Transforming Government and Public Services: Realising Benefits Through Project Portfolio Management

`This book distills the learning from practical experience and academic research and represents a significant contribution to the challenges we face in transforming government and public services in an environment of ever-tighter finances' John Suffolk, UK Government Chief Information Officer

Major public sector IT-enabled business change programmes are designed to realize benefits in terms of more efficient services, services tailored to the need of citizens, and improved outcomes, but in practice such benefits often fail to materialize or we are unable to demonstrate their delivery - Transforming Government and Public Services provides proven tools, techniques and processes to reverse this trend.

Stephen Jenner explores a number of key themes that are fundamental to an approach to project portfolio management built on value. He explains how to: develop a business case to achieve a desired intent rather than justify a particular solution; create project documentation that is both technically rigorous and gives users a clear understanding of where you are going; treat projects as investments rather than costs; include stage gates with teeth that are closely linked to real performance; plan for success rather than holding people to account for failure; use a single version of the truth principle so there are no arguments about different data.

In a complex, confusing and often highly politicized environment, Stephen Jenner's Transforming Government and Public Services provides a clear, definitive and highly applied guide for all involved in selecting the right projects and doing them right so that they achieve the intended investment objectives.

Stephen Jenner has 25 years experience in finance and programme management roles in the public sector including as a member of the Senior Civil Service since 1999. From 2005-08 he headed the CJS IT portfolio, a $2bn investment in modernising justice. The approach adopted won the 2007 Civil Service Financial Management award and has been recognised internationally in reports to the European Commission, the OECD and in a short case study by Gartner. More recently he has participated in the development of Portfolio Management as part of the Cabinet Office's ICT strategy and he co-ordinates the cross-government Project Portfolio Management Special Interest Group as well as playing a leading role in the development of OGC guidance in this area.