Delivery management
This criterion considers whether project process and management systems are established and followed, with reference to those processes most significant in digital projects.
Schedule
As with all projects, the adequacy of schedule management processes including identification of variance against baseline, establishing trends for the major elements of projects, identification and management of the critical path and project manager ownership of the schedule all affect delivery confidence.
For digital projects, pressure to start delivery quickly instead of developing a robust business case has been found to reduce confidence, potentially resulting in the schedule not representing the full complexity of the task and not accounting for essential interdependencies. This can lead to unrealistic expectations of digital project pace.
Due to the uncertainties involved in many digital projects, contingency should also be included in schedules to allow for learning during delivery.
Delivery Confidence Assessment (DCA) tolerances
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The project schedule covers the entire scope for the solution, is used to inform management action and is actively updated. Progress assessed on estimate to complete. There is sufficient contingency for the risk of the project. The project is at or ahead of schedule.
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A schedule measurement baseline exists with a critical path. Critical path is managed and used to inform management decisions. It provides the basis for management of change. The project is at, or ahead of, schedule.
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The schedule appears accurate but is not actively updated. Measurement against baseline is not consistent or regular. A critical path exists and is used to measure progress.
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The schedule appears mostly complete but is not being used to inform management action. The project is behind schedule.
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The schedule does not cover the complete scope. The critical path is not being managed. The schedule is not being used to support management action. Progress assessed on time spent. No remaining schedule contingency.
Cost and finance
Delivery confidence can be higher where there is evidence of regular monitoring of cost, value and revenue, with any variation attributed to specific causes and with appropriate delegations.
The DCA should assess how the project is tracking against the approved budget and whether the trajectory to completion within budget is realistic.
While impractical to fully assess the assumptions underlying the business case, in conducting a DCA, assessors should remain alert to indication of whether the baseline cost estimate was realistic, or whether there is evidence of optimism bias, or underestimation of budgets and overestimation of benefits to facilitate initiation.
Funding continuity can also affect delivery confidence. Factors to consider include the budget allocation for development after go-live, and to support the training and organisational change management activities needed to realise benefits.
Budgets also need to cater for recurrent costs post implementation, for example, accounting for ongoing Op-Ex to support cloud-based digital solutions.
DCA tolerances
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Cost and value are realistically estimated, forecast and monitored continuously. The project is at, or ahead of, budget
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Cost and value are forecast and monitored regularly. The project is at, or ahead of, budget.
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The project is at, or ahead of, budget. Cost is monitored regularly.
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The project is behind budget. Cost is monitored regularly.
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Cost is not actively monitored. The project is over budget or there is no certainty of current status.
Scope and change control
The abstract nature of digital solutions can make scope management more difficult than for projects with tangible outputs. Robust scope management and change control processes are needed that drive management action.
Scope definition should include data management and conversion, integration and interfacing, reporting, change management, as appropriate.
During scoping, projects should engage in rigorous up-front analysis about overarching design, consideration of options, critical interdependencies and business problem identification.
This is of particular importance when using agile in larger projects where these concerns can be overlooked. Change control processes should ensure that features affecting customer satisfaction with the quality of the outputs remain prioritised.
Processes need to account for changes in business requirements due to shifting business needs or discovery of misconceptions, reflecting budget cuts in scope changes, and highlighting reductions in scope to meet time or cost constraints.
Projects that push scope into subsequent tranches, even through official change processes, can impact upon delivery confidence.
DCA tolerances
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A clear scope with measurable acceptance criteria, aligned to business need, refined through recent consultation with users, suppliers, project team and senior management, including benefits realisation activities. Change is minimal and well controlled.
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A clear scope with acceptance criteria aligned to business need, developed through consultation with users, suppliers, project team and senior management, including benefits realisation activities. Change control may be slow to reflect implications of change across project.
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A scope referencing business need, developed with some consultation with users, suppliers, project team and senior management. Change control processes exist but is incomplete or needs improvement. Movement of scope between tranches is reflected in adjusted budget and schedule.
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A scope that lacks sufficient definition or clarity on acceptance criteria. Informal or undocumented change control.
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Absence of scope definition or acceptance criteria. Change is not being controlled or substantial scope is being moved to subsequent tranches.
