Executive summary
- In PMI’s Pulse of the Profession 2021, 73% of projects met their original goals and business intent, 62% were completed within budget and 55% on time.1
- The same research estimated that 9.4% of investment was wasted due to poor project performance.1
- In McKinsey and Oxford research, 17% of large IT projects went so badly that they could threaten the company’s existence.2
- Most slippage is visible early, if someone is looking at the right measures every week.
- Execution Oversight gives founders and investors an experienced operator who tracks delivery and performance, and fixes problems before they compound.
01Market context
Even with professional project management, a large share of work misses its schedule, budget or intended result.1 The cost is not only the overrun. It is the delayed revenue, the lost confidence of investors and the team time spent on recovery. In the worst cases, a single failed programme can put the business at risk.2
Source: Project Management Institute, Pulse of the Profession 2021, 3,950 project professionals.
02The challenge
- Optimistic reporting. Everything is “on track” until it suddenly is not.
- Too many measures. Dashboards full of numbers that do not drive decisions.
- No independent view. The people running the work are also the ones reporting on it.
- Investors at a distance. They find out about problems at the quarterly meeting.
03Our point of view
A few measures, reviewed often, by someone senior enough to act. We agree the handful of numbers that show whether the plan is working, review them weekly with the delivery team and monthly with founders and investors, and escalate early. We are independent of the delivery, so the reporting stays honest.
04How we work
- Baseline. The plan, budget, milestones and the results promised.
- Measure. A short scorecard with owners and thresholds that trigger action.
- Review. Weekly delivery reviews and a monthly performance review for founders and investors.
- Correct. Issues raised early, options set out, decisions recorded and followed through.
Plan and promise
Short scorecard
Weekly and monthly
Early, recorded, followed up
The Market Concepts.
05What you receive
- A performance scorecard with targets and thresholds.
- Weekly delivery notes and a monthly performance report.
- A risk and issue log with owners and actions.
- Senior attendance at key reviews and decisions.
06Measures of success
- Milestones met against the baseline
- Budget variance
- Issues raised before they affect dates or cost
- Business results against the original promise
07Risks and governance
- Independence. We report what we see, including to investors where agreed.
- Confidentiality. Commercial and personal data handled under NDA and in line with the UAE PDPL.3
- Clear roles. Oversight supports the delivery team; it does not replace it.
This paper is general guidance and not legal advice.
08Illustrative scenario
ILLUSTRATIVE — NOT A CLIENT CASE STUDY
An investor has funded a restaurant group’s second and third outlets. Monthly updates say everything is on track, but the second outlet opens five weeks late and over budget.
A one-page scorecard covering fit-out milestones, hiring, pre-opening bookings and budget is reviewed weekly. Two risks on the third outlet, a delayed approval and a supplier lead time, are flagged early enough to resequence the work, and it opens on schedule.
09Frequently asked questions
- Is this the same as project management?
- No. Your team or vendors manage the work; we provide senior, independent oversight of it.
- How much time does it take from us?
- An hour a week for the delivery lead and a monthly review for founders and investors.
- Can it cover an existing business, not a project?
- Yes. Performance management works the same way for ongoing operations.