Guidance

Overview of the Project Set Up Toolkit

Published 18 October 2022

1. Setting up projects for success

Projects that focus enough attention on the early phases of development are more likely to deliver the intended benefits, at pace. In collaboration with our community, the IPA has developed an integrated suite of tools to support project set-up:

• Project / Programme Outcome Profile - focuses on why the project should be delivered;
• Opportunity Framing - focuses on what the project will deliver; and
• Project Routemap - focuses on how the project will be delivered.

Applying these tools to more of our projects - at the right phase in their life cycles - will be another step towards realising our ambition of world-class delivery.

2. Project / Programme Outcome Profile

Aligning with government’s priority outcomes.

2.1 What is it?

A tool to explore how your project will help to deliver government’s priority outcomes, define metrics to document their contribution and articulate both monetisable and wider benefits.

2.2 What are the benefits?

• Improved clarity on project outputs, outcomes and benefits.
• Confidence that the project supports the organisation’s strategic objectives.
• Consensus on how the project supports government’s priority outcomes.

Complete the Project / Programme Outcome Profile to inform the Opportunity Framework workshop.

3. Opportunity Framing

Defining and testing the value of a potential project.

3.1 What is it?

A structured and facilitated workshop to agree what success looks like, define the target end state, and establish a decision roadmap. This tool helps you determine whether there is a real opportunity that should be taken forward as a project.

3.2 What are the benefits?

• Improved problem definition and rationale for investment.
• Alignment of key stakeholders on the project vision.
• Clarity on key decisions needed to move the project forward.

Once you’ve agreed ‘what’ you’re doing and ‘why’, you can move on to ‘how’ using Project Routemap.

4. Project Routemap

Understanding the project capabilities needed to succeed.

4.1 What is it?

A methodology to identify and develop practical actions to enhance project capability, incorporating best practice from other major projects and programmes. In the context of Project Routemap, capability means the ability of the project organisations (including their people, processes and technology) to come together to deliver a specific project.

4.2 What are the benefits?

• A collaborative way for stakeholders to work together to build project capability.
• Supports learning from other major projects and sectors.
• Increased confidence in delivering project outcomes.

Note, these three tools are equally applicable to both projects and programmes. Much of the best practice and lessons learned contained in the Project Routemap modules is also relevant for portfolios.

5. Which tool is right for my project now?

These tools deliver most value when applied early in the project life cycle. They each support different elements of project set up.

Project / Programme Outcome Profile is best completed before Opportunity Framing. Together, these tools establish the value of a potential project and its alignment to government priority outcomes. Once you have consensus on ‘what’ you are delivering and ‘why’, you can move on to ‘how’, using Project Routemap to establish the capabilities needed to deliver successfully. 

Project / Programme Outcome Profile and Opportunity Framing are recommended for all government projects. Project Routemap is recommended for government projects that are novel or complex.

5.1 Project / Programme Outcome Profile

Complete it first during policy (concept) development. Revisit it at each phase of the lifecycle to maintain strategic alignment.

5.2 Opportunity Framing

Use it in policy (concept) development and feasibility. Consider repeating before each early decision point, to check ongoing alignment.

5.3 Project Routemap

Effective throughout the development phases, however its focus will be different depending how far the project has progressed. The earlier it’s used, the greater the ability to influence project success.

