Planning and Approving Projects - an Executive Perspective

Successful delivery of government programs requires the projects that underpin their implementation are well-managed from the point of inception through to full implementation and that the ICT strategies are framed in a business context with ICT personnel using less technical jargon.

The above is the recommendation of the Australian Audit Office in a Better Practice Guide - "Planning and Approving Projects - an Executive Perspective". The Guide provides an executive perspective on the planning and approval stage of projects for Australian Government entities, focuses on the most common types of projects – those aimed at program delivery, and on internal business operations and includes information and examples of issues that arise when information and communications technologies (ICT) is a substantive part of a project. The Guide:

• Discusses the role of executives in project planning and approval and typical elements of the project lifecycle;
• Describes better practices in the overall arrangements of an entity for the planning and approval of projects, including aspects of strategic planning, people and culture, and governance;
• Describes better practices for senior executives in the planning and approval of individual projects, including clarifying the project concept, preparing a business case and project approval; and
• Provides an overview of implementation issues for projects.

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