Program Assurance is a management discipline which forms a critical part of the Program Governance function. Program Assurance provides independent scrutiny of programs, on behalf of the Sponsors, Program Boards and Steering Committees which are ultimately accountable for Program Delivery.
Program Assurance is achieved through:
- Independent audits and risk-based reviews of Program Delivery capability and performance
- Early warning systems which detect abnormal Program Delivery performance as soon as it occurs
- Independent reporting to Sponsors, Program Boards and Steering Committees
Program Assurance provides an important source of guidance about remedial actions where programs show signs of pending failure. The issues identified by audits and reviews provide a trigger for uplifting Program Delivery Capability.
Program Assurance should be established at program commencement and continue through to program closure. Program Assurance can deliver early benefits, as often the seeds of program failure are sown early.
The first Program Assurance review should be conducted 2-3 months after the program commences, as it can predict the likelihood of program success or failure even at such an early stage.
An early warning system should be implemented, as soon as the baseline Master Program Schedule has been approved. This early warning system should independently monitor program delivery performance with the specific aim of highlighting potentially serious delivery problems, which may provide the trigger for performing a Program Audit/Review.
Sponsors, Program Boards and Steering Committees need assurance that programs are conducted professionally, satisfy stakeholder expectations and meet ROI targets (through control of costs and benefits). Program Assurance meets this critical requirement and indirectly adds value by improving Program Delivery Capability and performance.
Program Assurance should be established at the commencement of a program and continue through to program closure. A budget allocation for Program Assurance should be established. Program Assurance significantly influences the likelihood of achieving successful program delivery, where stakeholder expectations are satisfied.
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