How effective assurance supported the success of a critical, statewide electoral management system.
Client
Industry
Public Sector, Digital
Our Role
Provide independent assurance partnering and the delivery of assurance reviews, executive advisory services and end project reporting
Services
Agile Assurance Reviews, Gateway Assurance Reviews, Independent Assurance Advice, Lessons to Emulate Reports, Project Health Check
Overview.
Delivering modern, accessible, fair and transparent electoral services to all Queenslanders.
The Electoral Commission of Queensland is an independent statutory authority established under the Electoral Act 1992 and is responsible for the impartial conduct of State, local government and industrial elections in Queensland. The Commission also regulates and promotes compliance with electoral funding and disclosure requirements.
The electoral management solution project, Queensland’s highest priority initiative at the time, needed to provide the Commission with the essential capability to enable the legislative management of local and state elections, off-set known existing system risks, while provide a platform for future interface for future modernised digital election management capabilities.
Business need.
Greater transparency across the key delivery elements, in a language that enabled clearer and more decisive decision making capability.
The Commision and the cross government agency Project Board, sought an assurance partner who could provide independent assurance, ongoing delivery confidence assessments and strategic risk based advisory services. The Commission and Project Board required greater transparency across the key delivery elements, in a language that enable clearer and more decisive decision making capability.
The scope of assurance services included delivery confidence assessment across the internal and external agile development teams, Board level and project level governance functions, risk treatments assurance, risk based decision making assurance advisory and an end project report. PM Solutions was engaged to delivery Tier 1, independent assurance , risk advisory and end project reporting services, across the projects 3-year lifecycle.
Challenges.
Non-negotiable nor movable capability requirement for upcoming Local and State elections.
The project had considerable challenges on the path to successful delivery, which included a non-negotiable nor movable functional capability requirement relating to upcoming statewide Local elections, a single bi-election and the iminent State elections.
Prior to the health pandemic, the project had significant challenges in the make- up for the governing Board, with a need for the right people from the right agencies under review, the relationship with the vendor was very strained and nonfunctional and the backlog of defects was at an un-manageable level.
Risk management was less than optimal for the requirements of the Business Owner and the delivery teams cohesion was less than optimal for a project, of such importance to the State and its citizens.
Results.
A well established and mutually trusting assurance partnership enabled the delivery of critical capability to regulate the statewide electoral process.
Assurance Reviews & Independent Advisory Services
PM Solutions provided an initial, deep-dive health check, to form an agreed baseline for delivery confidence. From this, the assurance partnering team provided fortnightly assessments across the key areas identified in the initial delivery confidence assessment, with a clear focus on improving and strengthen these challenges.
A technical assessment was undertaken across the internal and external delivery teams, with a defined approach delivered to realign the defect backlog to manageable level, with low residual risk. Leading into each major release (aligned to election dates).
PM Solutions provided weekly assessments (and risk reviews) for the Business Owner and Project Board. The project successfully delivered capability to regulate and manage both Local and State elections under the pressure of the global health pandemic.
End Project Report
PM Solutions applied the McKinsey 5C’s Method and Loane’s Benchmarking Model to the final end project report, which provided the Commision with a best practice guide of how to deliver future complex ICT enabled projects.
As an exemplar in delivering a complex ICT enabled projects, the report enable the Commision to showcase and to share its lessons learned and experiences with other State government departments and agencies.
The report communicate a sense of achievement for the Commission and the project team, having delivered a difficult and worthwhile project for all Queenslanders.
