Formalized project reviews are becoming more and more important as the pace of change intensifies, staff turnover increases, and the number of stakeholders explodes. The leaders who fund and initiate projects need a structured and repeatable way to validate their expectations and govern the expected outcomes.

Historically, project reviews were done in context of timeline commitments with an implicit assumption that scope was more negotiable than timelines. The shift toward iterative projects put scope back on the table as the most malleable of constraints as IT professionals embrace just-in-time design and commitment. As a result, project reviews can look more and more like working sessions than governance.

A well-structured project review ensures continuity of process, people, and purpose in an unstable world. It anchors the investment in the foundation principles of sponsor commitment, transparent oversight, and diligent use of scarce resources.

Travis Duncan
Research Director, Project Portfolio Management
Info-Tech Research Group

As a CIO or PMO leader, you are responsible for overseeing a large project that is critical to the organization. Due to its importance, the stakeholders involved, the complexity of the technology, the considerable funding, etc., there is elevated risk—and elevated scrutiny on your team’s ability to deliver.

Because roadblocks are inevitable on something this large and complex, you want to take a proactive approach and get ongoing assurances that your plan and process are sound. You need to partner with a third-party advisor who can help objectively guide the project.

You need an advisor, not just an auditor. Many third-party project review services function more as auditors, with outputs geared toward pointing out gaps to an executive audience. While you need insight into gaps, you’re also looking to partner with someone who will work with your team to review and improve project components and documents.

Time and Money. Third-party services can add significantly to the project budget, and they can take up a lot of your time. You need something right-sized to your availability of time and funding.

Info-Tech’s Project Success Assurance Service is a cost-effective approach that includes:

• Access to our experts and industry SMEs at your chosen cadence to get oversight and assurance.
• A well-structured project inspection framework that can be repeatedly applied to your project at key intervals to assess its progress and health.
• Project documentation reviews and assistance.
• Access to templates and recommendations to help guide your project through major milestones.