The RAGnRAID Method

Stakeholders set the direction; artefacts test the reality. Start with the sponsor, Project Board / SteerCo route, delivery lead, PMO, technical owners and key suppliers, then test the picture against plans, RAID, actions, decisions, dependencies, status packs, governance cadence and delivery evidence.

Use the client's approved governance, PMO standards, supplier processes, reporting cycle and tooling. That may include enterprise planning tools, Jira, Azure DevOps, ServiceNow, SharePoint, Teams, Excel trackers, PowerPoint packs, RAID logs, Project Board / SteerCo / sponsor packs and PMO templates.

Minimum controls before more process. Where controls are missing or weak, tighten the essentials: a PID or equivalent delivery brief, milestone plan, owned RAID log, action log, decision log, dependency view, reporting rhythm, governance cadence and financial visibility where relevant.

Commitments are checked against evidence: supplier deliverables, delivery plans, contract milestones, SOW boundaries, architecture or solution design inputs, test approach, test progress, release readiness, cutover readiness, cost position and governance records. The aim is to replace assumption with usable delivery facts.

Third-party delivery control is often central. Supplier commitments, SOW boundaries, dependency ownership, progress evidence, escalation routes, acceptance criteria, cutover responsibilities and handover obligations need clear ownership and active follow-through.

Reporting should support decisions, not just describe activity. Clear RAG and trend, what changed, milestone confidence, risks, issues, blockers, decisions needed, escalations, supplier or dependency status, budget/cost impacts where relevant and the next 2–4 week focus should be visible.

Cutover, hypercare and BAU handover are part of delivery control, not afterthoughts. Release governance, implementation readiness, acceptance, service transition and closure need the same discipline as planning and execution.