	Project / Programme Outcome Profile	Opportunity Framing	Project Routemap
How does it work and how long does it take?	You’ll complete a template, typically through discussion in a half day workshop.	You’ll participate in a two day facilitated workshop, covering scope and dependencies, ‘givens’ and constraints, value drivers and critical success factors.	You’ll use a combination of diagnostic tools, best practice modules, interviews, desktop analysis and facilitated workshops. Depending on the scope of the application (broad based or targeted), this can take a couple of weeks or a couple of months (elapsed time). Participants will generally need to commit 1-2 days each during this time.
Who needs to be involved?	The individual(s) responsible for writing the Strategic Case, with sign off by the SRO. Workshop can be run by the project team or independent facilitators. It should be attended by project stakeholders representing the breadth of the organisations involved in the project.	Workshop attended by project stakeholders representing the breadth of the organisations involved in the project. Workshop is usually run by independent facilitators, sometimes from the IPA.	Routemap participants are key stakeholders representing the breadth of the organisations involved in the project. Routemap is normally facilitated by the IPA, another government department and/or independent consultants✝. It can also be run as a self-assessment. The best practice modules can be referred to at any time.
What’s the output? Proper use of the tools will mean these outputs have been developed collaboratively. The resulting consensus and stakeholder support is what makes the outputs invaluable.	The project outputs/programme outcomes mapped to the sponsoring department’s priority outcomes, with metrics to measure their specific contribution to the delivery of each priority outcome.	An ‘opportunity’ statement, a ‘success’ statement and a high-level decision roadmap.	A detailed action plan to address gaps in capability, incorporating best practice from other major projects.
How does it support business case development?	Key content for the Strategic Case. Informs ‘Workshop 1 – Case for Change’ and ‘Workshop 2 – Identifying and assessing the options’, as set out in HMT’s business case guidance.	Key content for the Strategic Case. Informs ‘Workshop 1 – Case for Change’ and ‘Workshop 2 – Identifying and assessing the options’ as set out in HMT’s business case guidance.	Key content for the Management case, and also the Strategic, Economic, and Commercial cases. In particular, informs ‘Workshop 5 – Successful Delivery Arrangements’ as set out in HMT’s business case guidance.
How do these tools align to the Government Project Delivery Framework?	Project / Programme Outcome Profile helps you to meet requirement 1.2 Strategic outcomes and enabling outputs are identified.	Opportunity Framing helps you to meet requirement 1.1 Opportunities are framed.	Project Routemap can help you to meet many of the requirements but in particular requirement 0.10 People and other capabilities are in place to carry out the next phase of work, and requirements 1.9, 2.8 and 3.6 relating to the development of a delivery strategy.
Where can I find out more and what help is available? If your project is / or is soon to be part of the Government Major Project Portfolio (GMPP), please contact your IPA Project Delivery Advisor.	Search ‘Project / Programme Outcome Profile’ on the Government Project Delivery Hub or visit the Guide to completing the Project / Programme Outcome Profile on GOV.uk You’ll also find a useful 15 minute introductory and training video[footnote 1]	Search ‘Opportunity Framing’ on the Government Project Delivery Hub. For Tier A GMPP projects, the IPA will consider facilitating the workshop for you.	Search ‘Project Routemap’ on the Government Project Delivery Hub or visit the Project Routemap page on GOV.uk. For GMPP projects, the IPA will support you in applying the tool.

If you expect you may need to call upon consultants, it’s helpful to include the capability to facilitate Routemap applications in the specification for procuring development / delivery partners.

5.4 Project / Programme Outcome Profile

Cat Little, Director General, Public Spending at HM Treasury, says:

It is critical that projects and programmes establish and evidence a clear golden thread, from government priorities to the development of strategies and business cases.

Matt Harrison, Former Deputy Director for Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund, BEIS, says using POP helped by:

Providing a robust analysis of our government stakeholders and priority outcomes, identifying links we had not previously considered, which has influenced our governance and strengthened our strategic case.

5.5 Opportunity Framing

Chris Gray, Deputy Director, Energy and Security, BEIS, says:

The opportunity framing workshop helped us to quickly set shared objectives across the department and Whitehall, and to build consensus on our broad approach. It achieved a level of agreement that would normally have taken months, and created a real sense of common cause behind the project.

Rod Kentish, Deputy Director Cross Government Transformation Programmes, IPA, says:

Two full days is a big investment of time but it’s definitely worthwhile. Finding out where you’re not aligned is invaluable and developing the relationships so these issues can get tackled constructively is extremely helpful.

5.6 Project Routemap

Karina Singh, Director, Function, Profession and Standards, IPA, says:

Routemap provides a structured approach to thinking right from the outset of a project. It is a very collaborative tool, helping you get under the skin of challenging problems during the early stages of development.

David Ingham, International Senior Transport Advisor, World Bank, says:

It greatly helped to clarify issues that, if left unaddressed, were likely to delay implementation. In this respect, Routemap has substantially assisted timely project implementation and was excellent value for money.

1. introductory and training video ↩