Governance changes to a major programme to ensure business ownership at the NHS
- OverviewRead more
The NHS Programme for Information Technology (NPfIT) Local Ownership Project was established to give the NHS more 'ownership' for delivery of the NPfIT. Key to achieving this was to define new governance. Moorhouse was asked to align programme governance with extant statutory NHS governance, and we considered the following as part of our future model: programme governance, financial governance, and corporate governance. We developed a series of 'RACI' matrices through a series of workshops that defined who was Responsible, Accountable, Consulted and Informed regarding Programme activity. The benefits to the Programme were an unambiguous statement of what and where key activities had to be undertaken within the new operating environment for successful and sustainable planning and delivery.
- Our client's challengeRead more
The NHS Programme for IT (NPfIT) Local Ownership Project (NLOP) was established to give the NHS more 'ownership' and responsibility for delivery of the NPfIT. A key factor in achieving this objective was to define new governance
- Our responseRead more
Our aim was to align Programme governance with extant statutory NHS governance. Moorhouse considered three strands as part of the future governance model:
• Programme governance outlining the Programme structure and accountabilities for the execution of activities. The governance of NPfIT must follow the general principles of NHS accountability and be designed to operate within the existing framework of governance and line authority
• Financial governance outlining how payments are made to the NHS for the provision of work packages and services given the majority of NPfIT funds will be paid directly to suppliers for the provision of goods and services
• Corporate governance provides the method in which the conduct of NPfIT will be compliant with the conditions of business standards, particularly Strategic Health Authority (SHA) standing orders and standing financial instructions
To ensure the alignment of these strands we were specific about where accountabilities and responsibilities for the Programme lay. Through numerous workshops with the NHS and NHS Connecting for Health (CFH), we developed a series of functional 'RACI' matrices that articulated which organisation was Responsible, Accountable, were Consulted and Informed regarding Programme activity; in short, “who did what and where”.
- The value to our clientRead more
The benefits to the Programme were an unambiguous statement of what and where key activities had to be undertaken within the new operating environment for successful and sustainable planning and delivery. Furthermore, Moorhouse established terms of reference for the key governance groups:
• Strategic Management: A Programme for IT Management Board composed of the constituent SHA Chief Executives, the Programme Director and the NHS CFH Chief Operating Officer to provide strategic direction and programme sponsorship.
• Higher Operational Management: A Programme Executive composed of a Programme Director, SHA Chief Information Officers, clinicians, local service/solution provider representatives and the appropriate NHS CFH representation to manage key aspects of programme delivery across the constituent SHAs.
Operational Management: An SHA Programme for IT board to manage programme delivery within individual SHAs. SHAs also established their own regional governance structures based on our operating model designs.
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