When a Transformation Programme struggles to deliver its outcomes to time, budget and expected quality things can quickly spiral out of control. The people and organisations involved can become defensive, focused more on self-preservation rather than working to fix the programme, whilst the organisation’s investment is put significantly at risk.
The reality is Transformation Programmes aren’t easy at the best of times and when they start to go wrong it often requires swift and bold action to get things back on track.
By way of illustration, the Infrastructure and Projects Authority (IPA)’s Annual Report, published in July 2018, assessed 133 large and risky programmes the government has on the go. Overall, the IPA described a general
increase in the proportion of projects ranked red or amber-red – which indicates projects are undeliverable or at high risk of failure – from 38 to 46, and a decline in the proportion given amber-green or green, from 28 to 24.
There are many reasons why programmes run into difficulty, from ill-defined requirements, poor solutioning or solution delivery, a lack of control and effective governance, insufficient stakeholder and or vendor management, dysfunctional teams or simply a lack of skill, experience and commitment from all those involved.
One thing is certain, in order to turn around any challenged programme people need to be passionate and dedicated – willing to stretch their thinking to come up with creative solutions to problems and work hard to deliver the outcomes no matter what.
Our teams have been engaged on many occasions to intervene and recover some of the highest value and high-profile transformation programmes. As delivering complex programmes is our core business, it’s something we have become particularly good at. We have a great team experienced in working with clients to review struggling programme to identify and resolve the root problems of issues and get delivery back on track. More often than not this sees us being tasked with leading the complete turn-around of the programme, compliant with thresholds set by our clients’ executive management team and then delivering the remainder of the programme successfully.
If you engage Servita to assist in such circumstances you can expect, quick mobilisation of an expert team ready not only to understand and come up with creative solutions to problems but to arrive with sleeves rolled up ready to help you undertake the rapid actions required to resolve them. Our team will hit the ground running, completing a rapid assessment and providing frank advice based on our first-hand practical experiences as part of a forward strategy for programme recovery.
"Where we are brought in to recover failing transformations, we rapidly act to establish ‘lay of the land’ and work closely with our clients to give them the transparency and predictability they need to regain confidence. The experience our people bring with them, provides a broad pallet from which to re-draw and structure programmes to perform, and ultimately deliver the outcomes clients require from their investment."
Managing Consultant
Regional Director, UK
Group Operations Director
Group Chairman
