Top tips for successful stage gate reviews

On July 17th, the APM Governance Interest Network hosted a well-attended virtual meet-up session featuring about 150 participants. Obi Ozonzeadi facilitated this interactive session, with guest speaker Carol Deveney, Managing Director of See Change International Consulting Ltd and acclaimed author of How to Sponsor a Project. Carol shared invaluable insights on making stage gate reviews more productive. 

In his opening remarks, Obi highlighted that, when implemented effectively, stage gate reviews serve as crucial decision points that enhance project success through structured evaluation, risk management and strategic alignment. To avoid bureaucratic pitfalls, organisations should tailor the process to the specific needs of each project, ensure meaningful stakeholder engagement and focus on value-adding activities rather than mere compliance. 

Carol’s top five tips 

Using her storytelling skill and drawing from her extensive industry experience, Carol shared the following five tips: 

1. Advance preparation 

• Selective attendance: Who needs to be there? Ensure attendees are essential and can contribute value. 
• Document pre-check: Gather and review documents in advance. 
• Agenda and actions: Establish the basics -clear agendas and follow-up actions. 
• Plan follow-up sessions: Integrate follow-up sessions into project governance. 
• Key insight: Don’t waste people’s time if they’re not needed. 

2. Clarify roles 

• Role understanding: Ensure everyone knows their role (sponsor, project management or progress demonstrator, risk assessor, commercial etc.). 
• Govern it like a sponsor – challenge success likelihood and validate progress 
• Operational inclusion: Include operations to cover decision-making blind spots. 
• Key insight: Clear roles prevent confusion and enhance productivity. 

3. Behavioural expectations 

• High-performing conversations: Encourage all voices and set acceptable behaviour standards. 
• All voices must be heard – be open to be challenged and welcome criticism. 
• Consequences for misbehaviour: Define and enforce consequences for unacceptable behaviours. 
• Key insight: dialogue and diverse perspectives improve decision-making. 

4. Plan for ‘No’ 

• Risk scheduling: Factor in the possibility of rejection in scheduling. 
• Accept ‘No’ as an option: Governance should allow for ‘No’ outcomes. If the only acceptable outcome is ‘Yes’ or ‘Go’ - your governance has failed already! 
• Key insight: A balanced program considers both approval and rejection. 

5. Anticipate reviews 

• Plan for additional reviews: Major projects or programmes may require multiple reviews before the stage gate. 
• Authority delegation: Ensure reviews are conducted by those with the necessary authority. 
• Key insight: Independent and authoritative reviews enhance credibility. 

Audience participation 

During the Q&A session, participants emphasised the importance of behaviours and human-centric governance. According to them, common issues that can make stage gate reviews seem bureaucratic include: 

• Lack of flexibility: Rigid processes that don’t adapt to project needs. 
• Excessive documentation: Unnecessary paperwork that detracts from critical decision-making. 
• Insufficient value addition: Reviews that don’t contribute to risk identification, quality assurance, or strategic alignment. 
• Poor implementation: Vague criteria, lack of stakeholder engagement, and ineffective follow-up actions. 

Conclusion 

The session received overwhelmingly positive feedback, prompting plans for a follow-up event. Participants appreciated the practical examples and clear advice, particularly on planning for a 'No' outcome and ensuring the right people attend meetings. Carol’s insights provided the courage and tools for participants to improve their project governance practices. 

Next steps 

Stay tuned for more events from the APM Governance Interest Network, as announced on the APM website. Join us in promoting effective project governance in your sectors. Follow #APMGovernanceIN and look out for the revised edition of Directing Change coming soon. 

 

You may also be interested in:

• APM Governance Interest Network Virtual Meetup: Tackling barriers to effective governance
• APM Governance Interest Network
• The challenges in effective governance