Governance processes for digital and technology projects can often be complex and difficult to follow. You might struggle to know which boards to approach for approval or funding decisions and at what point. This can cause delays in delivery.

This is a resource to map boards, committees or decision-making groups for a single project. Once completed, you’ll be able to plan your project delivery and mitigate any potential blockers.

In this resource, we use the term ‘board’ for any forum, committee or governance group that plays a role in digital decision-making.

When to understand the boards your project interacts with

You can use this resource if you want to:

  • make sure governance is clear to new or existing team members
  • clarify which boards you need to go to to get decisions made for your project
  • include board decision-making in your delivery plan

How to understand the boards your project interacts with

It’s best to use this resource in a group environment, such as a workshop. This way different team members can contribute their knowledge and understanding.

You can approach the workshop in two ways:

  • invite those who are responsible for setting up the project’s governance
  • you can map the governance interactions for a similar project – for example, the same budget and service area

Both approaches will show the governance you will most likely come in contact with.

Map the interactions in chronological order. When you have finished, you will have a clear picture of the boards a project has gone through from along its lifecycle.

You can recreate this resource in a format that suits you.

Step 1

Choose the project you want to map in the workshop.

Write the following details about the project:

  • name of project
  • goals of the project
  • intervention or how you will meet the goals
  • budget
  • timescales
  • service area it is for

Step 2

List the boards the project has or will come in contact with. List them in chronological order. Write the following information about each of them:

  • name
  • level – for example, if it is digital or programme specific, at service, executive or political level
  • purpose of the interaction – for example, what kind of decisions they are responsible for
  • type of request – the advice or decision your project seeks
  • interaction output – what the project team has after this interaction. For example, a budget approval or specific advice on next steps

When you have finished, you’ll see which decisions are made by each board. This will help you to understand what you’ll need to do for each board interaction.

Tips for this activity

Ask the team the following questions during the workshop to understand if there might be delays or blockers when interacting with boards. This can be factored into project planning.

  • Is the role of each board clear?
  • Do you know what you need to provide at each stage?
  • Are you clear what outputs you are getting at each stage?
  • Does this board operate at the right pace to keep the project moving?
  • What next steps will you take? (if any)