Project Board

The Project Board is appointed by the senior management of an organisation to provide overall direction and management of the project. The Project Board is accountable for the success of the project, and has responsibility and authority for the project within the remit (the Project Directive)

Specific Responsibilities

The Project Board approves all major plans and authorises any major deviation from agreed stage plans. It is the authority that signs off the completion of each stage as well as authorises the start of the next stage. It ensures that required resources are committed and arbitrates on any conflicts within the project or negotiates a solution to any problems between the project and external bodies. In addition, it approves the appointment and responsibilities of the Project Manager and any delegation of its project assurance responsibilities.

The Project Board has the following responsibilities. It is a general list and will need tailoring for a specific project.

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At the beginning of the project:

*       Assurance that the Project Foundation Document complies with relevant Customer standards and policies, plus any associated contract with the Supplier

*       Agreement with the Project Manager on that person's responsibilities and objectives

*       Confirmation with corporate or programme management of project tolerances

*       Specification of external constraints on the project such as quality assurance

*       Approval of an accurate and satisfactory Project Foundation Document

*       Delegation of any project assurance roles

*       Commitment of project resources required by the Next Stage Plan.

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As the project progresses:

*       Provision of overall guidance and direction to the project, ensuring it remains within any specified constraints

*       Review of each completed stage and approval of progress to the next

*       Review and approval of Stage Plans and any Exception Plans

*       'Ownership’ of one or more of the identified project risks as allocated at plan approval time, i.e. the responsibility to monitor the risk and advise the Project Manager of any change in its status and to take action, if appropriate, to ameliorate the risk

*       Approval of changes

*       Compliance with corporate or programme management directives.

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At the end of the project:

*       Assurance that all products have been delivered satisfactorily

*       Assurance that all Acceptance Criteria have been met

*       Approval of the End Project Report

*       Approval of the Lessons Learned Report and the passage of this to the appropriate standards group to ensure action

*       Decisions on the recommendations for follow-on actions and the passage of these to the appropriate authorities

*       Arrangements, where appropriate, for a Post Implementation Review

*       Project closure notification to corporate or programme management.

 

The Project Board Directs the Project. They are ultimately responsible for assurance that the project remains on course to deliver the desired outcome of the required quality to meet the Business Case defined in the Project Foundation Document. According to the size, complexity and risk of the project, the Project Board may decide to delegate some of this project assurance responsibility. ( See project assurance is defined in more detail. )

One Project Board responsibility that should receive careful consideration is that of approving and funding changes. Responsibilities of specific members of the Project Board are described in the respective section Chairman, Supplier Director, Operations Director, User Director..