Post-implementation review is the last step in your project cycle and usually involves an independent party, which can act more objectively in making their determinations about how the project was run. This provides the stakeholders of the project the confidence to know that the objectives of the project were met successfully.
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A Post Implementation Review (PIR) is designed to evaluate whether project implementation objectives were met, determine how effectively this was achieved, learn lessons for the future, and ensure that the organisation gets the most benefit from the implementation of projects like business continuity planning.
These lessons learned will bolster your boards’ business continuity plans and contribute to increasing efficiencies, allowing you to respond more quickly and effectively to future critical incidents.
If there are gaps, then this should be highlighted at the PIR meeting or equivalent board meeting. Where possible, using outside service providers or internal audit functions should be encouraged for the review process to get an objective, unclouded view of how well the plan has been implemented. Equally, a lot can be gleaned from the perspectives of those who were directly involved in the project, so the best possible strategy is to strike a balance between the two.
In the PIR report, Company Secretaries should also include the impact and plans on governance items such as the hosting of the AGM, board meetings and compiling critical evidence to illustrate s.172 considerations and discussions. This should show that the long term economic viability of the business has been considered by all directors under the company’s business continuity plans.
1. Determine project success – discuss at board level with senior managers whether the project/deliverables are functioning as expected? Question whether it is functioning well and in a way that is flexible to future operating demands? Boards will want to know where the end result compares with the original project plan, in terms of quality, schedule and budget. Lastly, boards and senior managers will want to review how the project or program impacted the organisation’s objectives and whether the new process is strategically aligned or requires modification.
Regarding documentation, the Company Secretary should be heavily involved in putting together the PIR report. This should document practices and procedures that led to the implementation of the plan and make recommendations for applying them to similar future implementation projects.
The compilation of such decision making and the PIR process will benefit boards by enabling them to draw on existing information to report on the impact of decisions made in the interests of employees, suppliers, customers, communities and the environment.