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Accreditation to Author

PM Solutions Assurance

Date Originally Published

19 October 2021

Catagories

Agile, Agile Assurance Reviews, Assurance, Best Practice,

Assurance Reviews that support modern, fast paced and agile environments.

Agile Assurance Reviews (or AAR) and processes have been designed to assist government agencies, departments and organisations with the successful delivery of agile digital projects.

  • It provides independent, timely assurance to assist the Business Owner, who is the person responsible for the delivery of the overall outcomes, to apply improved oversight and governance to the agile project.
  • It examines agile projects at key decision points during initiation, discovery, deployment and post project operations. It is not an audit process and does not replace an organisation’s responsibility and accountability for implementing decisions for projects.
  • It is intended to be supportive (peer review) and forward-looking, considering how the project’s current and future plans will deliver the intended outcomes and benefits.
  • It helps to strengthen assurance practices, and build and share capability to deliver digital programs and projects.

 

Key attributes of Agile assurance
  • time limited assessments are conducted at key decision points or milestones during the life of the agile project and generally take 4 or 5 days
  • a point-in-time assessment of delivery confidence. For the best results, a review should be carried out shortly before a decision point or stage transition, to provide sufficient time for the agile project to make the necessary improvements
  • cultivating ‘agile ways of working’ throughout the project’s lifecycle.

 

The benefits of Agile assurance

Agile Assurance Reviews strengthen the oversight and governance of agile projects and assist organisations to deliver agile programs and projects successfully, to stated outcomes and objectives. The benefits of agile assurance commonly include:

  • better alignment of service delivery with an organisation’s desired outcomes and available funds
  • improved accuracy in planning
  • improved allocation of skills and resources
  • improved procurement and contract management processes
  • improved risk management
  • reduced time and cost overruns
  • increased confidence in the supplier
  • greater confidence that the project can progress to the next stage of agile development or implementation
  • cultivation of better agile, non-agile and hybrid agile practice techniques across organisations
  • access to the knowledge of highly experienced peers

 

Effective assurance fors high velocity projects

Successful AARs are underpinned by thorough planning and coordination, to support the agile nature of the project. To assist the initial planning process, discussions are held with key participants from the organisation (or government agency), assurance review units, PMO’s (those responsible for coordinating assurance reviews) and the AAR team to clarify the review’s:

  • intent
  • requirements
  • timeframes

 

Core Principles for successful agile assurance

The PM Solutions core principles are fundamental to the successful planning and coordination of AARs:

  • Provide independent assurance to ensure that agile projects are successful
  • Align benefits to overall organisational strategic objectives with measurable targets, timelines and owners
  • Build capability through access to highly accredited reviewers – provide value-adding mentoring and coaching for agile delivered projects

 

Assurance Best Practice – accredited partners

PM Solutions is proudly an Global Digital Assurance® Accredited Partner, who are globally recognised as the global best practice for the assurance of conventional, agile and hybrid programs and projects – in modern digital environments. The Global Digital Assurance Accredited Partner certification, provides organisations, government departments and agencies with the confidence that PM Solutions accredited assurance professionals have proven knowledge, verified skills and up-to-date knowledge to deliver more effective Gateway, Agile and digital program and project assurance reviews.