Lessons Learned - Gateway Reviews

Lessons learned are from Australian Government Gateway Reviews. These lessons help improve program and project management practices.

Governance

Appoint a full-time dedicated senior responsible officer (SRO) for the delivery phase of complex programs or projects.
Clearly define escalation and decision-making paths to prevent bottlenecks.
Maintain logs to record decisions and scope changes.
Clearly define governance groups and members using the RACI framework and terms of reference.
Adapt frequency of governance meetings to suit the changing pace and intensity of the program.
Review governance when program/project changes phase.
Develop a master schedule that shows dependencies and the critical path for senior governance to review.
Create a role or mechanism to confirm business process and overall technical architecture are appropriate.

When preparing a business case, refer to the UK OGC Better Business Case model, Finance’s Developing a Business Case guidance, and DTA’s ICT Business Case Guide.
Review the business case to ensure it continues to align with government needs and priorities and the value proposition remains sound. Update the summary business case or use addendums to record any major changes.
Clearly define intended outcomes and benefits, set measurable targets, and regularly monitor progress.
Use market testing to identify commercial solutions and market interest. This can help to understand market capability and capacity.
Identify and explain critical decisions, key stakeholder terms and strategic benefits.
Update business cases with lessons learned.
Arrange access to the business case once approved by Cabinet to guide delivery phase (the business case might need to be declassified or condensed).
Clearly explain delivery options.
Document and link objectives, outcomes, and benefits.

Communicate regularly to provide progress updates and address concerns.
Develop a stakeholder engagement strategy and a communications plan early. Include a description of stakeholder expectations, interests and issues and how they will be managed.
Consult stakeholders early to confirm deliverables and outcomes will meet their needs.
Use forums and working groups to engage end-users rather including them in decision-making forums.
Use human- and user-centred design to understand users’ needs and guide solution design.
Consult stakeholders to understand and confirm value of delivery.

Make risk management a standing agenda item for governance meetings.
Include risk reporting that enables risk escalation.
Develop a risk management framework for consistent classification of risks.
Define thresholds for escalating risk.
Use a range of experience and expertise to assess and treat risks.
Use workshops at key points in the program or project to ensure risk assessments are up to date and mitigation remains appropriate.
For complex programs or projects involving multiple agencies or jurisdictions, report extreme and high-level risks and their treatment to the key governance committee.
Record risks identified by stakeholders.
Assign owners responsible for addressing each risk.
Identify risk mitigation strategies and delivery timeframes on an ongoing basis.
Explain risks in terms of time and cost as standard practice.

Prioritise continuity and avoid constant changes to teams and key roles.
Address single points of failure in key roles. Budget for backfill or "two in a box" where a consultant and permanent share the same position. This can work where consultants fill key roles that need to transition back to BAU.
Have a formal resourcing plan in place before the start of each major work phase. Include succession arrangements.
Maintain a workforce plan.
If resources are limited, focus on establishing a Project Management Office and training senior responsible officers.
If senior responsible officers have limited project management experience, hire an expert program or project manager.