3 ways to help secure the course of a new transformation program

It can be easy to neglect the start of your transformation program when your organization and team are set on the larger, big-picture goals of the initiative. But the below examples reflect a few first 30-day experiences I’ve seen throughout my career. Just like anything, a good start helps to ensure a great finish. You can expect issues, challenges, and problems will occur during the life of your program, but starting strong is the first step to run a great project.

Here are three things that appear simple, but are critical to get right in the first 30 days of your transformation initiative.

1. Ask your vendor what its first 30-day plan is

Your statement of work (SOW) will have activities and deliverables listed in your responsible, accountable, consult, and inform (RACI) matrix, but you want to ensure what you’re asking for are the most important things that need to  be done in the first 30 days, and how to accomplish them.

I can’t recall seeing a project timeline that didn’t have a task referring to some type of a mobilization plan during the first 30 days. But the details of the plan aren’t always clearly articulated in the initial SOW drafts. Of course, during those first 30 days, you’ll do many activities, including refining your overall program plan. But by asking your vendor to map out an answer, at least you’re starting day one with a plan of what the next 30 will cover, and what’s expected to be both started and completed at the beginning of your program.

Remember no plan is still a plan, but it’s not a good plan.

Pro tip: Require the vendor to provide their 30-day plan as part of the RFP process, refine the plan during the selection process before SOW execution, and include the first 30-day plan in the SOW to be ready to execute on day one.

2. Map out your vendor expectations for days one to 90

If you’re working with a third-party advisory partner, you should receive a personnel staffing plan template for both vendor and client resources as part of the system integration RFP solicitation process. The completed template provides a lot of information, including a view of proposed talent, timing, and estimated cost.

As a client, a few things you should expect on day one of the program include the vendor providing start dates and names of all key personnel identified in the SOW, as well as your vendor who’ll join the program in the next 30 days. Someone on your team will track the actual onboarding. The vendor should also have start dates for resources that start on day 31 through day 60, and confirm resources for day 61 through 90 are allocated within their firm. Set the expectation with the vendor that this is a process you’ll revisit every 30 days throughout the program. In addition, you as a client should have your resources identified and allocated, meaning free from other obligations for day one through 60. And your steering committee should know the resources you’re expected to have for at least the next 12 months.

Pro tip: Include the first couple of steps in your SOW, either in the RACI or assumptions section. Assign reporting status responsibility to someone on the client’s project management office (PMO) team throughout as well.

3. Initiate the PMO and lock in the governance plan

The governance and PMO process framework should be included in the SOW, ideally in the RACI and assumptions section. Experienced teams will already have the PMO and governance process underway prior to day one of the program, but unfortunately, and too often, this is not the case. 

Regardless of your situation, the realization process from SOW to actual execution needs to transpire with zero delay. Realization will depend on vendor experience, resource availability, and terms within the SOW. Experience shows the velocity of PMO and governance realization, defined as speed and direction, and will be driven by leadership and stated expectations of the client.

There are many things to work on regarding your PMO office, but some key items that matter most include to:

• Implement the governance process – you’ll enhance this during the program.
• Set up the RAID (risk, action, issue, decisions) register – track and escalate as needed. Vendors may bring their tools and dashboards, but don’t wait when you can use Excel or Smartsheet in the interim on day one.
• Complete the initial integrated project plan – begin your integrated project plan maintenance process.
• Begin status reporting – they’ll be anemic at first, but you need to start somewhere to improve your reporting.
• Review – where appropriate, modify the program’s financial management and business case achievement, as well as enable the tracking processes.

Pro tip: Include and clearly describe these steps in the SOW RACI, and reference topics in the SOW assumptions section. Assign an internal finance resource to co-manage and forecast program finances with vendor resource.

The bottom line

All of the above items mentioned, and many other important tasks, need to be done within your program. Being prepared to fully utilize the first 30 days of your program will ensure you have the processes and plan to execute the remainder of the project. Steering committee members are the transformation program’s board of directors, so expect your program team to be managed as a business. The executive sponsor should include these items in talking points with the lead project manager, and the program manager should see this content as a helpful refresher.