2. Major activities

The focus of Step 6 should be a multi-year time frame (reflecting the fact that many initiatives take multiple years to implement and the forward years of budgets), within which the most practical short term considerations play a key role. Normal project management principles and documentation practices apply.

2.1 Delivery of individual initiatives

Delivery of individual initiatives is undertaken by government agencies and by the private sector. The major activities include:

  • Detailed planning and design of initiatives
  • Construction (for infrastructure initiatives) and commissioning
  • Risk management relevant to these activities
  • Delivery on time, within budget and to agreed quality specifications.

An effective ‘deliverability assessment’ as recommended in Step 4 will maximise the likely efficiency of implementation of an initiative at the time of delivery.

2.2 Program delivery

Program delivery provides the context for implementing individual initiatives. Step 5 discussed program development, and the focus here shifts to the delivery of the program.

The major activities in program delivery are:

  • Management of overall funds and associated financial arrangements
  • Monitoring of progress on individual initiatives
  • Assessment of interrelationships between initiatives (building on initial assessments of these interrelationships in earlier steps)
  • Monitoring of contractor performance
  • Reallocation of resources between initiatives required to deliver the program if circumstances change
  • Management of delivery risk
  • Coordination with ongoing management and operation of the network.

There is also a dynamic element, with program details being modified in response to changing circumstances during the budget period.

The management of funds and associated financial arrangements are particularly important aspects of program delivery. For example, a delay in one initiative will reduce the immediate cash-flow requirements. This may provide an opportunity to expedite other initiatives within the program while still meeting fiscal targets such as budget allocations and short–term borrowing limits.

With effective management, the intended program can continue to be delivered, resulting in benefits accruing to the community as originally expected.