About John Howarth

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So far John Howarth has created 60 blog entries.

Would you like some Benefits with that?

“Hello, welcome to the ICT area, may I take your order please?” “Hi there, I’d like a large digital transformation, with big data, plenty of agile, and I want it now” “Would you like some Benefits with that?” “Errr, sure, why not – get someone to cook them up and put them in a [...]

This is what the Minister wants

“This is what the Minister wants – that’s the business case”. I wish I had a dollar for every time a senior public servant has said that to me. It is almost invariably provided as the explanation as to why the project they are directing doesn’t have a business case. It is also almost [...]

By |2019-11-25T05:58:38+11:00September 19th, 2017|PRINCE2, Program Management, Project Management|0 Comments

How to stop government projects failing

This blog won’t be for everyone. If you’re not on a government project, it won’t be for you. And if you’re working on, or responsible for, a government project that is a raging success, it probably isn’t for you either. Everyone else can read on. What I’m going to do is describe a hypothetical [...]

By |2019-11-25T05:58:50+11:00August 15th, 2017|APS, Project Management|0 Comments

Avoid elaborate bureaucracy: how to tailor PRINCE2

Last month I wrote about one critical feature of the PRINCE2® 2017 update – tailoring, and specifically the fact that if you aren’t tailoring PRINCE2 you aren’t using PRINCE2. My blog really seemed to resonate with people, and I received feedback that many of you working in Canberra departments and agencies feel they are [...]

By |2019-11-25T05:59:07+11:00July 18th, 2017|PRINCE2, Project Management|0 Comments

Bureaucrats beware: if you aren’t tailoring PRINCE2, you aren’t using PRINCE2

Last month I wrote about the PRINCE2® 2017 update, in terms of how simplicity and agility replaces complexity and bureaucracy. This month I would like to look at one critical feature of the PRINCE2 2017 update – tailoring. By way of introduction I would like to see if the following scenario resonates with any [...]

By |2019-11-25T05:59:18+11:00June 16th, 2017|PRINCE2, Project Management|0 Comments

The PRINCE2 2017 Update: simplicity and agility replaces complexity and bureaucracy

Whether you have had great success with PRINCE2® or has struggled with practical application of the method, the 2017 update offers tremendous potential to improve how your projects are managed. I personally introduced PRINCE2 to Australia twenty years ago. Since then some departments and agencies have had great success with PRINCE2; others perceive it [...]

By |2019-11-25T05:59:38+11:00May 17th, 2017|PRINCE2, Project Management|0 Comments

Deaf, Dumb and Digital

Digital transformation is great. The world is being disrupted. All the best companies are cool, they were only founded in the last few years, and don’t sell actual products. Social media equals success. The pace of change will only get faster. These are the messages coming from the Prime Minister down, and we’re lapping [...]

Why aren’t we getting better at programme and project management?

“If we have been using MSP® and PRINCE2® in the public service for a while now, why aren’t we getting better at programme and project management?” That was the question out to me by an agency head recently. It’s a great question, and one I thought worth exploring. Are we getting better? My gut-feeling, [...]

By |2019-11-25T06:00:35+11:00March 20th, 2017|APS, MSP, PRINCE2, Program Management, Project Management|0 Comments

Less management gives you more success

“We don’t have time for project management.” “We can’t afford the overhead of PRINCE2, so we use a ‘lite’ version.” “Our SES doesn’t want full MSP.” “We use Agile so we don’t need project management, that’s waterfall.” Over the years I have heard dozens of remarks like this, and while I usually politely smile [...]

What does the USA election have to do with the Australian Public Service? – a great deal, but that’s not why you must read this.

The IPAA ACT 2016 conference took place on Thursday 10th November, and it was a superb event. Congratulations to IPAA, the speakers and everyone involved. The conference was filmed and video content is now available online, including a series of short and easily watchable highlights packages from each session and complete transcripts. These are [...]

By |2019-11-25T06:01:22+11:00November 18th, 2016|APS, Digital Transformation|0 Comments

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