety manager: Ensures the programme and projects comply with all relevant health and safety regulations and legalisation
  • Sustainability manager: Ensures the programme and projects comply with all relevant sustainability regulations and legalisation and monitors progress against sustainability targets
  • Administrator(s): Provides support to the PMO

Project management structures

Each project that is carried out as part of the programme will need its own management and technical teams responsible for the execution of the project. These teams are likely to include the following:

  • Project managers
  • Project support office(PSO)
    • Head of PSO
    • Scheduling manager
    • Cost manager
    • Risk manager
    • Document/information manager
    • Administrators
  • Consultants and contractors
    • Design team
    • Contractor
    • Suppliers
    • Health and safety

5.4 Programme management practices

At this phase of the programme cycle, the procedural and management activities as defined during the earlier stages will be put into use to monitor and control the implementation of the outputs and outcomes.

It is the responsibility of the PrgM to ensure that resources across the programme are managed effectively. This will include the utilisation of internal and external resources and resources that may be shared across projects and programmes. Furthermore, the enabler technology and tools as identified during earlier stages to support the implementation should also be made available. It is often advisable, particularly for large and complex programmes, to have core teams co-located or at least undergo team-building exercises to develop effective relationships and engender trust.

In addition to the core programme management activities identified later, the following activities, which are initiated during the early stages of the programme, need ongoing attention during the implementation phase to ensure desired delivery of the programme outcomes and benefits:

  • PDP
  • Benefits management
  • Stakeholder management
  • Business case management
  • Transition management

Programme delivery plan

Managing the PDP during delivery is vital to ensure that as the programme progresses, projects remain integrated with each other and the programme. In practice, this means regularly reviewing the PDP with the PrgM, BCM or their representatives and the project managers. It is important to give project managers the opportunity to report progress and BCM the opportunity to report operational issues. One way of doing this might be by undertaking PDP review workshops.

Holding a workshop with all project managers and change managers present will ensure that the knock-on effects of changes or ideas in one project or business area are explored with respect to the PDP in its entirety.

The regularity of PDP workshops will depend on what has been agreed on during the definition phase, but as a minimum should be undertaken as each step change in the programme is implemented.

The results of the review will usually mean that the PDP has to be updated and signed off before the next step change can be planned.

Benefits management

Benefits need to be regularly reviewed during the implementation stage as:

  • Unforeseen issues and risks arise that require a change of plan
  • Strategic priorities change in response to external circumstances
  • Assumptions, and/or constraints, that were used to determine potential benefits are discovered to be inaccurate.

The method of review has been determined during the Definition Stage.

The benefit profiles will need to be updated and the benefit realisation activities in the PDP amended to reflect any changes.

Business case management

The business case is the basis upon which the implementation phase of the programme is commissioned. As delivery progresses, changes outside the control of the programme may mean that the assumptions and estimates upon which the business case was made change.

The business case should be kept up-to-date in response to any changes. It is the responsibility of the PrgSB during implementation to ensure that the business case is updated and, if the case is fundamentally affected, to explore changes to the PDP and benefits in order to maintain the case.

In the scenario where the business case is fundamentally no longer viable, it may be necessary to consider the termination of the programme.

Conversely, it is also possible that changed circumstances may lead to further strengthening of the business case. In practical terms, this will mean looking for opportunities to increase the benefits and to reduce the costs. In some cases, increasing the cost may facilitate greater benefits. However, this should be balanced against making too many changes that lead to unproductive use of resources or increased risk of not achieving the desired outcomes.

5.4.1 Performance monitoring, control and reporting

The amount and level of detail required for progress reporting varies widely from organisation to organisation and programme to programme. The approach to be taken, including the documentation to be used, was defined during the definition phase.

It is important that the information provided is complete, timely and accurate so that appropriate decisions can be made by the PrgSB. These decisions include the following:

  • Decisions taken with respect to changes
  • Review of outcomes, including any further actions necessary
  • Review of realisation of benefits, including any further actions necessary
  • Review of actual progress against planned progress and dealing with variance
  • Review of the financial position for the programme and dealing with variance

Typically, PrgM will produce a programme highlight report which will form the basis of the review. An indicative template of this report is shown in Appendix T6.

5.4.2 Risk and issue management

Risk and issue management are ongoing programme management functions. The programme’s approach to risk and issue management will follow the process defined during the definition phase.

Risk and issues registers should be regularly maintained and monitored. The actions agreed either to mitigate the risk or resolve the issue should be included in the overall PDP or monitored alongside the PDP.

It is important to ensure that, where necessary, risks which look as if they are going to materialise and issues which cannot be resolved are escalated. Who to escalate to and when will be documented in the approach defined during the definition phase.

Risks and issues are often recorded in one or more closely related documents. Whichever method is used, it is important to recognise that managing risks and issues are two separate processes. Issues may arise that need to be resolved before formal risk and issue review meetings. It’s important that arrangements are put in place to immediately deal with issues as they arise. It is also possible that some issues may have an influence on the fundamental business case assumptions, in which case the PrgM should ensure that a considered resolution of the issue is undertaken.

5.4.3 Financial management

The financial status of the programme should be monitored in accordance with the process defined during the definition phase. This monitoring will include:

  • Ensuring that appropriate financial controls are in place for the programme
  • Ensuring that the projects and overall programme are being managed within budget
  • Providing timely reports to the PrgSB on financial status and highlighting any significant variance from the budget or changes that might incur unplanned for additional expenditure (this can be included in the programme highlight report – see Appendix T6)
  • Ensuring that the financial processes in place for the programme comply with corporate standards and regulations
  • Maintaining up-to-date documentation on the financial status of the programme and the projects that are helping to deliver the overall programme

5.4.4 Change management

Change control is the formal identification, evaluation and decision-making required for accepting or rejecting changes to aspects of a programme. Management of change during the implementation phase should follow the approach defined during the definition phase.

