Oracle Programme Governance & Steer Committee Effectiveness

The course the executive sponsor wishes they had taken first. How to design programme governance that works, run a steer committee that makes real decisions, and recognise the early warning signals of a programme in distress. 6 hrs · 2 sessions · Intermediate. Overview Most Oracle programme governance structures exist on paper. The steer committee meets monthly, hears a RAG status report that is mostly green, approves whatever the SI presents, and assumes everything is on track until it isn't. By the time the crisis becomes visible — scope has expanded, costs have increased, the go-live date has moved — the governance process has failed the programme for months. This course is built from Simpl'IT Consulting's rescue engagement patterns: what was absent from the governance of programmes that needed rescuing, and what was present in the governance of programmes that delivered. It teaches what effective steer committee governance actually looks like — the questions to ask, the decisions to own, the signals to monitor, and the specific responsibilities that an executive sponsor cannot delegate. Learning outcomes • Design a governance structure proportionate to your Oracle programme's risk and scale • Run a steer committee that makes real decisions rather than ratifying what the SI presents • Read a project plan, RAID log, and change register critically and ask the right questions • Define clear decision rights that prevent both micro-management and governance abdication • Recognise the seven early warning signals of a programme in distress before the crisis hits • Understand the specific duties of an executive sponsor that cannot be delegated Prerequisites • No Oracle technical knowledge required • Experience in a senior business, IT, or project leadership role is assumed • Most valuable for those actively on, or about to join, an Oracle programme governance structure Modules 1. Governance structure, decision rights & the RAID log (3 hours) What governance is for and what it isn't — the distinction between oversight and interference, and why confusing them creates the passive governance that allows programmes to fail. Sizing governance to the programme: a health check needs different oversight from a $5M full implementation. The governance hierarchy: programme board, steer committee, workstream leads — who sits where, why, and what each body is responsible for deciding. Decision rights mapping: the decisions that must be escalated to the steer committee, the decisions that should stay with the programme director, and the decisions that require executive sponsor sign-off. The RAID log in practice: how to use risks, assumptions, issues, and dependencies as a governance tool rather than a documentation exercise. What "amber" really means when an SI reports it. The change control process that maintains scope discipline without paralysing delivery. Topics: Governance purpose; Governance sizing; Committee hierarchy; Decision rights framework; RAID log usage; Status interpretation; Change control discipline; Escalation paths 2. Milestone governance, early warning signals & the executive sponsor role (3 hours) How to design milestone gates that test real delivery rather than calendar progress: the specific evidence required at each gate, who reviews it, and what happens if the gate is not passed. Payment milestone alignment to delivery gates: the structural incentive that keeps an SI honest. Reading between the lines of a status report: the phrases, patterns, and omissions that signal trouble before the SI acknowledges it. The seven early warning signals of a failing Oracle programme, drawn from Simpl'IT rescue engagement experience: what they look like, when they typically appear in the programme lifecycle, and what intervention each one requires. The executive sponsor role — specifically: the things an executive sponsor must do personally that cannot be delegated, the things that the programme will not survive if the sponsor doesn't do them, and what happens when the executive sponsor is too busy to engage. Managing upward: how to keep the board appropriately informed without creating anxiety or triggering interference. Topics: Milestone gate design; Gate evidence requirements; Payment milestone alignment; Status report interpretation; Early warning signals; Programme rescue triggers; Executive sponsor duties; Board communication Delivery Recommended for the full governance team — executive sponsor, steer committee members, and programme director — to attend together. Shared language and shared expectations are the output, not just individual knowledge. A 90-minute condensed board briefing format is available for boards with oversight responsibility but limited time. Certification Certificate of completion Price USD 950 · per participant per person · indicative · group pricing available HRDC eligibility Up to 75% refundable Mauritius-registered employers may claim this training via the HRDC levy. We provide full documentation to support your claim. Languages English Provider reference SIMPLIT-075-PROGRAMME_GOVERNANCE

• Executive sponsors of Oracle programmes • Steer committee members who want to contribute more effectively • Programme directors designing the governance structure • Board members with oversight responsibility for Oracle investments • Senior stakeholders who attend programme reviews and want to ask better questions • PMO leads who support governance processes and want to improve their effectiveness