Governance Themes

A newly mandated transformation programme has secured funding but has not yet appointed anyone with overall accountability, and several senior managers are unclear who can authorise cross-project trade-offs. Which governance theme addresses this gap first?

• AAssurance - it provides independent confidence that the programme will succeed
• BKnowledge - it manages information and communications across the programme
• CStructure - it defines how tranches are scheduled
• DOrganization - it establishes the roles, accountabilities and structures needed to lead and manage the programme✓

Answer: Before governance can function, MSP requires the Organization theme to define who is accountable for what (SRO, board, Programme Manager, BCM) so decisions such as cross-project trade-offs have a clear owner.

A regional ambulance trust is merging three separate control-room operating models into one. Before any project charters are written, the programme needs a single description of the future organisation, technology, processes and roles the merged service will use. Which governance theme is primarily responsible for producing this description?

• AOrganization - because it appoints the programme board
• BDecisions - because it manages risks arising from the merger, and the mitigation plans double as the description of the future service
• CJustification - because it defines the business case
• DDesign - because it defines the target operating model for the future state✓

Answer: The Design theme is responsible for describing the future state, including the target operating model covering organisation, process, technology and people, which must exist before delivery projects can be scoped.

Eighteen months into a housing association's digital-services programme, build costs have risen 40% but the forecast rent-arrears reduction has also increased due to better data matching. The SRO asks whether the programme remains worth pursuing. Which governance theme provides the mechanism for answering this question?

• AStructure, by re-sequencing the remaining tranches
• BOrganization, by replacing the Business Change Manager
• CJustification, by reassessing the business case against the revised costs and benefits✓
• DKnowledge, by reviewing the lessons log from the first tranche

Answer: The Justification theme owns the business case, which must be revisited whenever costs or benefits materially change so the SRO can judge whether the programme remains desirable, viable and achievable.