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Project assurance review

1.1 Overview

Project success is through confidence in the delivery of a project and being able to anticipate
potential issues early enough to act. However, project managers and the project team are
often so involved in the daily project activities that risks and issues may go undetected.

The primary purpose of the project assurance review is to provide sponsors and project
managers with confidence in the status of their project. The review provides independent and
impartial guidance to identify any obstacles that may prevent successful project delivery.

Project assurance reviews are also a great way of capturing best practices used within
projects to use as learning’s for future projects. This feedback loop is integral to the ongoing
development of project management maturity within our organisation.

1.2 Process

A project assurance review is a formal process to ensure consistency and accuracy of the
findings in an unbiased manner.

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 1.3 Timeline
Below is an indicative timeline for a typical project. This would not fit all projects irrespective
of size and complexity. The timeline will change if relevant information and key stakeholders
are not readily available. It will also depend on what phase the project is in the project
lifecycle as the planning and execution phases will inevitably be more detailed.

Week Activity
1 • Send project sponsor and project manager briefing email
• Set the scene with project sponsor and project manager
• Data gathering of relevant project documentation
• Schedule project team and stakeholder interviews

2 • Commence questionnaire interviews

• Review all relevant project documentation

3 • Develop draft project assurance review report

• Debrief with project sponsor and project manager
• Send draft to project sponsor and project manager for feedback

4 • Incorporate applicable feedback received into report

• Issue final version of report to project sponsor and project manager

1.4 Report

The output of the project assurance review can provide peace of mind if a project is going
well, or can provide the relevant details to make informed decisions about the future of the
project.

Findings of a typical project assurance review will include an assessment how the project is
performing against the following project management components:

 leadership
 scope
 time
 cost
 risks
 quality
 human resources
 communication
 procurement

Presentation of these findings will be in simple report, which will include suggested
recommendations of practical and workable actions to improve project performance where
applicable.

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