When the status is green but confidence is falling
Test the commitments behind the status before deciding what intervention the programme needs.
Start with the next business commitment
Choose the next release, decision or operational milestone that matters. Ask what must be true for that commitment to hold: scope agreed, data available, interfaces working, people prepared and support ready. A project can report completed activity while one of these conditions still prevents the business from using the result.
Follow the evidence across teams
For each critical dependency, identify the delivering owner and the receiving owner. Ask both what completion means and when the evidence will be available. A supplier milestone and a business-readiness milestone may use different definitions; the programme needs to reconcile them before treating the dependency as closed.
Separate the problem from the uncertainty
A confirmed defect, an untested assumption and an overdue decision require different responses. Record what is known, what remains uncertain, the effect on the commitment and who can resolve it. Keep the financial and operational consequences visible alongside the delivery date.
Give sponsors a decision they can make
Present the recommendation, viable alternatives and their implications for scope, cost, timing and risk. Phasing a release, changing the sequence or adding capacity can each help, but only if the revised plan addresses the constraint. Record the decision and update the baseline and supplier commitments together.
Check that the intervention changed the position
The next review should show which dependencies closed, which assumptions were tested and whether confidence in the commitment has improved. Changing the headline colour is a reporting outcome; restoring an achievable plan is the delivery objective.
Put the right support around your programme.
Tell us about the decision, delivery challenge or change your organisation needs to make.