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Post Review - Detail
The main purpose of Post-Programme/Project Review is to examine and provide evidence of the value of return on the investment made - both for the Programme/Project under review and, in the form of lessons learned, for future Programmes & Projects. In Projects, although planned for and scheduled as part of the closure process, the review itself is not part of the Project. Programmes are different in that reviews should be scheduled at key points throughout the Programme, after a step-change in capability has been delivered (eg at end-of-tranche). The final Post-Programme review should be scheduled as part of the formal Programme closure process and as well as assessing the benefits already being realised should assess how well the Programme Blueprint has been delivered. A further review may be necessary to include any benefits that were not ready for measurement at Programme closure. The Business Change Manager has an important role to play in providing information on benefits measurement
There is a need to explain and clarify the terminology being used in the NI public sector to describe the various types of Post Programme and Project reviews being undertaken. The terms used in Construction Procurement (informed by the Office of Government Commerce (OGC) Achieving Excellence (AE) guidance) are slightly different to those used in a more generic Programme/Project Management (PPM) context. The table below sets out the various terms used with some explanation for each.
| Terminology | Description | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Generic PPM | ||
| Programme Review | Reviews should be carried out throughout the Programme, typically at end-of-tranche. Monitoring of benefits realisation is a key focus for these reviews. An additional review should be carried out at closure to assess delivery against the Programme Blueprint. | A further review (following programme closure) may be necessary to provide complete assessment of benefits realisation |
| Project-Evaluation Review (PER) | A Project-Evaluation Review (PER) is carried out to assess how well the project has been managed. It is the overall term for a review that incorporates an End-Project Report and a Lessons Learned Report | PRINCE2 term |
| Post-Project Review (PPR) | A Post-Project Review assesses the realisation of benefits projected in the business case and monitored/tracked as described in the benefits realisation strategy. Any deviations from what was expected should be documented and explained. PPR is an important input for a Gate 5 Review. | PRINCE2 term. DFP Supply require sight of PPRs for all projects above delegated limits |
| End-Project Report (EPR) | An End-Project Report (EPR) is really the Project Manager’s report to the Project board documenting how well the project was managed against the Project Initiation Document (PID). It should comment on approved changes to the PID and cover any exceptions. It also should comment on how well the customer’s quality expectations have been met. It is produced as part of the formal project closure process | Should cover assessment of any benefits which are already being realised |
| Lessons Learned Report | Lessons that have been captured during the course of the project (eg at end of each project stage) should be written up formally in the Lessons Learned Report. Content may include abnormal events, performance of methods and tools, recommended future enhancements or modifications, generally what went well/badly | Project Lessons Learned should be communicated into the wider organisation, as part of an overall capture and publication process for Lessons Learned |
| Post-Implementation Review (PIR) | A term sometimes used collectively to describe all post-project activity including Post-Evaluation Review (PER) and Post-Project Review (PPR) | Also used in Construction for a review equating to the generic Post-Project Review (PPR) |
| Construction Procurement (under AE) | ||
| Post-Project Review (PPR) | A Post-Project Review is carried out after construction is completed and focuses on how well the project was managed. It must include the views of suppliers and specialists who are at the point of actual delivery. It considers how well the construction project performed against Clients’ Charter KPIs such as cost and time predictability, safety, defects and client satisfaction. It also considers lessons learned from the team-working & partnering approach taken; these lessons should be documented in a Lessons Learned Report and fed back into the client organisation’s standards for managing projects | Equates to the generic Project-Evaluation Review (PER) |
| Post-Implementation Review (PIR) | A Post-Implementation Review – PIR (also known as post occupancy evaluation – POE) should be carried out when the facility has been in use for long enough to determine whether the business benefits have been achieved (typically, twelve months after completion and while the change is still recent enough for users to be aware of the impact of the change). This review establishes: whether the expected business benefits have been achieved from the investment in the facility, as justified in the business case if lessons learned from the business-focused aspects of the project will lead to recommendations for improvements in performance on future projects. | Equates to the generic Post-Project Review (PPR |
| Other | ||
| Post-Management Evaluation (PME) | Equivalent of the generic Post-Evaluation Review (PER) | Old terminology – no longer used |
| Post-Benefit Evaluation (PBE) | Equivalent of the generic Post-Project Review (PPE) | Old terminology – no longer used |
Main Post-Programme/Project Review roles and responsibilities are illustrated below.
| Role | Responsibility |
|---|---|
| Senior Responsible Owner (SRO) | Responsible for commissioning and chairing the PPR, ensuring that relevant staff are involved and the review report is sent to appropriate stakeholders. For Programmes, commissioning reviews at appropriate points throughout the Programme in addition to formal closure |
| Programme/Project Manager | Responsible for making sure Lessons Learned are recorded in an ongoing basis. Also responsible for producing the PER and passing it through to the Project Board. May be involved in the PPR process depending on post-project role within the organisation |
| Programme/Project Management Office (PMO) | Providing any standard templates that exist for any of these reports and source documents (eg PID, Risk, Issue & Quality logs, End Stage reports, updated Plans, Highlights Reports) |
| Business Managers | Addressing any business level recommendations being made in PPRs. Communicating and overseeing action in business areas, especially related to the transition from project to ‘new’ business as usual arrangements |
| All Staff | Feeding back into the review process on the new capability delivered by the project. Being aware of the need to record and communicate Lessons Learned and to reference them when starting up activity for which Lessons may be available |
