If your supplier sets the agenda, you only hear about problems when they spill over. Delivery governance is not about bureaucracy—it is a lightweight rhythm that keeps you in the driver’s seat.
The symptoms of no governance
- Status emails that read like marketing pieces, not progress updates
- Escalations that go from “everything is fine” to “we need more budget” overnight
- Sponsors who feel out of the loop and start questioning the partnership
A weekly cadence that works
| Day | Meeting | Duration | Focus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | Delivery stand-up | 20 min | What moved last week, what is blocked, and support needed |
| Wednesday | Risk huddle (as needed) | 15 min | Review amber/red risks and mitigation owners |
| Friday | Sponsor snapshot | 10 min | Share top 3 wins, top 3 risks, ask for decisions |
Keep notes in a shared document so any absent stakeholder can catch up in minutes.
Dashboards that tell the truth
Track three categories only:
- Scope – Completed vs. planned deliverables
- Schedule – Milestones due vs. achieved, including slippage reason
- Health – Defects, risks, and change requests in red/amber/green
If a metric turns amber, log the root cause and an action owner immediately.
Roles you need (even if one person doubles up)
- Client lead – Runs the cadence, updates the dashboard, calls out blockers
- Vendor lead – Brings evidence (progress, metrics), proposes fixes
- Sponsor – Makes budget or scope decisions, removes internal blockers
Document responsibilities in a RACI so nobody guesses at who owns what.
When to call for support
- Meetings feel like storytelling with no proof
- Risks keep bouncing between teams with no closure
- Sponsors ask for a reset or threaten to cancel the contract
That’s when we step in: we rebuild the cadence, introduce objective evidence, and facilitate the tough conversations until the project is back on solid ground.