Client Profile: Telstra Health – Program Recovery & PMO Capability Uplift

Executive Summary

Review and turnaround role with Telstra Health for the National Cancer Screening Register - Cervical Screening Program (2018)
Following the success of program recovery role on the Cervical Program, engaged to design and implement the hybrid delivery approach and establish the program structure and ways of working for the Bowel Screening Program (2019)
Program Director for Bowel Screening Program establishment and design phases and performed interim Program Director role while a permanent employee was appointed
Performed program Quality Assurance role, led as well as uplifted the capability for a full-service Program Management Office and provided Project Managers and Business Analysts in key delivery streams

The Situation

New contract impacted by cost overruns and schedule delays.

In May 2016, the Australian Government awarded a contract to Telstra Health to build and operate a National Cancer Screening Register (NCSR), a digital health platform supporting population-based cancer screening programs by inviting, reminding, and following up participants to screen to improve the prevention, detection and treatment of bowel and cervical cancers. The Cervical Program (Phase 1) had been impacted by cost overruns and schedule delays owing to the complexity and newness of the solution as well as stakeholder impacts.

The Solution

Restructure and deliver program using PMO services and program management.

Telstra Health engaged IDEE Group in early 2018 to help recover and deliver the remainder of the Cervical Program (Phase 1). Our services involved filling key project management and delivery roles to reach the next major milestone, planning the transition of services to operations teams and managing the post go-live support functions following the launch of the Cervical Register.

Following the success of our program recovery intervention, IDEE Group were engaged to design a hybrid delivery model (combination of agile and waterfall), establish the program structure and provide program management (program director and key PM roles), plus leading the PMO for the successful launch of the Bowel Register (Phase 2) in November 2019.

The programs covered 12 work streams, over 100 resources from distributed project and operational teams across Australia to deliver both Programs.

The Outcome

National Cancer Screening Register was successfully restructured and delivered.

The NCSR (Cervical & Bowel) is now the first digital health system in Australia, and one of two fully integrated national databases internationally, to collectively link all relevant population screening stakeholders including Commonwealth and state and territory governments, pathology laboratories, healthcare providers, specialists, and participants. Post project completion, many of the structures and capabilities (PMO, Business Analysis, Post Go-Live Support models) remain in place to deliver future scope, enhancements and improvements more effectively.