Background and Challenges
The small Borough Council had no dedicated project or change management support function, with Assistant Directors responsible for the day-to-day running and administration of high-profile corporate projects.
Trueman Change were commissioned to provide project management on two corporate projects, one of which had been running for over a year and the other was entering into the latter phase of implementation following a procurement process. Both projects involved working with external partners and suppliers to set up a new shared service and a new multi-million 10-year delivery contract.
The latter part of the support was provided completely remotely due to restrictions in place due to UK-wide restrictions in place because of the COVID-19 crisis.
Trueman Change Involvement
Trueman Change provided project management on both projects, acting as a single point of contact for day-to-day management of actions and decisions. We created detailed project plans and monitored progress through regular checkpoint reporting, risk and issue identification and resolution and by facilitating regular project board meetings.
Trueman Change also carried out a project management review once both projects had gone live. This provided an independent health check into the council’s project management practices and make recommendations for improvement.
Outcomes and Solutions
- Both corporate projects went live on time and within budget, as planned, despite disruptions because of caused by a global pandemic. Benefits of the projects included increased compliance, reduced costs and better quality of service.
- Delivered a project management health check review, making recommendations for improvement in the future.
- Supported the council in developing a service improvement plan to cover the first 12 months of operation.
- Stress and pressure relieved on Assistant Directors, knowing the project management was in hand and that projects were delivering their intended outcomes.
