A two-year transformation of a large UK Government Department’s portfolio structures and operations

What was the challenge?

The Department’s Transformation Group (TG) had brought over £2bn worth of transformation activity into alignment under a single organisation for the first time in order to ensure resources are committed for the greatest benefit to the Department’s customers.

Through this work TG were looking to mobilise a Transformation partner who would lead on resolving some of the legacy ways of working (manual and very labour intensive) which were impacting opportunities to optimise the organisational and functional design to deliver a best in class portfolio function. Additionally, major initiatives had different governance and assurance principles which made designing and implementing a comprehensive portfolio structure and function a highly complex process.

How did we help?

Northstar rapidly mobilised a team to deliver portfolio strategy and transformation while maintaining existing delivery activities in blended teams with civil servants. Specifically our partnership:

• Implemented an enduring multi-functional portfolio organisation. Through collaborative working we ensured a model that focused on both the definition and delivery of the transformation portfolio.
• Provided portfolio leadership, which included mobilising joint Portfolio Directors as part of the team to lead and prioritise the development of the portfolio function.
• Maintaining performance and the controls of the portfolio (SR20) while enabling improvements through capturing pain points and optimising tools and practices (such as the end-to-end change lifecycle) where possible.
• Improving reliability of delivery through new planning and risk management standards.
• Design and procurement of a strategic portfolio management tool to provide an enduring benefit to the portfolio and programmes across the Department.
• Targeted capability and upskilling across the civil servants. Delivered through structured learning and opportunities to learn from NorthStar’s broader client experience.

What was the impact?

• Identified over £150million in savings and underspend through engagement with programmes for reallocation across initiatives or returning to Treasury.
• Mobilised more effective delivery controls for the portfolio, which supported bringing overall risk level and tolerances down, generating greater certainty against planned benefits realisation.
• Linked to the most recent Spending Review (SR21) a portfolio baseline was established through working with programmes and other business groups to develop increasingly levels of maturity and confidence within delivery outcomes.
• Clearer and more structured relationships between the TG and other department directorates.