A valid approach to Project Assurance
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The document discusses project assurance and provides definitions. It summarizes outputs from the APM Assurance SIG, including guides on integrated assurance, assuring agile delivery, and project auditing. It asks what stakeholders need assurance on and describes common assurance activities. It addresses when assurance is needed, who can provide it, and how to build stakeholder confidence through a credible method. Finally, it outlines current APM Assurance SIG workstreams and closes by questioning whether a hug can provide assurance.
A valid approach to Project Assurance
- 1. 1 Sometimes all you need is a hug! A valid approach to Project Assurance? Presentation to APM Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire Branch on 10th April 2019 Dave Lovitt and Roy Millard APM Assurance SIG V5
- 4. 4 Summary of SIG outputs to date • Assurance Definitions – 2009 • Guide to Integrated Assurance - 2014 • Measures for Assuring Project Toolkit - 2016 • Guide to Assurance of Agile Delivery - 2017 • Guide to Project Auditing - 2018 APM Assurance SIG
- 5. 5 What is Assurance? P3 assurance: The process of providing confidence to stakeholders that projects, programmes and portfolios will achieve their scope, time, cost and quality objectives, and realise their benefits. (Source: APM BoK6) assurance: n. Emphatic declaration, guarantee; self-confidence, assertiveness; insurance esp. of life; certainty. (Source: The Pocket Oxford Dictionary.) assurance: noun 1. the act of assuring 2. the state of being assured; sureness; confidence; certainty 3. something said or done to inspire confidence, as a promise, positive statement, etc.; guarantee (Source: www.yourdictionary.com) Some definitions
- 6. 6 What is Assurance? For the purposes of this exercise: Assurance is giving stakeholders confidence about particular aspects of a project
- 7. 7 What questions would you like answered? Pre-notified Any others?
- 8. 8 Who needs confidence, in what? ⚫ Sponsors ⚫ Funding body ⚫ Regulatory authorities ⚫ Project management team ⚫ Audit committee ⚫ Customers
- 9. 9 9 “I need assurance because.... ...I need to know that everything is under control”. ...I need to know whether what I am being told is correct”. ...I need to be confident that I am going to get what I want”. ...I need to know whether the project is going to finish on time and within budget”. ...I need to know if things are going horribly wrong and whether I should can the project!”.
- 10. 10 Some familiar Assurance activities ⚫ Internal & External audits ⚫ OGC Gateway reviews ⚫ Starting Gate events, Project assessment reviews ⚫ 'Critical friend' mentoring ⚫ 'Deep dive' investigations / Certification ⚫ Accreditations What builds stakeholders' confidence ?
- 11. 11 11 Internal Audit External Audit Quality Assurance Health & Safety OGC GatewayTM Independent Engineer reviews PMO/PMCoE Self Assurance NAO Policy makers Standards bodies Process engineers Systems engineers Project Audits Contract Auditors Peer Reviews Who can provide assurance?
- 12. 12 Pre-requisites for assurers ⚫ Skills ⚫ Knowledge ⚫ Experience plus Clear method Combine to establish credibility of assurance How do you go about creating confidence ?
- 13. 13 Where does assurance fit? GOVERNANCE RISK MANAGEMENT ASSURANCE
- 14. 14 When is assurance needed? ⚫ At key points in lifecycle ⚫ When stakeholder perspective changes ⚫ In response to real world events / triggers ⚫ According to risk
- 15. 15 How much is enough? ⚫ Risk based ⚫ Mandatory and Discretionary ⚫ Real cost vs perceived value ⚫ Integrated approach to maximise impact ⚫ Lessons from history
- 16. Organisation's risks Management assurance (e.g. QA) Independent assurance (e.g. Internal Audit) First line of defence Second line of defence Third line of defence Management controls Assurance Integration - The Three Lines of Defence Model 16
- 17. 17 Lessons from history Common causes of project failure ⚫ Published 2005 ⚫ Office of Government Commerce (now IPA) ⚫ Endorsed by National Audit Office ⚫ Underpins Gateway Review process ⚫ Many commercial alternatives .
- 18. 18 What does the Future hold? A few themes: • Integrated Assurance – Still a LONG way to go, but ... • Changing demands on assurance – AGILE, Hybrid projects • IPA Review of assurance in Public Sector • Progressive Assurance
- 19. 19 Did we answer your questions?
- 20. 20 Where can you get more help and advice? ⚫ Colleagues and peers − Portfolio office − Internal Audit ⚫ IPA web site ⚫ APM − Body of Knowledge − ASIG
- 21. 21 Current workstreams: • Project Auditing • Measures for Assuring Projects • Integrated Assurance • Assurance of Agile • Business Case for Assurance • Assurance Training • Assurance of Business Change • People • Assurance Maturity Model • Standards APM Assurance SIG
- 22. 22 ASIG framework for assuring projects
- 23. 23 ASIG guide to project auditing
- 25. 25 Does a hug really count? If it improves your confidence, yes, of course – but be careful how you choose the provider
- 26. 26 Thank you and goodnight Roy Millard roymillard.asig@gmail.com Dave Lovitt davelovitt.APM@yahoo.com
- 27. 27 End of slides