Programme Healthcheck

A systematic assessment of programme health to identify strengths, weaknesses, and areas requiring attention before they become critical issues.

Purpose

The Programme Healthcheck:

Provides early warning of problems
Identifies areas requiring intervention
Supports governance decisions
Enables comparison over time
Drives continuous improvement
Builds confidence with stakeholders

When to Conduct

Trigger	Purpose
Regular cadence	Monthly or quarterly review
Stage gate	Before major decisions
Escalation	When concerns arise
New SRO/PM	Baseline understanding
External review	Independent assurance

Assessment Framework

Health Dimensions

flowchart TD A[Programme
Health] --> B[Governance] A --> C[Delivery] A --> D[Benefits] A --> E[Stakeholders] A --> F[Resources] A --> G[Risk] classDef blue fill:#108BB9,stroke:none,color:#fff class A,B,C,D,E,F,G blue

Dimension	Focus Areas
Governance	Leadership, decision-making, controls
Delivery	Progress, quality, dependencies
Benefits	Realisation, tracking, ownership
Stakeholders	Engagement, support, communication
Resources	Capacity, capability, funding
Risk	Identification, mitigation, exposure

RAG Rating Scale

Rating	Score	Meaning
Green	4	Fully in place, working well
Light Green	3	Mostly in place, minor gaps
Amber	2	Partially in place, action needed
Red	1	Not in place, urgent action

Governance Assessment

Question	Score (1-4)
Is there an engaged and empowered SRO?
Is the Programme Board functioning effectively?
Are roles and responsibilities clearly defined?
Is decision-making timely and appropriate?
Are tolerances set and understood?
Is escalation happening when needed?
Are stage gates being applied rigorously?
Is assurance adequate and independent?

Governance Red Flags

SRO absent or disengaged
Board not meeting or ineffective
Decisions delayed or avoided
Escalations not happening
No clear authority matrix

Delivery Assessment

Question	Score (1-4)
Is the programme plan realistic and current?
Are projects delivering to plan?
Are milestones being met?
Is quality of deliverables acceptable?
Are dependencies identified and managed?
Is change control effective?
Is the Blueprint current and understood?
Are transition plans in place?

Delivery Red Flags

Multiple projects behind schedule
Milestone slippage not recovered
Quality issues recurring
Dependencies not managed
Scope creep uncontrolled

Benefits Assessment

Question	Score (1-4)
Is there a clear benefits realisation plan?
Are benefits owners identified and engaged?
Are benefits measurable with baselines?
Is benefits tracking happening?
Are early benefits being captured?
Is the business case still valid?
Are dis-benefits identified and managed?
Is there a benefits review schedule?

Benefits Red Flags

No benefits tracking
Benefits owners not engaged
Business case not reviewed
Benefits forecast declining
No connection to strategy

Stakeholder Assessment

Question	Score (1-4)
Are all stakeholder groups identified?
Is stakeholder analysis current?
Are engagement strategies in place?
Is communication effective?
Is there senior management support?
Are concerns being addressed?
Is resistance being managed?
Are change champions active?

Stakeholder Red Flags

Key stakeholders disengaged
Resistance growing
Communication complaints
No champion network
Political opposition

Resources Assessment

Question	Score (1-4)
Is funding secured and adequate?
Are the right skills available?
Is there sufficient capacity?
Is the team motivated and stable?
Are contractors performing?
Are dependencies on other teams managed?
Is knowledge transfer happening?
Is succession planning in place?

Resources Red Flags

Funding at risk
Key person dependencies
Skills gaps unaddressed
High attrition
Contractor over-reliance

Risk Assessment

Question	Score (1-4)
Are risks systematically identified?
Is risk assessment rigorous?
Are mitigations in place and working?
Is risk reporting happening?
Are issues being resolved?
Is the overall risk profile acceptable?
Are there adequate contingency plans?
Is risk appetite understood?

Risk Red Flags

Risks not identified
Mitigations not implemented
Issues not resolved
Risk register stale
Multiple risks materialising

Scoring and Interpretation

Calculating Scores

Dimension	Questions	Max Score
Governance	8	32
Delivery	8	32
Benefits	8	32
Stakeholders	8	32
Resources	8	32
Risk	8	32
Total	48	192

Overall Health Rating

Score Range	Rating	Interpretation
160-192 (>83%)	Green	Healthy, continue monitoring
128-159 (67-83%)	Amber-Green	Generally healthy, address gaps
96-127 (50-67%)	Amber	Concerns, intervention needed
<96 (<50%)	Red	Serious issues, escalate

Conducting the Assessment

Process

flowchart LR A[Prepare] --> B[Gather
Evidence] B --> C[Score
Questions] C --> D[Identify
Actions] D --> E[Report] E --> F[Follow Up] classDef blue fill:#108BB9,stroke:none,color:#fff class A,B,C,D,E,F blue

Preparation

Activity	Purpose
Schedule session	2-3 hours with key people
Gather documents	Reports, plans, registers
Review previous assessment	Track trends
Brief participants	Explain purpose, process

Evidence Sources

Source	Information
Programme reports	Status, progress, issues
Risk register	Risks and mitigations
Benefits tracker	Realisation progress
Stakeholder feedback	Engagement health
Team interviews	Ground truth, concerns
Governance records	Decisions, escalations

Reporting

Healthcheck Report Structure

Section	Content
Summary	Overall rating, key findings
Dimension scores	Score and RAG per dimension
Strengths	What’s working well
Concerns	Areas requiring attention
Actions	Recommended interventions
Trends	Comparison with previous

Example Summary

PROGRAMME HEALTHCHECK SUMMARY
=============================
Programme: Digital Transformation
Date: January 2026
Overall Rating: AMBER-GREEN (71%)

Dimension Scores:
- Governance:   26/32 (81%) GREEN
- Delivery:     22/32 (69%) AMBER
- Benefits:     20/32 (63%) AMBER
- Stakeholders: 24/32 (75%) GREEN
- Resources:    18/32 (56%) AMBER
- Risk:         26/32 (81%) GREEN

Key Concerns:
1. Resource capacity constrained
2. Benefits tracking not established
3. Two projects behind schedule

Priority Actions:
1. Address resource gaps (Owner: PMO)
2. Implement benefits tracking (Owner: BCM)
3. Recovery plan for delayed projects (Owner: PM)

Action Planning

Action Priority

Priority	Criteria	Response
Critical	Red-rated, high impact	Immediate action
High	Amber-rated, trend worsening	This month
Medium	Amber-rated, stable	Next quarter
Low	Minor improvement	As capacity allows

Action Template

Field	Content
Issue	What the assessment identified
Impact	Effect if not addressed
Action	What needs to be done
Owner	Who is responsible
Due date	When to complete
Status	Progress tracking

Common Patterns

Pattern	Typical Causes	Response
Governance weak	SRO overloaded, unclear roles	Strengthen sponsorship
Delivery struggling	Optimistic planning, scope creep	Re-baseline, change control
Benefits orphaned	No BCM, focus on delivery	Appoint benefits owner
Stakeholders disengaged	Poor communication	Engagement plan
Resources stretched	Under-estimation, priorities	Capacity planning
Risks ignored	Optimism bias	Risk workshop