Effective programme and project management both require a mixture of knowledge of business requirements, organisational skills and understanding of how technology can be practically deployed. With programme management, the emphasis is on working with the management team to understand the longer term business direction and priorities, building an agreed strategy, and delivering practical solutions (whether based on technology or process change) within the available time and budget.

Tom Gilb has identified “12 Tough Questions” which should be asked by management of any project, particularly when there are many competing demands for resources and timetable within a programme:

NUMBERS. Why isn’t the improvement quantified?

RISK. What’s the risk or uncertainty and why?

DOUBT. Are you sure? If not, why not?

SOURCE. Where did you get that from? How can I check it out?

IMPACT. How does your idea affect my goals?

ALL CRITICAL FACTORS. Did we forget anything critical?

EVIDENCE. How do you know it works that way?

ENOUGH. Have we got a complete solution?

PROFITABILITY FIRST. Are we going to do the most profitable things first?

COMMITMENT. Who’s responsible?

PROOF. How can we be sure the plan is working?

NO CURE? Is it no cure, no pay?

My experiences of programme management have been in Insurance, Broking and Financial Services start-up organisations, with limited resources and time critical schedules, where risk and quality control issues had to be critically balanced. In three of the case studies below, management of suppliers was also a key issue.

Staff Benefit Communications service - This is a startup company building websites providing staff benefit communications and HR self service capabilities, and also marketing the underlying technology. I was the interim Chief Technical Officer and reported initially to the Chief Executive Officer. My main role was to lead the product development and the product engineering teams, and develop and implement the product release programme to support major new clients in 2006/07.

Retail insurance network MBO - Opus was formed from Heath UK by management buy out together with private equity finance, and was a national broker in corporate, small commercial and personal lines insurance, and financial services, with 20 offices. I reported directly to the Opus Finance Director, and ran the IT programme to exit from the C E Heath parent organisation in 1998/99. The Opus branch operation is now part of the Willis group.

Retail Broking and Financial Services branch systems - In 1992 I was asked by the Datasure MD to help him review the AS/400 systems development project for Heath UK. I was then asked to take over the completion of the two software development projects and the management of the branch roll out programme to all Heath UK offices.

Financial Services POS advice tool - ADVISA was set up by the Moorgate Group to develop and market a Financial Services POS advice tool, which would enable independent financial advisers to comply with the 1987 Financial Services Act, especially in the area of "best advice", using an integrated sales and administration system. As Technical Director, I reported directly to the Managing Director and Board, and was charged with meeting the October 1987 launch target in the business plan and managing the ongoing software development programme.

The list above shows only the IT programme management roles I have completed, I have also considerable experience from other interim management or project rescue assignments, please view all my case studies