Examples of Projects

Some examples of projects and assignments carried out by Caravel are shown below. These indicate the range and diversity of Caravel’s experience.

Design of a Portfolio Management Office

The client wanted to develop an enterprise wide Project Management Office and asked Caravel to design the portfolio management structure and processes. Caravel started with agreement on principles, then developed the structure based on alignment with the strategic planning, performance reporting, and project management groups. This was followed by design of the processes based on a generic approach not dependent on a specific toolset. The design provided for prioritisation, benefit management, and visibility of the portfolio and progress of the constituent projects.

Sectors: Emergency Services & Special Service Organisations, Government Organisations

Services: Portfolio Management, PMO

Closure of an Industrial Plant

Nationwide rail company KiwiRail chose to close an industrial plant that manufactured rolling stock and replacement parts. Caravel project managed this project which comprised several workstreams including:

Sale of the complex: exploration of opportunities for selling all or part of the industrial plant
Industrial and human relations: organisational change, union coordination, and replacement or redundancy of employees
Alternative sources of supply of replacement parts, without disrupting rail services through shortages of any critical parts
Sale of plant and materials that were not needed by KiwiRail or potential purchasers
Closure of the unsold parts of the complex

Caravel successfully managed the project to completion, meeting the agreed budget and time targets. Part of the complex was sold and the rest was closed in an orderly fashion. The supply of parts for the rail operation was maintained throughout, and after, the project.

Sectors: Transport, Industrial

Services: Project & Programme Management, Business Innovation & Change Management

Investment Logic Mapping (ILM)

A government agency used a series of ILM workshops to make significant changes to one of its core business areas, where their operating policies were not delivering good outcomes for their clients. A series of ILM workshops that included a number of key stakeholders were led by Caravel’s accredited ILM facilitator. These enabled different viewpoints to be heard, and the causes of the problem and the expected benefits to be agreed. These provided the strategic case for input into a business case using the Better Business Case (BBC) methodology. A comprehensive set of strategic interventions that included solutions and asset requirements was also formulated as a series of actions to be delivered as part of a change management programme.

Sector: Government organisations

Services: Investment Logic Mapping (ILM) facilitation, Business Case, Business Innovation and Change Management

Implementation of a Financial Management System

In the wake of substantial organisational change, a major insurance company found that their financial management information system (FMIS) no longer met the organisation’s future needs. As a result, they needed to select and implement a new FMIS to integrate with a major reorganisation of the company’s service delivery platforms and processes.

Caravel managed the acquisition and implementation of a suitable financial management system, managed the procurement process to choose a vendor system, and project managed the implementation to ensure the client realised the expected benefits. The procurement and implementation of the FMIS was completed successfully within time and budget constraints.

Sectors: Banking, Finance, Insurance

Services: Project & Programme Management

Project Management Office for Major Business Change

Caravel helped a District Health Board to move its services into a new hospital. This involved organisational, management and process changes. To support management of the change project, Caravel built and operated a PMO, providing methods, tools, resources, coaching, quality assurance and governance support. This resulted in a major improvement in project management capability, competence and cohesion in a project team that included many health service personnel who had not worked on a large project before.

Sectors: Health

Services: PMO, Business Innovation & Change Management

Project Management Office for Law Enforcement

A law enforcement organisation appointed Caravel to run the Project Management Office and ensure that major programmes of work were initiated and completed correctly. Caravel replaced an incumbent provider through an orderly transition process to monitor the client’s major projects including technology, process and organisational change. Project management and governance methods were introduced to support all national and regional change processes. The PMO role included moderating and consolidating reporting on major, high profile projects while also arranging and managing assurance programmes.

As a result of Caravel’s involvement, project governance, reporting and assurance practices were strengthened throughout the organisation. Further, a national “best practice” project methodology was implemented and supported through seminars and help line assistance.

Sectors: Emergency Services & Special Service Organisations, Government Organisations

Services: Project Assurance / IQA, PMO

Change of Telecommunications Service Provider

A major banking institution wanted to ensure that it was receiving best value for money for its telecommunications expenditure. They wanted to determine available options, to ensure that the telecommunications services effectively supported the bank in growing and maintaining its business.

Caravel managed the tender process that sought a provider capable of implementing and managing telecommunications services that supported the client’s strategic objectives. The tender process resulted in the selection of a new telecommunications service provider that satisfied the bank’s requirements for service, innovation and value. Caravel successfully managed the transition to the new service provider.

Sectors: Banking, Finance, Insurance, IT & Telecommunications

Services: Business Innovation & Change Management, Project & Programme Management

Provision of Independent Quality Assurance

As preferred supplier to a major Government organisation, Caravel conducts Independent Quality Assurance and Post Implementation Reviews for major, high profile projects involving significant organisational, process and technology changes. Specific assignments included infrastructure upgrade programmes, changes in business scope to reflect legislative change, and the introduction of new technologies and processes to support core business activities.

Caravel’s Independent Quality Assurance work has been commended for providing insightful and to-the-point reports that deliver real value to project managers, sponsors and steering committees.

Sectors: Government Organisations

Services: Project Assurance / IQA

Program Management Review

Caravel’s client had recently identified a shortcoming in their project delivery capability and needed guidance on how to fix the problem. Caravel was engaged to perform a review of the project management structure, processes and procedures to deliver a more effective project delivery organisation. The resultant organisation delivered a greater focus on delivery, accountability and visibility of the program of work. Caravel was subsequently engaged to deliver the first phase of the organisation transformation work and to provide knowledge and skills transfer to the client personnel for subsequent phases.

Sectors: Defence, Government

Services: Project & Programme Management, Portfolio Management, Project Assurance / IQA, Business Innovation & Change Management, PMO

Business Process Innovation

Caravel carried out a feasibility study to determine whether the national Maritime Safety Radio Service could be provided more effectively and economically, given changes in technology, shipping and international maritime laws. Caravel was retained to define the requirements, develop new operating procedures and processes and project manage the implementation of the new radio service. The project involved the installation of a High Frequency (HF) radio station, seven Very High Frequency (VHF) stations, and a nationwide communications network linking the stations to a central operating centre. Expansion of satellite based maritime safety services, using a Satellite Earth Station was also managed.

Sectors: Government, Emergency Services and Special Service Organisations

Services: Business Innovation & Change Management, Project & Programme Management, Project Assurance / IQA.

Change Implementation

An alternative service provider was sought to deliver a more cost effective and efficient service to ships at sea for a national marine safety organisation. The Maritime Distress and Safety Radio Service (MDSRS) project involved the initial feasibility study to develop the solution concept, tendering for a solution, and then managing its implementation in conjunction with the supplier. This project lasted for three and a half years at a cost of $25-$40M. A hugely successful outcome was achieved where the costs were reduced by half and the service levels were doubled. Caravel’s role included:

Preparation of a Strategic Plan
Management of a feasibility study
Managing the requirements specification, costing and budgeting, funding, tendering and procurement, PR communications and implementation
Providing contract oversight for the implementation of new radio stations and an operational control centre

Sectors: Government, Emergency Services and Special Service Organisations

Services: Business Innovation & Change Management, Project & Programme Management, Project Assurance / IQA.