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Project Governance Plan (PGP)

Project Name / number / identifier

Project Owner / Customer
Project Sponsor
Project Manager

Date Version number Author Notes

 Project Governance Plan
About this document
Text in this format is provided for guidance in completing the document. It can be deleted or retained by the author. In some areas a specific
example may have been provided. Any examples are provided for guidance and may not be as ‘fully worked’ as they would be in a live
project.

Approval of the Governance Plan should be gained prior to Project Execution.

Version Naming / Numbering / Dating

Where appropriate, document naming, version control and storage should meet prevailing organisational requirements. In the absence of
these, version control should follow the principles below;
v0.0 – initial draft
v1.0 – first approved version
v1.1 – minor amendment to v1.0
v1.2 – minor amendment to v1.1
v2.0 – major amendment to v1.0
v2.1 – minor amendment to version 2.0

Document date in Footer should be manually updated (the auto complete function updates the date to the current day on opening the
document, regardless of whether anything has been updated. This is not helpful!)

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 Project Governance Plan
Table of Contents

1. Executive Summary.....................................................................................................................................................................4
2. Project Control Group Establishment and Membership..............................................................................................................4
3. Project structure...........................................................................................................................................................................4
4. Project Control Group (PCG) Roles and Responsibilities...........................................................................................................4
5. Other key roles and responsibilities.............................................................................................................................................4
6. Project management methodology and approach........................................................................................................................4
7. Reporting requirements................................................................................................................................................................5
8. Stage Gates..................................................................................................................................................................................5
9. Conflict / Issue escalation............................................................................................................................................................5
10. Relevant Organisation Policies/Instruments of Governance.....................................................................................................5
11. Governance Plan implementation and review strategy..............................................................................................................5
12. Project Governance Plan Approval............................................................................................................................................6

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 Project Governance Plan

1. Executive Summary
The Executive Summary should be completed once all other elements of the PGP have been completed. It is a short, informative statement
summarising the remainder of the document. Consider including a statement which classifies the importance or priority of the project to the
organisation (eg Critical, High, Medium, Low)

Project governance is the structured system of rules and processes that are used to administer projects. It provides an organisation with a
decision-making framework to ensure accountability and alignment between the project team, executives, and the rest of organisation.

2. Project Control Group Establishment and Membership

This section answers the following questions;
 When is the PCG formed (ie what stage within the project)?
 Who are its constituent members?
 Does membership relate to a ‘person’ or ‘position’ and do any members represent a wider constituent group?
(If there is no specific Project Control Group or Steering Committee then simply state that “Normal lines of reporting consistent with
standard organisational structure.”)

3. Project structure
This section describes the structure of the project (eg a project organisation chart);
 What are the lines of reporting?
 What are the lines of management?

(Project Organisation Structure is Appendix x)

4. Project Control Group (PCG) Roles and Responsibilities

Outline the Terms of Reference applying to the PCG and the specific roles and responsibilities of the PCG (including individual members if
required). Consider the following
 Reviewing and approving changes to project scope, schedule, budget and resources plan
 Monitoring progress against the Project Management Plan
 Reviewing and suggesting solutions for the issues critical to project success
 Resolving conflicts between stakeholder groups
 The role of ‘championing’ the project; in what way and to which audience
 Specific roles of individuals
If there is no PCG or Steering Committee then outline key roles and responsibilities of senior executives with respect to the project.

5. Other key roles and responsibilities

Outline the roles, responsibilities and levels of authority for other key decision makers or specialists. This could include;
 Project Sponsor
 Project Manager
 Specialists (eg Quality Control, Health & Safety)

6. Project management methodology and approach

What project management methodology will be applied to the project. Examples could include;
 Waterfall / Iterative Waterfall
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 Project Governance Plan
 Prince2
 Agile
 Reference to in-house methodologies or frameworks
Is there reference to any guiding principles such as PMBoK, ISO 21500, ISO 21502, ISO 21505.

7. Reporting requirements
Clarify what reporting requirements there are for the project. This could include;
 What to report (consider both current performance and forecasts),
 When to report (timing and frequency)
 Method of reporting (eg written report, presentation by PM, etc)
If there is no PCG or Steering Committee then outline the reporting requirements to senior management (including to the Project Sponsor).

(Project Communications Matrix is Appendix x)

8. Stage Gates
Outline if there are any points during the project where there will be a formal review of the process and/or deliverables to date. This could
include;
 Formal review of the project plan (or elements of the plan such as schedule, budget, risk management plan, procurement plan,
etc), prior to the start of the execution phase.
 On completion of particular deliverables.
 At particular milestones.
 On particular dates (eg quarterly)

9. Conflict / Issue escalation

Larger and more complex projects may have the potential to encounter conflicts, or be faced with significant issues (eg partnerships, cross-
functional projects). Identify any strategies that will be adopted if such occurs. For example, specify what the point of escalation is, if they
occur. Consider defining what the thresholds for conflict & issue escalation are.

10. Relevant Organisation Policies/Instruments of Governance

Outline/list any policies which must be taken into consideration which relate to effective governance. This could include policies related to;
 Sustainability and environment
 Conflict of interest
 Risk management
 Fair dealings / fair trade
 Codes of practice / Regulatory Frameworks

11. Governance Plan implementation and review strategy

Provide details on any/all of the following:
Date of effect of the Governance Plan (usually a statement that it’s ‘once approved’
The proposed distribution of the Plan (usually to key stakeholders)
The review process (typically reviewed at regular intervals – for example, at Project Progress meetings)
How lessons learned & observations regarding Governance will be captured and stored (usually these would be recorded in the Lessons
Learned Register)

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12. Project Governance Plan Approval

Document Author:

__________________________ ________________________ _____________________ _______________

_
Name Position Title Signature Date

Approved by: (additional signature blocks should be added if required)

__________________________ ________________________ _____________________ _______________

_
Name Position Title Signature Date

Conditions on Approval and/or additional comments:

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