MSP People - leadership, stakeholders, teams and culture
Programmes are delivered by people, and the people dimension of MSP addresses what must be in place for them to succeed: leadership, stakeholder engagement, team structures and capability, organisational design and culture, and collaboration across the boundaries the programme spans. The central idea is that a programme is a temporary, flexible organisation - it must be designed deliberately, then disbanded or transitioned at closure, and its shape should follow the delivery model rather than a fixed template.
Concepts to know
- Sponsorship and leadership. The Senior Responsible Owner/Sponsor provides visible, active leadership and owns the business case; leadership is not the same as day-to-day management.
- Stakeholder engagement. Identify stakeholders, assess influence and interest, plan engagement proportionate to both, and keep it live throughout - stakeholder positions change across tranches.
- Teams and capability. Right skills, right capacity, clear roles and accountabilities (e.g. separation of direction, management and delivery), plus attention to how dispersed or supplier-based teams will work.
- Culture and change readiness. People adopt change when they understand the 'why', are involved, and see benefit; engagement is a two-way activity, not a communications broadcast.
Traps
- Power/interest grid errors. High influence, low interest is keep satisfied, not 'manage closely'. High influence, high interest is the group to engage intensively. Low influence, high interest = keep informed.
- Confusing communication with engagement. Sending newsletters is communication; engagement requires dialogue and response to concerns.
- Treating the organisation chart as fixed. Programme organisation design should flex through the lifecycle.
- Assuming the sponsor 'signs off' rather than leads. Foundation questions often reward the active-leadership answer.
Rule of thumb
When a scenario shows resistance, first ask: has this stakeholder been engaged at the depth their influence warrants? Worked example: a regulator with high influence and low day-to-day interest should be kept satisfied through regular, concise executive updates - not invited to weekly workshops.