Janellis Australia Pty Ltd | p: (02) 9032 2222 | f: (02) 9032 2233 | Level 22, 141 Walker St, North Sydney | NSW 2060 www.janellis.com.au  

 

With 87% of the perceived value of programs being unrealised when organisations move from strategy to execution, many organisations are looking to ‘do things better’. Billions  of  dollars  are  being  invested  in  projects  on  a  daily  basis.  The  financial  and  ‘opportunity’  cost  to  invest  in  programs  of  work  that  fail  to  deliver  on  strategic  outcomes  is  a  problem  that  needs  solving.    Many  of  the  programs  and  projects  start  well,  with  defined  strategic  benefits  and  outcomes  that  have  been  agreed  to  by  the  executives  and  key  sponsors.  Many  of  the  ‘drivers’,  objectives  and  benefits  are  based  on  known  assumptions  at  that  time.  Over  the  course  of  the  program  however  the  following  questions  and  concerns  get  raised:    

• Are  the  drivers  for  this  program  still  relevant,  considering  the  change  occurring  within  and  externally?  • Is  this  program  setup  for  success?  • Do  we  have  the  right  resources  and  expertise  to  meet  the  objectives  set  and  realise  the  benefits  documented?  • Have  we  engaged  the  right  stakeholders  and  are  they  aligned  to  this  program  of  work  in  order  for  us  to  succeed?  

 Given  the  complexity  of  organisations  and  people  within  those  organisations  and  the  rate  of  change  occurring;  these  questions  are  all  valid  and  relevant  and  need  to  be  answered  on  a  regular  basis  to  ensure  that  the  perceived  benefits  are  realised  within  the  timeframe  and  budget  allocated.    How  can  you  ensure  Strategic  Alignment  throughout  the  project  life-­‐cycle?    Janellis  have  an  approach  to  strategic  alignment  that  seeks  to  answer  these  questions  at  any  time  in  the  life-­‐cycle  of  a  program.  Our  approach  builds  on  investments  already  made  and  creates  alignment;  facilitates  consensus  and  builds  confidence  for  all  who  have  a  stake  in  the  program.    The  Janellis  Strategic  Alignment  Review  (or  Project  Health  Check)  is  a  consultative  discovery  process  with  key  stakeholders,  and  includes  a  review  of  documentation,  one-­‐on-­‐one  meetings  and  workshops,  where  relevant.    The  key  questions  that  we  seek  to  answer  through  the  meetings  and  documentation  review  are:    

• Strategic  Alignment  –  Does  the  program  still  link  to  strategic  objectives  of  the  executive  team,  and  is  it  being  prioritised  appropriately  within  an  enterprise  project  portfolio?    

• Stakeholder  Engagement  –  Are  the  key  stakeholders  engaged  in  the  program  at  the  levels  that  they  need  to  be.  Is  there  a  change  management  plan  that  identified  all  relevant  stakeholders?    

• Ownership  –  Have  the  people  and  teams  responsible  for  owning  the  outcomes  been  identified  and  are  they  clear  on  how  they  will  maintain  and  sustain  the  solutions?    

• Benefits  Realisation  –  Are  the  projected  benefits  still  relevant  and  achievable?  How  are  they  being  measured,  how  will  they  be  embedded  and  who  will  own  that  accountability?    

• Resources  –  Does  the  project  have  the  right  people  sponsoring,  leading  and  working  on  the  program?  Are  their  roles  and  deliverables  clear  and  do  they  have  the  capability  to  ensure  success?    

• Risk  Management  –  Are  the  real  risks  of  success  being  identified?  Beyond  a  risk  plan  and  issues  log,  are  risks  being  communicated,  managed  and  mitigated  for  the  program?    

• Governance  –  Is  the  governance  framework  following  best  practice  in  terms  of  management  structure,  documentation,  quality  assurance,  procurement  and  requirements  gathering?    

   

Is your project set up for success?  

 

 

Janellis Australia Pty Ltd | p: (02) 9032 2222 | f: (02) 9032 2233 | Level 22, 141 Walker St, North Sydney | NSW 2060

www.janellis.com.au    

What  will  a  Strategic  Alignment  Review  provide  you?    A  Strategic  Alignment  Review  will  highlight  significant  issues  that  require  immediate  attention,  uncover  areas  of  excellence  to  be  applied  more  broadly  and  provide  assurance  on  the  areas  that  do  not  require  further  work.    

