How do you set up project governance?

A project Governance has the following structure - 1 ) Meeting Type : What is the nature of the meeting?. Different examples are operational reviews, steering comms, financial meetings, sales reviews , risks and issues etc. 2) Meeting Purpose - What is the purpose of the meeting, agenda , what gets discussed. What sort of outcomes are expected? 3) Participants - Who gets invited for this meeting / review?. Participants can vary meeting to meeting 4) Frequency - What is the frequency of each type of meeting?. Operational reviews can be weekly cadences while steering comms can be once a qtr

The first step in establishing project governance is to clearly define the scope and objectives of the project. This crucial information is typically documented in a project charter, which serves as the key document authorizing the commencement of a project. A project charter encompasses essential project details including project justification, scope, objectives, and deliverables, as well as stakeholders, project manager and team members, timelines and milestones, constraints and assumptions, budget and resource allocation, risk assessment, mitigation strategies, and formal approval.

Typical structure should Outline organizational hierarchy for the project. Roles and Responsibilities- Define roles and responsibilities of team members and stakeholders. Decision-Making Processes-Specify how decisions will be made and by whom. Communication Framework-Establish guidelines for communication among team members and with stakeholders.

Establishing an effective project governance structure involves clearly identifying key stakeholders within the project community and delineating their roles and responsibilities within the project's boundaries. It is essential to designate a project sponsor who will provide overarching leadership, guidance, and support to ensure the project's success. Following this, a project steering committee should be established, comprising senior business leaders with decision-making authority and expertise in relevant fields. These individuals bring valuable insights to the project and contribute to strategic decision-making. Additional key roles include technical domain subject matter experts, the core project team, and the project manager.

The project governance plan is essential in ensuring that all the defined project governance standards such as the project methodology, communication plan, escalation mechanism, change management, reporting, etc, are established during the life cycle of the project. It is imperative to share the project governance plan with all stakeholders to establish clear expectations and ensure alignment across the board.

The primary focus should be on maintaining ongoing communication and collaboration among all stakeholders. Regular reviews and evaluations of the governance framework are essential to ensure its flexibility and adaptability to the project scope, requirements, and external factors. Continuously striving for improvement by learning from past experiences, implementing best practices, and refining project governance processes and procedures over time are crucial steps towards achieving successful project outcomes.

there should be a governance covering on level of authority on procuring. the approval should come as one of the outcome of a committee meeting

In my experience, governance is important for three reasons. First, it establishes who makes decisions, what methods and best practices to use, communication and reporting. Second, it should be setup for a PMO, projects and programs as a standard best practice. Third, it will help with processes and procedures and align with all PMO programs and services.