The principle is usually that if a change can be managed at a project level, then this should be the preferred way of managing a change.

Changes to the PDP, business case, benefits and budget will affect the overall programme and should be evaluated and approved at the level of the PrgSB.

The following type of information and signed-off documents should typically be subject to change control:

  • Core programme documents
  • Programme governance
  • Information with data protection issues
  • Commercial and human relations sensitive information
  • Programme communications
  • Project-related information

A change can have a positive as well as a negative influence on the business case, and unless managed appropriately, it may ultimately lead to detrimental effects towards the realisation of the benefits envisaged.

5.4.5 Information management

Appropriate information management arrangements should be put in place in accordance with the agreed approach defined during the definition phase. This will ensure that information is available when it needs to be, is current, and is compliant with the quality standards set for the programme.

5.4.6 Stakeholder/communications management

During the delivery phase, it is essential to continue with planned engagement and communication activities with stakeholders as well as respond to unforeseen events.

The stakeholder engagement and communications plan should be regularly reviewed and adjusted to take into account any changes to planned delivery that need to be communicated.

The BCMs and PrgM should satisfy themselves that people with responsibility for engaging and communicating with stakeholders are doing so. Updates on progress can be included in the highlight reports.

Stakeholder engagement and communications is also a key part of the programme leadership function. The PrgSB and PrgS should champion the programme in day-to-day communication. They should also be sensitive to potential issues at a strategic level and respond accordingly where necessary with input from the PrgM.

5.4.7 Quality management

The implementation phase of the programme ensures that the agreed method for assessing quality assurance and fitness for purpose as agreed during the definition phase is put into practice. This may include activities ensuring that for each project output or programme deliverable, acceptance or performance criteria are in place and are assessed, monitored and reported.

If part of the agreed quality or assurance checks is to undertake periodic reviews at key points in the programme’s implementation, these will need to be planned, organised and undertaken. Any findings and recommended actions would be fed into the overall PDP to improve performance.

The PrgM must ensure that when deciding quality and acceptance criteria for deliverables and project outputs, consideration is given to the practicalities of assessing them so that the assessment data can be tested for ‘fitness for purpose’.

5.4.8 Procurement and commercial management

The procurement and commercial management of programmes (and its components) will depend on the nature and type of the programme, its funding arrangements, and whether it is in the public sector or in private sector. In some instances, the procurement process may also include obtaining the services of an external PrgM and PMO.

Regardless of the type and approach, the procurement and commercial management processes at the implementation phase would need to consider the following:

  • Contract and relevant documentation is in place
  • Contractual arrangements are up-to-date
  • Business case is still valid and up-to-date
  • Original projected business benefit remains feasible
  • Processes and procedures are in place to ensure achievement of outputs, outcomes and benefits
  • PDP contains processes embedded to ensure all necessary acceptances and fit-for-purpose testing such as: commissioning, soft landings, etc.
  • Business contingency, continuity and/or reversion arrangements are in place
  • Risks and issues are being managed
  • Adequacy and availability of resources
  • The delivery plans are still feasible
  • There are management and organisational controls to manage the project through delivery and use
  • Contract management arrangements are delivery and operation in place to manage the
  • Arrangements are confirmed for handover of the project from the PrgS to the customers/client/end user
  • There are agreed plans for training, communication, rollout, production release and support as required
  • Governance plans are in place
  • Information management plans are in place
  • Those involved in procurement and commercial management functions need to produce SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time bound outputs or outcomes) and have a clear understanding of the contract
  • The specification, performance measures and contractual terms should be well defined and clear to all relevant stakeholders
  • Effective team-working and relationship management need to be in place, and this is especially important in complex programmes due to their long-term nature

5.4.9 Health and safety management

At the implementation phase, the overall health and safety management plan, as prepared during the earlier phases, will be put into action. Typically, all the projects and activities undertaken during the implementation phase will adhere to the health and safety management plan requirements, particularly the targets and KPI’s that may have been set at the programme level. The highlight report for the programme may contain a summary of the health and safety performance of the projects and activities, reporting on the actual progress against the targets and KPI’s.

Project-level health and safety management will be a key element to ensure achievement of the overall programme targets. The Code of Practice for Project Management (5th ed) contains further guidance on management of health and safety at the project level.

5.4.10 Sustainability/environmental management

The overall programme sustainability and environmental management parameters and targets will be set at the earlier phases. At the implementation phase, the processes and procedures, including overall programme targets and KPI’s, must be incorporated in individual projects and activities. Projects which may require planning permission will prepare environmental impact assessments that will also encompass the programme sustainability and environmental management aspirations.

5.4.11 Transition management – projects closure

Transition plans are necessary to successfully translate deliverables and outputs into outcomes that will enable realisation of benefits envisaged within the programme business case. These can be included as an update to the overall PDP. Transition plans set out the tasks needed to ensure that the new capability will be embedded into business as usual operations. They might include:

  • Training for the new capability
  • Providing guidance on the new process
  • Allowing parallel running of old and new processes
  • Setting up temporary support
  • Soft-landing the new capability
  • Setting up monitoring processes so that there is assurance that the new ways of working are being used

It is important to note that inadequate transition management may hamper the successful outcome of the programme even if the project outputs are delivered successfully.