What are the focus areas and inputs to a Delivery Confidence Assessment (DCA)?
This guidance on DCA ratings is based on the factors that have been found to be significant in the success and failure of digital projects. These include:
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Purpose, business case and benefits.
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Executive support and governance effectiveness.
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Resource Management and capability. Stakeholder engagement.
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Schedule. Cost and finance. Scope and change control. Risk management. Commercial management.
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Technology. Solution context. Deployment and sustainability.
Assurance activities
Assurance activities are typically a summative assessment at a point in time in a project lifecycle. A DCA is a predictive assessment based on the current state and trajectory of the project.
The topics and deliverables required to make an assessment can vary. It is recommended that assessors observe the project in action by attending stand-up meetings or board meetings and review live project documentation.
For example, an assessor of an agile project may find it appropriate to assess a project through reference to observing agile artefacts and ceremonies rather than only consuming more traditional project documentation.
The list of example documents that could be assessed during an assurance review to determine the delivery confidence of an investment include:
- business case – original and most recently approved version
- program/project overview including objectives, key policy assumptions, background material
- benefits management strategy
- assurance report that informed the DCA
- program/project budget documentation
- program/project timeline, showing critical path, dependencies and key milestones
- risk matrix and risk management approach
- resource plans
- implementation plans
- stakeholder impact assessment and communication plan
- list of other entities involved in the program/project
- governance model including papers and minutes from any steering or program / project management committees, terms of reference and documented roles and responsibilities
- issues log
- change control register
- evidence of feedback loops, contract and interdependency management
- organisation chart for relevant areas of the entity.