Major NSW Agency: Investment Decision Framework / Portfolio Management Solution
“Vivendi Consulting did an excellent job in a difficult and challenging environment. The changes taking place in [the agency] at the same time as working to implement the Investment Decision Framework made the project extremely challenging.
The Vivendi team are excellent facilitators and were extremely effective at ‘bringing people into the tent’.”
Client Challenges:
A major NSW agency faced significant challenges in prioritising a multi-billion annual investment across multiple business units. The lack of a transparent and objective framework to align investment decisions with strategic objectives created inefficiencies and limited the agency’s ability to ensure effective resource allocation. Additionally, independent departments within the agency conducted business planning and reporting in isolation, making cross-department coordination difficult.
Our Services:
Vivendi Consulting worked closely with the client team to develop a comprehensive Portfolio Management Solution - known by the client as an Investment Decision Framework. The model was based on the key principles from the UK OGC (now Aexlos) Management of Portfolio guidance, incorporating further best practice globally.
Key activities included:
Framework Design:
Developed a portfolio management framework to align all investment decisions with the agency’s strategic objectives and desired outcomes.
Integrated governance structures to monitor and adjust investments based on real-world delivery performance.
Stakeholder Engagement:
Conducted a series of interactive planning workshops with over 40 stakeholders, including representatives from strategy, planning, finance, and delivery teams.
Secured cross-agency support through extensive socialisation and collaboration up to the Chief Executive / Director General level.
Implementation Roadmap:
Delivered a detailed implementation plan outlining how the framework would be embedded into agency operations.
Provided a vision for the framework’s future evolution to adapt to changing priorities and challenges.
Outcomes Delivered:
The Investment Decision Framework transformed the way the agency makes investment decisions by:
Strategic Alignment: Ensuring that all investments are explicitly linked to strategic objectives, improving decision-making transparency and effectiveness.
Enhanced Governance: Implementing processes to track delivery performance and identify systemic risks, allowing for timely interventions.
Cross-Agency Collaboration: Breaking down silos and fostering a culture of collaboration across TfNSW’s diverse functions and agencies.
Stakeholder Confidence: The framework was highly commended and well-received across the organisation, fundamentally changing TfNSW’s approach to portfolio management and resource allocation.
This project set a benchmark for portfolio management in NSW, demonstrating how a disciplined, formalised portfolio management approach enables clients to make more informed, efficient, and impactful investment decisions.