Decision-making Rights and Tools: Governance Series, Part IV

Welcome to the final post in our 4-part blog series on program and project governance. In the first and second parts of our series, we discussed the differences between programs and projects, along with some of the key considerations when setting up program and project governance in your organization. In the third part, we reviewed the committees, bodies, and structures that are part of successful governance. Today, we will go over decision-making rights and tools to ensure the success of your IS programs and projects:

  • Decision-making Rights & Tools
  • Stakeholder Decision-making Matrix
  • RACI
  • RAID Log
  • Reporting & Status Management
SAP Decision Making Rights and Tools Graphic

Decision-making Rights and Tools

According to the Deloitte article “Getting Decision Rights Right“, ambiguity surrounding who is responsible for making a decision or decisions is a primary cause of delay in the decision-making process. Confusion about who makes which decisions and how they are made can increase the risk that some decisions will simply fall through the cracks entirely. Research shows that top-performing companies define roles, responsibilities, and process:

  • Simplify and clarify decision rights across the organization
  • Are transparent about expectations of accountability for decision makers
  • Align individuals in decision-making groups that work toward a common mission

Decision-making influences overall company performance, so it is critical for organizations to set clear roles and responsibilities. This clarity leaves little room for confusion, wasted resources, or lack of accountability. As process is established, consider these key objectives: (1) Give all those involved a sense of ownership over their decisions, and (2) Identify where individuals are best suited within the process–who should provide input, who should follow through, and who should ultimately be responsible for making key decisions in defined areas of the organization.

Key considerations for your organization before you start a program or project: 

  • Who are the individuals or groups empowered to make decisions?
  • What decisions must be made and what is the timeline?
  • Who is responsible for deciding? Who will execute the work?
  • Who is accountable for the decision’s outcomes? 
  • Who should be consulted for input, information, and insight?
  • Who should be informed about the decision and its outcome?
  • Each decision should have only one decider with single point of accountability.

Stakeholder Decision-making Matrix

A stakeholder decision-making matrix is a tool used to define and communicate who has ownership and who is responsible for the business processes, systems, and data that are part of a program and/or project scope. It can be used to reduce conflict and/or confusion on who should review and approve strategic and tactical decisions.

RACI ChartSAP Decision Making Roles and Tools RACI Chart

  • A RACI chart is a simple diagram used in project management to map task-level roles and responsibilities.
  • A RACI chart defines whether the people involved in a project activity will be responsible, accountable, consulted, or informed for the corresponding task, milestone, or decision.
SAP Roles Management Chart

 

RAID Log RAID log for SAP Decision Making

  • RAID is an acronym that stands for Risks, Actions, Issues and Decisions, and the log tracks all of those items within a project.
  • Using a RAID log enables project managers and teams to follow a consistent approach to project delivery.
  • The RAID log records information such as cause, probability, impact, mitigation, owner, etc. for things that could go wrong but have not yet occurred.

 

And that brings us to reporting & status management. This topic deserves it owns blog series, so watch for our coverage of it in the future.

In conclusion, by investing in your organization’s approach to decision-making rights and tools, you increase the chance of successfully achieving the objectives of your IS programs and projects. We hope you found the information in this blog series to be valuable. Reach out to us with other questions or to talk staffing support for your organization in 2024 and beyond.

Here are links to all other blog posts in this governance series: Part I: Understanding Programs vs. Projects  |  Part II: Defining Rules, Procedures, and Policies  |  Part III: Defining Committees, Bodies, and Structures

Defining Committees, Bodies, and Structures: Governance Series, Part III

Welcome to the third in our 4-part blog series on program and project governance. In the first and second part of our series we discussed the differences between programs and projects; introduced the set of rules, procedures, and policies that determine how programs and projects are controlled, managed, and overseen; and discussed some of the key considerations when setting up program and project governance in your organization. In this post, we will discuss the committees, bodies, and structures that are part of successful governance.

SAP Committees, Bodies, and Structures Graphic Four Types of Committees, Bodies, and Structures:

  • Executive/Project Steering Committee
  • Program Governance Office
  • Project Management Office
  • Project Organizational Structure

Executive/Project Steering Committee

  • A form of corporate governance made up of high-level executives, authorities, and/or stakeholders who provide strategic oversight and guidance to one or more programs or projects within an organization.

Program Governance Office

  • Ensures that the program’s goals and objectives are aligned with those of the overall enterprise.
  • Standardizes project-related governance processes and facilitates effective communication and the sharing of resources, methodologies, tools, and techniques. It establishes the overall framework for execution of a corporate program, and it develops and implements policies, rules, and procedures to manage the program. 
  • Collects data to monitor, analyze, and report on how well the program conforms with these policies, rules, and procedures; remediates any problems or vulnerabilities within the program.
  • Ensures standardization for projects across an entire program.