“Anyone  sponsoring,  managing  or  delivering  a  project  or  program  of  strategic  initiatives  would  benefit  in  undertaking  a  review  such  as  this  to  provide  assurance  on  the  likelihood  of  success,  alignment  to  objectives  and  meeting  executive  expectations.”  

 A  review  will  raise  awareness  of  the  issues  and  provide  confidence  to  those  working  on  the  project  as  well  as  external  stakeholders  including  the  board,  regulators  and  critical  suppliers  or  clients,  where  relevant.    What  are  the  specific  outputs  or  deliverables  from  the  Review?    A  Strategic  Alignment  Report  will  be  created  with  findings  and  recommendations  delivered  in  a  succinct  and  visual  way.  Included  are  ‘better  practice’  approaches  in  the  areas  of  change  management,  project  delivery  and  stakeholder  engagement  and  "out  of  scope"  observations  by  our  expert  consultants.  A  Project  Alignment  Report  will  typically  cover:    

• Executive  Summary  –  Written  by  either  a  Janellis  Director  or  our  Lead  Consultant,  this  summary  cuts  to  the  key  issues  and  recommendations  for  the  executive  team  and  senior  management  to  facilitate  informed  and  agile  decision  making.  

• Program  Overview  –  A  high  level  view  of  the  program  from  conception  to  now,  providing  guidance  on  the  gaps  between  where  the  program  should  be  and  where  it  really  is.  

• Key  Insights  –  Review  and  observations  of  the  use  of  best  practice,  identification  of  areas  of  resistance  and  non-­‐compliance  with  organisational  expectations.  

• Concerns  –  Distillation  of  the  key  insights  into  critical  concerns  for  the  success  of  the  program  and  the  projected  impacts  of  not  taking  appropriate  and  timely  action.  

• Recommendations  –  Recommendations  based  on  concerns  to  re-­‐align  the  program  and  provide  assurance  at  an  executive  level  of  the  ability  to  achieve  outcomes  and  benefits.  

• Action  Plan  –  A  one-­‐page  plan  to  prioritise  recommendations  for  action  and  provide  an  indication  of  resources,  time  and  costs  involved  to  implement.    

How  is  the  Strategic  Alignment  Review  delivered  and  how  long  does  it  take?    The  key  steps  in  the  review  process  typically  are:    

1. CONSULTATION  -­‐  An  initial  meeting  to  identify  your  requirements  and  scope  out  the  work.  2. PROPOSAL  -­‐  To  confirm  the  scope,  target  areas,  stakeholders  and  resources  to  be  involved.  3. KICK  OFF  WORKSHOP  -­‐  Including  an  intro  email  from  internal  stakeholders  to  arrange  key  meetings.  4. DISCOVERY  -­‐  Meetings  with  identified  stakeholders  and  documentation  review.  5. COLLABORATION  -­‐  Interim  workshop  to  discuss  initial  findings,  feedback  and  format  for  final  report.  6. DELIVERY  -­‐  Draft  report  followed  by  final  report.  

 The  review  can  take  from  10  to  20  days  depending  on  the  scope  and  availability  of  the  stakeholders.    How  have  other  businesses  used  this  approach  to  create  Strategic  Alignment?    Many  of  our  clients  are  spending  a  significant  amount  of  money  on  project-­‐based  activities.  Statistics  for  projects  being  delivered  on  time,  on  budget  and  delivering  the  expected  benefits  indicate  that  there  are  still  many  challenges  in  this  area.    Right  now,  those  responsible  for  the  outcomes  and  benefits  realisation  of  projects  are  facing  increasing  pressure  to  provide  assurance  to  a  range  of  key  stakeholders.  By  initiating  the  Janellis  Strategic  Alignment  Review,  our  clients  have  generated  a  level  of  transparency  and  clarity  that  has  allowed  them  to  address  the  issues,  highlight  the  wins  and  set  the  project  on  course  for  success.      Why  Janellis?    

• We  have  been  working  in  this  field  for  the  past  17  years  with  some  of  the  most  complex  organisations  in  Australia  and  are  experts  in  this  niche  area  of  strategic  alignment.  

• Our  unique  tools  have  been  widely  used  and  can  help  accelerate  the  strategic  benefits  of  any  program.  • Our  consultants  are  highly  skilled  and  experienced  in  all  stages  of  a  project  life-­‐cycle  and  can  review,  lead  or  

support  critical  initiatives.      For  more  information  on  our  Strategic  Alignment  capability,  Project  Health  Checks  and  our  Subject  Matter  Expertise  in  this  area  please  visit  us  online  or  contact  our  Client  Engagement  Director,  Leon  Gray  via  leon.gray@janellis.com.au.