Programme reset

When this engagement applies

Digital product programmes in mid-market businesses tend to follow a common path. Early enthusiasm, an internal team built quickly, a roadmap that grows faster than the delivery capacity, a drift away from the original commercial case, and a board that has stopped believing the programme will deliver what was promised.

The trigger is usually a budget review, a leadership change, or a year-end where the original commercial case and the current state of the programme no longer line up.

What I assess

An independent review of the programme against its original commercial case. Four areas:

• The commercial case as it stands today
• The delivery shape: pace, scope discipline, dependencies
• The team and supplier relationships
• The technology choices

The output is a written recommendation the board can act on. The recommendation may be to continue with adjustments, to redirect, to merge with another initiative, or to wind down. The engagement is structured to make any of those answers defensible.

The point is not to be sceptical of digital product work. It is to make sure the work that continues is the work that should continue.

What you get

• A written review of the programme against the original and current commercial case
• A delivery assessment covering pace, scope discipline and team capability
• A recommendation with the trade-offs of each alternative
• A draft board paper
• A call with the executive sponsor before the paper reaches the board

Delivery

Week one: interviews with the programme leadership, product team, and commercial sponsors. Approximately ten to twelve hours of internal time across the team.

Weeks two and three: delivery review, supplier and team assessment, technology review.

Week four: drafting, validation, board paper.

Fees and duration

Fixed fee, scoped at the start. Two to four weeks elapsed.