Project Management Office 

  • Established for the duration of a single project or program. 
  • Includes project delivery oversight, administrative support, controlling, reporting, and monitoring functions. 
  • Performs a similar function to the Program Governance Office–only for a single project as opposed to an overall program.

Project Organizational Structure

  • Defines the reporting hierarchy and authority of people involved in a specific project. The structure defines each team member’s function for the duration of a project and the reporting lines can be viewed in chart form.
  • There are three types of organizational structures in project management:
        1. Functional
        2. Project-based
        3. Matrix
SAP Project Organizational Structures Chart

See Essential Guide to Project Organizational Structure for more information and graphics inspiration.

 

Successful program and project governance are dependent on establishing and supporting the committees, bodies, and structures that approve and oversee budgets, timelines, project definition and scope, resources, and business outcomes. In the next part of this series, we will discuss the tools used to manage your IS programs and projects:

  • Decision-making rights & tools
  • Stakeholder decision-making matrix
  • RACI
  • RAID log
  • Reporting & status management

Reach out via email if you have questions on project governance that we can address on the blog or one-on-one. We conclude this series with our next post, and we’ll continue to answer incoming questions on LinkedIn as well.

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Here are links to all 4 blog posts in this governance series: Part I: Understanding Programs vs. Projects  |  Part II: Defining Rules, Procedures, and Policies  |  Part III: Defining Committees, Bodies, and Structures  |  Part IV: Decision-making Rights and Tools

Defining Rules, Procedures, and Policies: Governance Series, Part II

Welcome to the second in our 4-part blog series on program and project governance. In the first post, we discussed the differences between programs and projects. In this post, we highlight the importance of defining rules, procedures, and policies that determine how programs and projects are controlled, managed, and overseen, and discuss some of the key considerations when setting up program and project governance in your organization.

SAP Rules, Procedures, and Policies Graphic

Key Aspects of Program and Project Governance: 

  • A set of structures, committees, teams, rules, procedures, and policies that determine how programs and projects are controlled, managed, and overseen
  • Enables and promotes good, timely decision-making
  • Reduces risk

According to this Harvard Business Review article, by Paul Rogers and Marcia Blenko, partners at Bain & Company, “making good decisions and making them happen quickly are the hallmarks of high-performing organizations.” For capital investments especially, but even for operational initiatives, good decisions start with program and project governance. Programs and projects must have proper oversight and accountability, they must align with the corporate strategy and business goals, and the governance must span the program and project lifecycle.

Establishing a governance plan lays the groundwork for order and success. It creates a guide for the decision-making process, and it determines what will happen within the lifecycle of the program and project, when and how it will happen, and who is responsible. There is no one-size-fits-all program or project governance structure that can be used by all companies.

Successful program governance provides the following benefits:

  • Increases efficiency and reduces risk
  • Establishes a framework for managing issues, opportunities, risks, and competing priorities
  • Helps to focus resources across an organization to meet strategic business goals

Key considerations for your organization before you start a program or project:

  • Is effective project governance in place?
  • Have governing bodies been defined?
  • Have the rules, procedures, and policies that determine how projects are controlled, managed, and overseen been defined?
  • Have decision-making rights been defined and communicated?
  • Is there alignment as to who and how decisions are made?
  • Are project-related decisions being made in a timely manner?

When analyzing the answers to big questions like these, don’t hesitate to take action where improvements can be made. If needed, establish, reboot, and/or communicate key components of effective project governance. To increase the likelihood of success, it’s critical to get alignment on these items before starting a program or project:

  • Steering CommitteeSAP Rules, Procedures, and Policies Chart
  • Project Management Office (PMO)
  • Project Organizational Structure
  • Decision Making Rights 
  • RACI
  • RAID Log
  • Reporting & Status Management

 

 

 

In conclusion, program governance is a crucial aspect of project management that ensures the overall success of an organization’s initiatives. It involves a structured framework and set of processes that govern the planning, execution, and monitoring of multiple projects under one program. In the next part of this series, we will dive deeper into the key components of program governance and how they can positively impact project outcomes. More specifically, we will discuss the three pillars of project governance:

  • Project Structure – should be fit-for-purpose
  • People – the right people in the right roles
  • Information – timely reporting and communication

Send us a note if you have questions on project governance that we can address in our ongoing blog series. Look for our next post in the series soon.

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Here are links to all 4 blog posts in this governance series: Part I: Understanding Programs vs. Projects  |  Part II: Defining Rules, Procedures, and Policies  |  Part III: Defining Committees, Bodies, and Structures  |  Part IV: Decision-making Rights and Tools