Programme Assurance Resources
Public Sector And Programme Management
The information in this guide is intended for general purposes only. For more specific guidance around your organisation’s projects, please get in touch with our team.
In this section, you will find:
- Public sector programmes vs. private sector programmes
- Programmes are affected by mandates and elections
- Programme governance is critical
- Budget comes from the taxpayer – an increased level of scrutiny for programmes
- Outcomes for the benefit of New Zealand, not the organisation
- Inter-agency collaboration
- The sign off process
- We are government programme assurance experts
- Where to next?
- Latest Programme Assurance Articles
So how does public sector programme management differ from any other organisation? There are certainly parallels, and much of the programme or project assurance methodology applies regardless of the type of business. In our experience working closely with NZ’s public sector, we know first hand the nuances that exist that make programmes in government different.
Public sector programmes vs. private sector programmes
A programme within government needs to consider financial elements carefully of course, but the objectives are more about improving the functions of the public sector and ultimately the quality of life for New Zealanders. An easy way to think about the difference is by considering the end stakeholder difference:
Shareholders vs. Taxpayers.
Programmes are affected by mandates and elections
Even more disruptive, but entirely par for the course, is the election year uncertainty – and post-election changes. If the government has switched from one major party to the other, the programmes in the public sector may have more disruptions than when the incumbent party remains in government.
Despite this, it’s in no government’s best interests to entirely derail long term programmes that have been partly rolled out – so typically there are changes to work through rather than completely shelving a programme.
Programme governance is critical
Governance is important no matter the size of the business or indeed whether it’s in public or private sectors. Ensuring the programme is managed, reported on and overseen to best practice is of top priority. The Office of the Auditor General (OAG) speaks to this in their page Elements of effective governance, highlighting the need for clear accountability and proactive risk management.
Any government body can be subject to an official information act request and audits by the aforementioned OAG. It’s crucial that governance is tight and accurate to keep the programme healthy and able to respond to such reviews – as well as review by the minister into progress.
Budget comes from the taxpayer – an increased level of scrutiny for programmes
Some programmes within the government attract media exposure due to how they impact a large percentage of Kiwis. Others may end up in the news for the wrong reasons, such as perceived budget issues or failure.
In our work as an assurance provider for programmes in the public Sector, we’re always keeping sight the importance of efficient, accurate programme delivery. We help our clients find ways to build robust governance, excellent delivery practices, and ultimately a good outcome.
Outcomes for the benefit of New Zealand, not the organisation
Inter-agency collaboration
While large private enterprises run programmes internally and with only the involvement of external suppliers, public sector projects are often made up of more than one agency. This is important for initiatives that touch various functions of government. Some activities have a lead agency and secondary agencies who provide part of the work required. Treasury is often involved in cross-agency initiatives.
The sign off process
Sign offs vary greatly in their importance and rigour. A simple decision around functionality of a front end design may be able to get green-lit in a day. More significant changes like a scope adjustment will need to go through a process and often, several levels of sign off.
What needs to be acknowledged is that decisions in a government department have implications outside of the organisation – on the government of the day and New Zealand as a whole. It’s therefore understandable that work programmes.
We are government programme assurance experts
If you’re working in the public sector on a programme and need assurance practices to support positive outcomes, IQANZ has extensive knowledge and experience that could help. Our team has collectively well over 100 years of time working in and around the public sector, so we know the challenges that programmes can face. If you want to learn more, get in touch today.
Where to next?
Read our other programme resources:
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Building a programme governance model
Governance helps an organisational programme run more smoothly. We ...
Procurement for programmes
Procurement relies upon expertise and processes to get right. A well planned...
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What is Change Management?
Influencing and ultimately coordinating change is not straight forward. In this guide...
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Long term budget planning for programmes
How do you effectively budget for long term programmes, with deliverables...
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Public sector and programme management
How does a large programme of work differ in the public sector vs. private enterprise?
Learn More >>
Latest Programme Assurance Articles
The Relationship Between Programmes And Projects
Many of the workforce have contributed towards projects, but it’s common to not have a full picture of how projects and programmes interrelate, and indeed how the both contribute towards making positive changes.
What it takes to lead a successful organisational programme
Programmes are high stakes and complex. Guiding a programme to success requires a number of qualities from its leaders and organisation.
How To Align The Business Around A Programme
Creating cohesion between parts of the business is crucial for a programme’s success. We cover some ways to approach this challenge.
How assurance on a programme differs from project QA
Conducting assurance on a programme requires a broader, more strategic perspective than a review of a project. We explore this difference and others in this article.
Project and Programme Managers – What Keeps You Up At Night?
There’s no doubt that being responsible for a project or programme can be a high stress job at times. Oftentimes that business activity is directly related to a key organisational outcome, with success of the project having knock on effects to the future of the business.
Explore our other QA services
Get In Touch
IQANZ Limited
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11 Aurora Terrace
PO Box 11-757 Wellington,
New Zealand
04 473 4340
info@iqanz.com