Risk management
Risk management practices are reflected throughout the other categories. However delivery confidence can be improved with evidence of proactive risk management, clear and appropriate ownership of risk and active management of issues.
Confidence is impacted where risk management is treated exclusively as a compliance exercise, where risk controls do not materially reduce risk or where there is blame and confusion result from risks being triggered.
Risk analysis should extend past technical, procurement and methodological aspects of risk to also consider people-related risk. This could include aspects of resource capacity and availability, and behavioural or psychosocial considerations that affect performance.
DCA tolerances
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Risks are actively discussed and managed in governance forums and aligned with the risk register. Ownership of risk and related activity is clear. Controls are effective. People related risks are actively managed.
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There is a sufficient understanding and reporting of the material risks impacting the project. Consideration of people related risks.
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Risk management is a compliance activity. There is limited understanding and awareness of the key risks impacting the project.
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There are significant risks and issues that are not adequately controlled or reported.
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There is minimal understanding of the key risks, there are significant issues impacting project delivery and finger pointing on who is responsible.
Commercial management
Factors that improve delivery confidence in commercial management include flexibility in the contract to allow for learning and change in delivery, clarity in the roles and responsibilities and appropriate risk/reward sharing.
Contracts should include clearly defined management processes, incentives and deliverables, and should be designed to avoid counterproductive terms and conditions, such as over reliance on individual day rate contractors.
Other factors to consider when assessing delivery confidence include the supplier performance, supplier capacity and capability, and the degree of integration of suppliers in the delivery organisation.
Early engagement with commercial partners can also improve delivery confidence, developing stronger working relationships and a more realistic understanding of objective feasibility.
It is acknowledged that assessors may not have access to all information to assess aspects of commercial management, or that assessment could represent a conflict of interest based on the relationship between the assessor and the contracted parties. If commercial management has not been assessed, it should be noted in the DCA.
DCA tolerances
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Procurement decisions are made on detailed analysis of reliable and complete data. The contract has clearly defined deliverables, management processes and anticipates change. There is a productive relationship between the agency and contractors.
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Procurement decisions are made on analysis of data. The contract has defined deliverables, management processes and anticipates change. There is an established relationship between the agency and contractors.
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Procurement decisions are made on data. The contract identifies deliverables but does not accommodate change. There is a working relationship between the agency and contractors.
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Procurement decisions are made on incomplete data with poorly formulated criteria. The contract may lead to some counterproductive behaviour. There is a degrading relationship with the contractor.
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Procurement decisions are made on flawed or incomplete data without explicit criteria. The contract does not provide an effective basis for contractor management or delivery. There is an adversarial relationship with the contractor.
Change management
Delivery confidence can be significantly enhanced through active change management throughout the project lifecycle. Change activities that assessors should consider include:
- the presence of an updated change plan
- change readiness assessment
- training plans
- active change agent involvement in the project process
- engagement with stakeholder groups and organisational communication, as appropriate to the needs of the project.
The significance of change management can vary depending on the project objectives. Simple changes, such as small backend changes that do not affect user experience, may be successfully delivered without significant investment in change management due to their reduced impact on stakeholder groups.
Larger changes or transformations that involve irreversible alteration of working practices or significant impact on the user or customer experience may face significant resistance or uptake issues without substantial investment in change management at all stages of the project life cycle, lowering delivery confidence.
DCA tolerances
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Change is actively managed through regular engagement with stakeholder groups, change agents, and organisational communication. Change readiness and training needs are understood.
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Change is managed through engagement with stakeholder groups and organisational communication. Some customisation of the approach to change based on stakeholder needs.
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Impacts of change are considered but treated as a post-delivery issue and not actively tracked. Some ongoing engagement with stakeholders but limited active management of areas of potential resistance to change.
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Some analysis of impacts of change but minimal active engagement with stakeholder and user groups. Limited understanding of change readiness of training needs.
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There is minimal evidence of consideration of how the changes resulting from the project will impact upon user and stakeholder groups.
Relevant policies
- Digital Experience Policy.
- Digital Sourcing Policy: digital sourcing policies exist to provide agencies with a modern approach to structuring contracts that reduces risk, drives competitive outcomes, increases flexibility and fairness, and encourages competition.