Victoria University SSTP IQA: Recommendations from PwC’s 21 January 2020 report
Topic
Recommendation
Why this is important
A number of major challenges exist based on SSTP’s performance to date and current issues – a number of urgent SSTP architecture, programme resourcing and governance responses are
required
1 Enterprise, solution and
KPMG have identified a number of TOM and CRM architecture issues. These are significant and
A clear and complete understanding of VUW’s future
technology architecture
challenge the quality of the work to date and whether it can be used to support upcoming project
business and technology architecture is essential to:
activities.
•
Consolidating, streamlining and standardising
A detailed assessment of KPMG’s architecture review findings against the TOM and CRM
business processes
architecture should be completed urgently. This review should clearly assess the extent of the
•
Identifying the capability required to operate the
actual gaps and identify the quantum of work, and capability, required to fully define the TOM. This
new ways of working
should be completed as a matter of priority and work on other projects should pause until this is
•
Correctly identifying technology that will enable
performed.
the future ways of working across
ITS should support this architecture work and bring their VUW institutional knowledge to help
•
Defining and the data required
assess the alignment of current and future technology to the broader target operating model.
•
Understand the true extent of effort, costs and
timeframes to deliver SSTP
•
Realising planned benefits and maximising the
return of VUW’s investment
Accountability:
ITS Director
Management Response
Looking to identify an Enterprise Architecture Framework that will work well for the University
(probably CAUDIT model). Then need the buy-in of SLT around the workings/benefits of enterprise
architecture. Finally a high-level roadmap will be needed for implementation. Targeting a
presentation to SLT in May.
2 Programme resourcing: Delivery SSTP has used a number of external contractors and has faced significant turnover. With the
Transformational change is not easy. This is
model
issues raised in the KPMG report, the abandoned OESR project, and the relative non deliverable of especially so where an organisation is moving from a
anything operationally tangible over the past 18 months, it would be prudent to question the current devolved to a centralised structure that impacts all
delivery model. The past has not worked.
operating model areas.
SSTP should consider partnering with an external transformation partner to provide the necessary
An external organisation that has done this
leadership, methodology, skills and previous experience of guiding an organisation through
previously can provide the necessary experience,
transformation. This model would also enable VUW to genuinely hold a partner to account
particularly where programme disciplines are
performance where schedule, financial, quality and benefit challenges are faced; the current
immature, and will have some skin in the game to
contracting approach places all risk with the University.
motivate success.
Topic
Recommendation
Why this is important
Accountability:
Provost
This has been addressed by appointing the University’s most experienced programme manager to
Management Response
SSP from January 2020. The current focus is to assess the needs of the individual projects to create
a coherent programme approach. The business case for moving ahead is due in April and will outline
the timing, partner options, reduced scope, resourcing (including need for external resource), costs
and deliverables for SSP. The business case will be a joint SSP/ITS submission.
The team leads are now all full-time staff members, not contractors. Most SSP members are also
full-time staff seconded from their normal role.
3 Programme resourcing:
An investment in training is required if SSTP continues to use an internal staff and contractor
A uniform approach and ways of working increases
Upskilling
resourcing model so the team can execute against the same delivery methodology.
the chances of success.
Accountability
Director Strategic Projects
The Strategic projects Office (SPO) has developed a framework of all of the skills needed at
Management Response
different stages of the projects. Currently reviewing all strategic projects against that framework to
identify areas of common skills gaps. Will arrange necessary supervision, mentoring and training.
However, management stress that, the Property team apart, the university is at a very early stage
in its adoption of Programme and Project Management processes. Accordingly, the University has
a significant capacity and capability gap re Programme and Project Management. Whilst upskilling
will help, it will take time to develop a strong cohort of staff who are both trained
and experienced
in Programme/Project Leadership.
4 Governance: Increase reporting Better reporting from Programme Management through to Governance is required to help govern a Clear governance reporting is an important
transparency
large and important change. This has improved with the new Programme Director evidenced by
governance enabler to drive programme success,
the ‘red-rated’ SSTP status, sharing the programme schedules and milestones as part of the reset, and also allows governance to support and enable
monthly progress and next steps reporting, and risk and issue reporting supported by a July risk
the programme management team by making timely
workshop.
decisions, sharing their fresh perspectives and
clearing roadblocks.
Accountability
Director Strategic Projects
Topic
Recommendation
Why this is important
The new Strategic Project Office (SPO) has implemented regular monthly portfolio reporting since
Management Response
March 2018 on all programme and projects which are part of the strategic roadmap. In order to
ensure consistency of reporting across the portfolio, the SPO’s next step is to take on a bigger role
in assessing all reporting for accuracy against baseline documentation. We will take a risk based
approach to allocation of effort. The reporting frequency will change from monthly to quarterly for
programmes/ projects that are progressing well. Programme or Projects which are in need of more
attention will continue to report on a monthly basis. This generic reporting will provide a minimal
standard for Projects. In order to facilitate effective governance, the generic reporting will need to
be augmented with the specific facts pertaining to each specific project by that project’s Project
Manager.
5 Governance: Membership
The Governance Group should include:
Business Owners play an important role in owing and
•
All business owners whose business areas will be impacted by SSTP changes, and the COO
driving change aligned to benefits, and ensuring the
right cultural and institutional knowledge is applied to
•
All service support heads that will provide and support the underlying capabilities, i.e.:
programme delivery approaches and solutions.
