Client Profile: AGL – Portfolio Management, PMO Establishment, Program Recovery

Executive Summary

AGL has partnered with IDEE Group on advisory and delivery engagements across the organisation, covering new product launches, program recovery and PMO establishment
Designed and established a new business unit PMO, including the definition of governance and funding models, delivery frameworks and knowledge management
Reviewed and recovered a major program to launch telecommunications & internet products to retail customers
Provided program management and delivery services to lead a major renewables program and high priority regulatory and compliance project

The Situation

New business unit requires a better governance approach.

IDEE Group worked with a new business unit in AGL, responsible for identifying and developing new products and services using nascent technologies such as blockchain for peer-to-peer energy trading, solar renewables and smart-home devices, to define and implement a portfolio management framework.

Given the innovative nature of the projects and as expected, high-failure rates, a tailored new delivery, funding and governance approach was required to provide enough flexibility so as to not stifle innovation whilst providing leadership with visibility of project status and success.

The Solution

Portfolio management services, delivery framework and new business case processes.

Over a period of 6 months, IDEE Group designed and rolled-out a new project delivery and funding model, as well as a portfolio management framework that included training modules and templates for all team members on how to execute Design Sprints, Proof of Concepts, Pilots and full-scale market launches.

We leveraged existing project collateral, tools and templates available from IT and the more mature project management practices in existence across AGL, while defining a fit-for-purpose funding and governance model given the type of projects being executed and delivery capabilities of the teams who were more technologists and innovators rather than Project Managers.

The Outcome

Designed a delivery framework and successfully delivered new governance models.

The business unit were also able, for the first time, to accurately track and report on portfolio financial spend, benefits, business outcomes and resources which enabled them to conduct quarterly portfolio reviews. The outcome of these reviews was that a suite of KPIs and non-financial measures could also be used to assess whether to stop, continue or pivot initiatives and re-balance the portfolio toward strategic goals.

Full training modules were also delivered across the business unit to up-skill team members and provide basic project management understanding and experience. During the course of the engagement a PMO was established and IDEE Group helped to select an internal resource to run the PMO and provide them with training and coaching to embed the new practices.