Exceptional planning is the strategic heartbeat of project and programme success. It aligns vision with execution through clear objectives, stakeholder engagement, and adaptive roadmaps. By balancing scope, risk, and resources — and embracing just-in-time detail — planners create resilient frameworks that flex with change while maintaining focus on value delivery and organisational alignment.
Applied PRINCE2 product-based planning to define a hierarchical deliverable tree for a white-label credit card data warehouse. Engaged the team to focus on outcomes (not tasks), using post-it notes to map dependencies and surface the critical path. This approach uncovered hidden scope and improved estimate accuracy — a technique still used today.
Used high-level product breakdown to inform Product Owner prioritisation on the pet insurance migration. Even in agile environments, top-down deliverable mapping clarified dependencies and ensured strategic alignment across sprints.
Facilitated Program Increment (PI) planning sessions bringing together multiple agile teams. Built physical planning boards to visualise features, dependencies, and critical paths across 12-week horizons. Followed with inter-sprint refinement to add detail as facts emerged — enabling adaptive, informed delivery.
Partnered with FireHawk, a dynamic vendor scaling from small business to enterprise. Co-developed plans that balanced ambition with capacity, embedding risk-aware milestones and clear communication. This collaborative approach strengthened mutual trust and ensured sustainable delivery across the Genesis programme.
Navigated finance-driven demands for fixed scope, time, and cost up-front. Advocated Lean Budgets with shorter horizons and guardrails to preserve agility. Used placeholders at executive level while protecting detailed planning for just-in-time execution.
Embed retrospectives into planning cycles to refine estimation, dependency mapping, and process. Treat planning as iterative and learning-driven — improving accuracy and team ownership over time.
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