− If there is a heavy people model change the head of HR should be part of the governance Including the Director HR and Director ITS in the
group (previously included but not currently included)
governance group will acknowledge there are both
− If there is a heavy IT model component the Director ITS should be part of the governance business process and a large technology component
group (not currently included).
that must align to the University’s broader
environment and plans, and provide fresh HR and IT
perspectives that are difficult to develop when part of
day-to-day programme delivery.
Accountability
Director Strategic Projects
With the setup of the SPO in early 2018, a Governance Guidelines Framework was developed. The
Management Response
Governance Guidelines document requires a Review Panel to be established as the primary
governance vehicle for every “major” project. The Review Panel is chaired by the SLT Sponsor,
includes the Business Owner and must have at least one other member of the SLT on it too
(typically the SLT members will comprise the most relevant academic leader and the most relevant
Professional Service leader)
Projects are required to produce project charters during the initiation phase. These include a
section specifying (1) the governance roles and responsibilities; and (2) how the impacted business
owners, support heads, stakeholders (eg ITS Director) etc will be involved (based on a RASCI
model).
The governance group of the SSP is being reviewed.
Topic
Recommendation
Why this is important
6 Governance: Roles,
Greater clarity is required over governance roles and responsibilities. The primary objective of this Governance skills and experience play a significant
responsibilities and training
group is to provide the programme mandate, oversight of its delivery, championing throughout the
role in the execution of a programme and the ability
University, and strategic decision making to keep the programme on course. Given VUW do not
to realised planned benefits.
have institutional knowledge of large, transformational programmes, we recommend:
•
Appointing an external governance group member with experience in IT-enabled business
transformation
•
Supporting governance personnel with training in specialist areas, e.g. enterprise architecture,
to help support their roles.
Accountability
Director Strategic Projects
Governance Guidelines document in conjunction with the Major Projects Framework outline the
Management Response
roles and responsibilities of the Governance Group as a whole and more specifically the Sponsor.
To emphasise the importance of governance, and ensure easy accessibility to understanding the
role, we have developed a precise and succinct two page summary on governance and provided it
to all sponsors of Strategic Projects.
A range of additional SSTP lessons are relevant to VUW’s broader programme of change
7 Align all projects and initiatives The Marketo system was procured and implemented by the University outside the SSTP
The holy grail of all front office transformations, which
that relate to the Student Journey programme. If it is VUW’s goal to create a single view of the student journey and to streamline the for the University is the student journey, is to
into the SSTP programme
university’s people, process, organisational and technology capabilities to support that journey,
streamline the marketing, sales and service value
then all such projects and initiatives must be aligned be part of SSTP.
chain from a process, data, user experience,
integration and analytics perspective. Combining all
related VUW projects and initiatives is needed to
align how the University will work across all parts of
the student journey and deliver a coherent
combination of changes and deliverables.
Accountability
Chief Operating Officer
Management Response
Decisions around University structure need to be determined before ultimate accountability for this
issue is clear. Delivering on this matter is key to transforming the processes comprising the
student journey and will require careful thinking
Topic
Recommendation
Why this is important
8 Quality management
Establish a quality management approach that identifies key programme deliverables, defines who Quality management is a good project management
should sign-off these deliverables, assigns quality management roles via a RACI, and keeps track
enabler and plays an important role in managing risk,
of and stores product descriptions, deliverables and their respective sign-offs.
producing quality deliverables, and realising benefits.
Accountability
Director Strategic Projects
Management Response
Work is well underway to devise a practical, pragmatic approach to give assurance on programme
quality, deliverables and milestones with the approach finalised by 31 March. Looking to use PwC
resource to run a pilot 3-4 reviews in 2020 reporting to the Programme Sponsor and Director
Strategic Projects. SSP will probably be the first programme reviewed as part of a new bau
process.
9 Programme financials
The SSTP phase one business cases were more akin to annual financial requests, and phase two
Funding decisions for projects and programmes must
business cases contain very rough estimates beyond the current financial year. At this stage we do be made with informed and complete whole of life
not believe an accurate estimate of the total SSTP costs have been ascertained that would support financials that drive good decision making throughout
informed decision-making.
the entire programme lifecycle.
Business cases should be strengthened to reflect whole of life programme and project costs.
Accountability
Strategic Projects Director
Since it was introduced in 2016, the Investment Framework including the Investment Case
Management Response
template, clearly requires Investment Cases to capture the full, whole of life programme and project
costs. The introduction of the framework represented a major change to previous established
practice which was to lodge annual requests. Virtually all parts of the University have now
accepted this new approach, however we are at a relatively low level of maturity and there is
significant scope to enhance the quality and clarity of business cases.
10 IT product and services
Commercial personnel should be involved in the procurement of project IT products and services
IT is a significant spend and must enable the
procurement
over a certain value. To date the following SSTP spend could be considered wasteful and makes
University to realise an appropriate return on
up a considerable amount of the SSTP spend to date:
investment.
•
$1,257K spent on the Ellucian Banner Document Management system in 2014/15 that has not
been used
•
Selection of $1.5m Ellucian Recruit as the OESR solution when it was found later it was not fit
for purpose
Topic
Recommendation
Why this is important
•
CRM architecture challenges identified in the KPMG report.
Accountability
ITS Director
Management Response
ITS have been working to centralise purchasing of IT products and services. ITS have a
procurement specialist and their process is consistent with the standard University procurement
process. Historically SSTP was outside of the remit of the IT procurement process.
ITS and SSP are working closely together to ensure accountabilities are clear as to technology
procurement accountability (ITS) and business transformation change (SSP).
