Prioritisation

Criteria for Targeting Decisions for Monitoring

Purpose: These factors are taken into account by the CIU and agencies in providing a risk assessment for new policy proposals. The CIU will also use these factors to assess which measures are likely to require the lodgment of an implementation plan as the basis for subsequent monitoring in the Traffic Light Reports.

  • Measures which address major and/or complex issues
  • Measures which involve the introduction of new technologies and service delivery arrangements
  • Measures which involve extensive cross portfolio coordination
  • Measures which involve extensive cross-jurisdictional coordination
  • Measures which are particularly sensitive
  • Measures which require urgent implementation

AND

  • Measures which we know are going to be difficult to implement
  • Measures which are being implemented by organisations under stress
  • Measures which have been developed over a very short period
  • Measures which are poorly defined
  • Measures which appear to lack senior commitment

Think

Objective

Including deliverables

Rationale

Why we are doing it

Scope

What’s in/what’s out

Timetable

When is it to be finished

Budget

How much will it cost

Agency capacity

Can it deliver

Management focus

Is it there

Accountability

Who gets the credit or not

Lead agency

Who is driving

Other agencies

Who else is interested

Other stakeholders

Who are they (public and private)

Jurisdictional issues

Foreign governments, State/Territory issues

Risks

What are they

Communications

Who needs to know what

Change management

Who are the winners and losers

Evaluation

Project and ongoing

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CIU Internal Prioritisation

Purpose: Once measures have been identified for inclusion in the CIU Traffic Light Reports, the CIU uses the following factors to prioritise its work on those measures. These criteria provide finer detail on the risk factors that affect the complexity and likelihood of success of policy implementation projects and programmes. Higher priority measures will require frequent contacts between agencies and the CIU, occurring between the regular traffic light reports. In some cases, the CIU may need to participate in interdepartmental committees and working groups where these are focused on the implementation of major measures. Lower priority measures will generally be handled through the normal processes for traffic light reports.

A guide to the use of the model is below.

Implementation risk factors

Description

Descriptors and points

 

 

1

2

3

4

Criticality

Impact on key public services, national security or the internal operations of Commonwealth Departments and agencies

 

Important

Very important

Mission critical

Sensitivity

  • Impact on key stakeholders
  • Level of support by key stakeholders, degree of community concern and media interest
  • Requirement for consultation processes with stakeholders

Low

Moderate

High

Very High

Complexity

  • cross jurisdictional
  • cross agency, including number of agencies involved
  • requirement for legislation
  • new technology – degree of innovation and interaction with other systems and projects
  • new service delivery – degree of innovation/strength of supplier market
  • interaction with other projects and business processes
  • level of specialist skills required for implementation
  • procurement method – outsourced, in house, combination

Low

Moderate

High

Very High

Risk of failure

  • has agency delivered a comparable project on time and on budget previously?
  • previous Quarterly Traffic Light Report history – level of ‘ambers’ and ‘reds’, difficulties in preparation of implementation plans and quarterly reports, history of turning ambers and reds to green
  • level of agency’s project and programme management capability (PPMC) – agency PMO, consistent application of methodologies

Low

Moderate

High

Very High

Financial impact

 

Low:
< $10m

Moderate:
= $10m - $50m

High:
= $50 - $100m

Very High:
= $100m

Implementation Risk

  • realistic/unrealistic timeframes
  • realistic/unrealistic resourcing
  • level of dependency on other agencies and/or external environment beyond agency’s control
  • Level of project or programme completion: how close is it to final delivery?
  • Critical milestones in next 2 quarters

Low

Moderate

High

Very High
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Guidance on Prioritisation Model

Implementation risk factors

Description

Descriptors and points

 

 

1

2

3

4

Criticality

Impact on key public services, national security or the internal operations of Commonwealth Departments and agencies

 

Important : contributes to (but not critical to) higher level Government goals

Very important : significant contribution to higher level Government goals, significant impact on community or business

Mission critical : of major national significance (“essential to the successful delivery of a major legislative requirement or a major policy initiative committed to by the Government; or failure of the project would have catastrophic implications for delivery of a key public service, national security or the internal operations of an agency” [Gateway definition])

Sensitivity

  • Impact on key stakeholders
  • Level of support by key stakeholders, degree of community concern and media interest
  • Requirement for consultation processes with stakeholders

 

Low

Moderate : eg

  • moderate impact on relevant community or sector
  • occasional media interest
  • limited stakeholder engagement required
  • stakeholder support secured

High : eg

  • significant impact on relevant community or sector
  • high media interest
  • moderate stakeholder engagement required
  • key stakeholder support not secured

Very High : eg

  • major impact on relevant community or sector
  • ongoing high level of media interest
  • extensive stakeholder engagement required
  • opposition expected from key stakeholders

Complexity

  • cross jurisdictional
  • cross agency, including number of agencies involved
  • requirement for legislation
  • new technology – degree of innovation and interaction with other systems and projects
  • new service delivery – degree of innovation/strength of supplier market
  • interaction with other projects and business processes
  • level of specialist skills required for implementation
  • procurement method – outsourced, in house, combination

Low

Moderate : eg

  • Commonwealth only
  • Single agency
  • Yes, minor aspect
  • Stable, proven technology, moderate systems integration and/or data migration
  • Existing delivery channels/existing supplier market
  • Limited
  • Low-moderate reliance on specialist skills, normal experience level required
  • In house

High : eg

  • Requires agreement with States
  • Multiple agencies, limited programme impacts
  • Yes, legislation is key enabler, passage time critical
  • New technology but stable applications or new applications but stable technology/extensive systems integration and/or data migration
  • New delivery channels, proven delivery method/limited suppliers
  • Some dependencies on other projects/ business restructuring in particular areas
  • High reliance on specialised skills, some outsourcing possible, senior project management experience required
  • Some outsourcing

Very High : eg

  • Requires agreement with States on major policy
  • Multiple agencies, extensive programme impacts
  • As for ‘high’ and opposition is expected
  • Unproven approach/ extensive systems integration and/or data migration
  • New delivery channels, untested delivery method/untested market
  • Significant dependencies on other projects/significant business restructuring
  • Very high reliance on specialised skills, extensive reliance on outsourced skills, senior project management experience required
  • Extensive outsourcing

Risk of failure

  • has agency delivered a comparable project on time and on budget previously?
  • previous Quarterly Traffic Light Report history – level of ‘ambers’ and ‘reds’, difficulties in preparation of implementation plans and quarterly reports, history of turning ambers and reds to green

Low

 

Moderate : eg
Yes

High : eg
Mixed or limited track record

Very High : eg
No track record

Strong track record

Mixed track record

Poor track record

 

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Last Updated: 16 October 2006