Planning Service for UK National Specialist Policing

Requirements

One of the UK’s national specialist policing organisations embarked on a top priority national transformational change programme, to deliver new digital capabilities in policing and enable technology development alongside business change.

It consisted of five large, complex and time-critical projects in various stages of their lifecycles.

For such a large undertaking, an effective and enhanced planning service was needed to address delivery challenges and provide greater delivery confidence.

Solutions

Recognising a need to maintain focus on delivery of in-flight projects, we developed and implemented a tailored Planning & Scheduling approach based on industry best practice (MSP, APM and PRINCE2), aligned to Portfolio Office Standards. We worked closely with the client to identify project needs, and prioritised implementation of planning artefacts where they would add most value to delivery.

The scope and objectives of projects were defined at planning workshops and an Integrated Master Schedule (IMS) was developed to maintain and track delivery progress, enabling senior leaders to effectively prioritise shared resources to critical tasks through early identification of gaps and conflicts.

A schedule performance dashboard enabled trend analysis and forecasting for early identification and impact assessment of any potential slippage to the programme’s critical path, and regular validation enabled effective and timely decision making by senior leaders. Throughout delivery, we maintained focus on upskilling the client’s staff and contractors, under a ‘One Team’ model which included ‘how to guides’, planning forums, and 1-to-1 skills coaching sessions to develop a sustainable in- house planning capability.

Benefits

• More informed, data driven decisions, resulting from the increased usage of standardised Planning and Scheduling policies, processes and plans which improved quality of artefacts and the support of more efficient reporting.
• Affordable, viable programme with increased stakeholder confidence, as a result of reduced schedule slippage and greater transparency of delivery progress across the Programme .
• Greater engagement and knowledge sharing with the Portfolio Office and wider programme stakeholders, resulted in continuous improvement across wider standards and practices

“BMT was awarded a contract to provide a Planning service for the top priority transformational change programme within our National Specialist Policing organisation. 

BMT has provided an engaging and understanding approach to drive a mature partnership and set in place an effective and trusted planning service, integrating this to a wider PMO capability and delivering rigour and necessary controls to develop and maintain the Programme schedule and respective project plans.

This has enabled improved visibility and focus for delivery activity, with improved reporting and decision making. In addition they have provided knowledge and skill transition to support other Programme teams and individuals. Their delivery has significantly and positively benefited the Programme’s delivery.

BMT has provided a capable, experienced and professional planning team capable of delivering the requirements of the service and where necessary proactively ‘going the extra mile’.

Without the professional support of BMT, the delivery of new digital capabilities to benefit national specialist policing and keep the public safe would not have been possible within the Programme’s delivery parameters.”

Senior Programme Manager, National Specialist Policing.