Major energy company - point of reference data centre
Client company & industry sector
Major energy company / Utility Sector
Scope of the assignment
Business and Technology Transformation
Catalise is currently engaged to Programme manage Project Lotus – the initiative to design and deliver a point of reference Data Centre for the client and its partners.
The project will deliver a step change in the quality of the IT infrastructure within the South East of England, including changes in property, process, organization and technology.
The current scope of our work is to deliver an investment case for the “core” scope, develop potential strategic relationships with partners for a joint marketing proposition, and provide leadership and content expertise in the HR/Change work stream.
In addition we are re-shaping the pre-existing project HR stream to ensure that it contains all the required elements of transition management; change management; organisational design; process design and resourcing
Financial and Performance Management
Catalise are providing advice and hands on support for the financial decision making on the project, scoping, shaping and completing the Investment Case for submission to the Portfolio Board and PIC.
Through this work, we will look to identify ways in which the financial and non-financial returns can be improved, and the risk profile reduced. Our initial recommendation, accepted by the BITEX, to defer the PIC submission was made to achieve both these objectives.
Description of deliverables
Catalise’s current deliverables on the project include:
- An initial project health check, ascertaining the readiness for PIC submission at the end of May
- Redesign of the project structure required to deliver the Investment Case
- Detailed milestone, deliverable and activity plans for the production and approval of the Investment Case
- Stakeholder analysis and communications plan
- Materials to support current communications objectives
- Delivery of the investment case itself
- Ongoing project reporting
- Facilitation of the project governance processes (Project Board etc)
Approach used. Our approach to this assignment has included the following steps - Stakeholder interviews to determine the current status
- Creation of a flash report to indicate the readiness for PIC
- Formulation of recommended recovery actions and management through the required approvals
- Rapid engagement and mobilisation of internal and external stakeholders and resources to address gaps in the Investment Case
- Challenge process of work to date, drawing upon our own expertise
- Initiation and contribution to RAID workshops
- Creation of revised Investment Case and management through the approvals process. [Work in progress]
Outcomes of the assignment
The initial feedback we have received has been very positive; with key stakeholders feeling much more engaged in the project. Many gaps have been identified in the work to date, and actions are in hand to deliver a significantly more robust Investment Case, with a much more realistic assessment of the project’s risks.
