Governance that holdsa mandate to its plan.
Governance, cost control, scheduling and reporting that hold a mandate to its plan — to sponsors, lenders and public counterparties.
- Focus
- Governance · Control
- Reporting
- Sponsors · Lenders
- Through
- Commissioning
The work, itemised.
Complex projects fail at the seams: between parties, between versions of the plan, between what was reported and what was true. The PMO is the function that holds those seams.
- 01
Governance and decision rights
Who decides what, at which threshold, and on what evidence — agreed at the start rather than during the first dispute.
- 02
Cost control and change management
Committed versus forecast cost tracked against budget, with every change priced and approved before it is instructed.
- 03
Scheduling and dependencies
One integrated schedule showing the critical path and the interfaces other parties are relying on.
- 04
Risk and mitigation
A risk register that is worked rather than filed, with owners, dates and the cost of each exposure stated.
- 05
Reporting to sponsors and lenders
A single reporting pack on a fixed cadence, consistent across sponsors, lenders and public counterparties.
- 06
Commissioning and handover
Acceptance criteria, punch lists and documentation held to contract, so handover is a defined event rather than a date.
Three situations, usually.
Most mandates arrive at the point where the decision has been taken and the route has not.
- 01
More parties than reporting lines
When a program has more participants than channels and each is working to a different version of the plan.
- 02
Two sets of numbers
When cost and schedule are reported differently to each stakeholder and no one can reconcile them.
- 03
Handover has no owner
When commissioning and handover sit between parties and the acceptance criteria have never been written.
Engaged with the mandate, not after it.
This practice is usually taken alongside a sector mandate and one or two others, on a single accountable scope.
Discuss a project management office mandate.
Tell us the asset, the counterparty or the constraint. We will confirm whether we can help and who would take the mandate.