Traditional phase gates actually decrease the financial controls they're meant to assure. How can this be true? Through a big up front planning process, information is provided when stakeholders and project/product/program managers know the least. The financial responsibility is granted in a go/no-go decision from the stakeholders and then it remains with them. Stakeholder have the control but also are far enough removed from the tactical work that they don't truly understand how or why the money is being spent until they receive a change request to adjust it. This both delays progress through stop-start-stop project delays and waters down the controls because information is not readily transparent and available to those who hold the purse strings. Pivots are discouraged because of the associated delays and market windows are missed because those executing the project have little to no control over the decisions they need to make to adjust scope and monies.
This session describes how your projects/programs (agile and waterfall alike) and stakeholders can regain financial control and confidence through transfer of financial responsibility and decentralization of lower level financial decisions.
PDU Claim Code: C0028XETBO
