healthchecks - the approach

Like a well-person clinic the healthcheck is focused on providing help in a non-threatening environment. It can be initiated by the manager or the sponsor and concentrates on the risks to successful project completion, and how well the project is coping with them. It recognises that project success is dependent on the project environment as well as those matters directly under the project manager's control. By maintaining this positive perspective and focus on delivery, the healthcheck is distinctly not an audit of project plans and activities, but a co-operative process of driving to project health.

 CITI in action - Healthchecks in practice

This financial service company was running a large programme with support from a key IT supplier. With over 30 projects involved in the overall programme, the project configuration involved pairing host company project managers with supplier project managers. The structure was put in place to supplement inadequate host company skills and ensure that the supplier delivered on its promises. The host company project manager was expected to have overall responsibility for delivery.

Each of the projects was subject to HealthChecks: on some occasions to more than one. The sponsor was concerned that while some projects were demonstrably performing well, it was important that all projects delivered to their committed timeframes, as there was a high level of interdependency between the projects.

It was decided that all projects, regardless of their current status, would be the subject of a HealthCheck. This had a bonding effect within the project manager community. Both host and supplier project managers were equally involved, and as they suspected that it was a judgmental assessment being run against them they were equally defensive during the opening sessions of the clinics.