A change in managing contractor and Facility Manager for IAFCP provided an opportunity for IDSS Ltd to review management systems and restructure a programme that had been operating for three years but was behind in delivery. A key finding was that the team was operating from a design document that provided a detailed understanding of the problem and a broad methodology, but few stakeholders understood it and there were insufficient details as to how it would be managed.
What we did
Mandy Whyte prepared a retroactive program implementation plan (PIP) to detail what each team would do and when, and to plan changes to management to ensure that the program would be delivered.
How we did it
Mandy and her colleague Michael of IDSS conducted interviews with staff (120) and counterpart agencies (4) to determine what their understanding of the program was, what it was trying to achieve, how they saw their roles within it. It became clear that people had divergent beliefs about it.
The team embarked on a project planning process through workshops with each team and meetings with external stakeholders to consider and clarify terminology and determine changes that the programme could and should make within the remaining period. They determined methodologies for each output and prepare detailed work plans. Each team proposed outcomes and outputs that they would deliver. We appointed project managers to support the teams.
Benefits
Stakeholders had a clear understanding of the program, staff morale shifted markedly as they knew what was expected of them and received better management support. External partners who had been critical of the program became supportive, a high-risk rating on the program was expunged, and funding was approved for a further year.
The PIP was an invaluable communications tool and reference document for monitoring and reporting progress.
What did they say
“I was ready to axe this program, but now we have this PIP I’m recommending we extend it”, DFAT reviewer
Australian DFAT/Indonesia-Australia Forest Carbon Partnership, Indonesia, 2012-2014