Ensuring a project is well defined with agreement from key stakeholders very early in the planning process is a critical step in setting your course and selecting the right concept for the project. Improperly framed projects often struggle with stakeholder alignment and commitment, and may develop (and even implement) a solution that does not provide the value anticipated. Recycling, delays, cost and schedule overruns, and disappointment are common traits of poorly framed projects.

The Frame the Project service uses a proven standard industry process to review and define key aspects of the project, and by doing so identify any issues, concerns or misalignment allowing the team to resolve these early in the planning process.

The project should be framed once a valid business opportunity is identified and a project team assigned to it. The service will be completed through one or more small group meetings, a series of one-on-one meetings, and documentation reviews to gather background information on the project. A workshop with participation from management, the project team, and from all functional groups that are or will be supporting the project will then be held. This workshop will be tailored to fit the size, complexity and risk of the project, and may be from four hours to four days long. A draft Frame Document is produced and reviewed with workshop participants, and updated as appropriate. The final document is reviewed with management and then handed over to the project team.

Completion of the Frame the Project service will enhance management, project team and functional support group alignment, and provide a solid foundation for all following work. The Frame will be a cornerstone document that will guide management and project team through the planning stages of the project.

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The ultimate value delivered by any project will be determined by the selection of the concept for the project during the planning stages. Selecting the right concept requires careful analysis of reasonable alternatives so the one best suited to business drivers is selected. Considering alternatives and selecting the right concept may be a relatively straightforward and take little time, or it may be very complex taking several months. Regardless, it is critical each project completes this process.

The Alternative Analysis and Selection service will help set your course by completing three steps:

1. Identify all reasonable alternatives,
2. Review them against criteria agreed by management, and
3. Select the right concept for further planning and definition.

The service will start with a planning phase of its own where a plan will be developed with the project team and management to ensure the service is scaled and fit-for-purpose. The plan will be based on the three steps above, and once approved will be implemented using workshops, and small group working sessions.

Completion of the Alternative Analysis and Selection service will produce a report identifying all reasonable alternatives, the comparison of them against agreed criteria, and details of the selected concept. The team and management will be aligned on the concept to be developed further prior to seeking sanction, and can have confidence they have selected the concept that will deliver the most value from the project.

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Having an effective governance model for complex projects has been proven to contribute to company and project success. Ensuring this model is optimized to reflect the complexity and risk of specific projects is how real value can be delivered.

The Implement an Optimized Governance Model service will design a fit-for-purpose stage gated process that will provide a structured engagement with management, a common language and process to guide project development, a clear understanding of what is expected of project teams, and a consistent approach to manage performance.

Fit-for-purpose will be achieved through three principles:

1. categorization of projects to ensure the right governance is provided
2. customization of deliverables to ensure only those appropriate for the specific project are completed, and
3. level of detail agreed considering the risk and complexity of the project.

The Governance Model will be defined through a three phases: an assessment phase where the current stated is defined; a design phase where the optimized governance model is designed and approved; and an implementation phase where the road map and framework are developed, training is provided, and coaching and mentoring to support project teams can be provided.

Completion of this service will provide an optimized governance model easily adjusted to ensure it is fit-for-purpose for a specific project. Using this model will increase the likelihood of successfully delivering projects across the portfolio, and increase the effectiveness of teams doing so.

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