A student walking through the memorial gate

the gate process

As your project progresses through the stages in your workflow, there are 5 key decision points (or gates to open) before going onto the next stage of the project lifecyle.  The following will give you more detail about what happens at each of these gates.

QuickRef Guide to Project GRC

Pipeline

All projects start with an idea, a need, an opportunity or a challenge.  Our goal is to build a rich pool of these ideas and needs and opportunities to create a pipeline of future projects.  Within the PPMA software, we can capture these very quickly and it is the very first step to create a project.  To do this, all you need is a title for the project and to write a Vision Statement; a sentence or two that you can use to gather support for your project.  This becomes the very first section of your eventual business case.

Writing a Vision Statement:

In a nutshell
  • Explain your project in a single breath
Think about
  • Keep this short.  It will be used a lot in the PPMA software reports
  • Make it simple and not one long sentence
  • User plain English.  You want everyone to understand the project
  • Make it memorable.  You want someone to be able to explain it to others
Give me some examples

  • This project will implement a new software system and allow us to remove hundreds of different project data sources into a single source of the truth

  • This project will change how we identify and process corporate card payments

  • This project will tackle the water ingress in the main building

Gate 1. Decision to start

Should we develop this idea further?

What are the key questions at this gate?
  • Is there sponsorship for this idea?  Will someone back the idea?
  • Is there a compelling need for this idea?
  • Is there likely to be funding available?
  • Is this a large scale project that requires funding to develop the business case?
  • Are there technology elements?
  • Are there estates elements?
  • Will this impact on our sustainability goals?
  • Will we need to use Procurement?
Where do I find this information?
  • The Investment Submission form (click here)
  • PPMA software
Hints and tips
  • This stage is approved locally as there is no funding agreed yet
  • Although the Investment Submission Form includes costs and benefits, you will only be able to provide your best estimate at thus point and it is very unusual to have baseline and target benefits
  • It is at the point you will choose which workflow you want to use in the PPMA software
What happens next
  • Your Head of Finance and/or Super User (PMO) will move your project into the next stage if approved
  • Your project will become "live in the PPMA software and the full PM Workbook will be opened

Gate 2. Upfront funding required

Optional: do we need money to develop the business case

What are the key questions at this gate?
  • Are key stakeholders full engaged?
  • Have we considered the different options, including doing nothing?
  • Is there a clear link to our strategic objectives
  • Is there funding available in the Investment Plan?
  • Can we articulate, at a high level, the key benefits and outcomes this project will deliver?
  • Are we able to articulate the key milestones and goals?
  • Has the business case been reviewed by the Head of Finance?
  • Are there technology elements
  • Are there estates elements
  • Will this impact on our sustainability goals?Will we need to use Procurement?
Where do I find this information?
  • The Business Case (click here)
  • PPMA software
Hints and tips
  • This will need to go to the Investment Committee if not in the Investment Plan or >£500k
  • Although you will be able to better understand your benefit baselines and targets, you need this funding to finalise them.  You will not be held to account for benefits at this stage
  • Start to involve Planning Insights and Analytics as early as possible to help you with the next stage
  • There is a QuickRef Guide to Business Case and Benefits for further support
What happens next
  • If approved, you will write the full Business Case to deliver the project
  • Your Head of Finance and/or Super User (PMO) will move your project onto the next stage

Gate 3. Decision to invest

Do we commit fully to the project?

Key questions for the Sponsor

  • Is the total project scope/vision clear and unambiguous?

  • Are we clear on what success looks like?

  • Are we clear on any impact to staff or student experience?

  • Are we confident that stakeholders/those impacted been have made fully aware

  • Are we clear on who is holding this project accountable for successful delivery and realisation of benefits?
Key questions for the Head of Finance

  • Is there sufficient funding available?

  • If applicable, has the Discounted Cash Flow been checked?

  • Is there at least one measurable benefit? 

  • Do the measurable benefits have a category, baseline, target and owner??
Key questions for the Project Lead 

  • Have all risks, assumptions, constraints and dependencies been identified and articulated?

  • Are there sufficient resources (or stated funding) to deliver this project?

  • Has the governance been agreed?

  • Is there a high level plan with start and end dates, each stage and gate date as well as any key milestone?

  • If a procurement exercise was required, has Procurement signed the business case off?

  • If there is an impact on sustainability, has a Sustainability Project Form been completed?

  • Have data and data security considerations been included?

  • Is a Data Protection Impact Assessment required?

  • Did the project go through EDA?

  • Have Planning Insights and Analytics reviewed the validity of the benefits data baselines and targets?
Where do I find this information?
  • The Business Case (click here)
  • PPMA software
Hints and tips
  • This will need to go to the Investment Committee if not in the Investment Plan or >£500k
  • It is at this point that your benefits will be baselined and will require a change request to modify them
  • There is a QuickRef Guide to Business Case and Benefits for further support
What happens next
  • If approved, you will move to deliver the project
  • If rejected, your project will be moved back to pipeline
  • Your Head of Finance and/or Super User (PMO) will move your project onto the next stage

Gate 4. Readiness checkpoints

Can we go live and move to business as usual?  There can be more than one if the project is phased or partial go live

What are the key questions at this gate?

  • Has this met our success criteria/definition of ready?

  • Have all issues and changes made to scope been agreed and implemented?

  • Will the change be accepted by all those impacted?

  • Are we able to move towards closure or handover to business as usual?

  • Can we articulate how this has contributed towards strategy?

  • Have all agreed testing processes/acceptance criteria been successfully completed?

  • Has all training been completed with ongoing guidance available, if required

  • What were the lessons learned and are these uploaded to PPMA software?

  • Can the project be ramped down and closed?

  • Is the final cost within 5% tolerance of budget?

  • Are all maintenance and ongoing costs fully articulated and input into Agresso?

  • If required, are all contract management processes in place?
Where do I find this information?
  • This is tracked through the PPMA software
Hints and tips

  • Most of the data to answer these key questions will be on PPMA software.  It is imperative that the system is kept up to date or reports will not show an accurate picture

  • Many projects deliver in phases.  The questions asked here tend to focus on the final phase
What happens next

  • Only your Head of Finance and/or Super User (PMO) will be able to close down the project

Gate 5. Benefits sign off

Did we get the outcome we set out to make?

What are the key questions at this gate?

  • Can the project be fully closed

  • Have all stakeholders been informed of the status of the benefits realisation?

  • Are we able to articulate that the benefit has been realised?

  • Have the financial benefits been baked into future planning rounds?

  • Has the project been removed from the Portfolio Dataset?
Where do I find this information?

  • Gate checklist

  • A report is generated from the PPMA software

  • Project Closure Report
Hints and tips

  • Sometimes it can take several years for benefits to be realised.  The PPMA system will produce an annual report showing remaining benefits still being tracked
What happens next

  • The project will remain “open” in the PPMA system until all benefits are realised but will not show in live project dashboards

  • Once benefits are signed off, the project will go into archive