Chapter 8

Project Assurance

This chapter examines common issues in enterprise IT projects, including fragmented oversight and inconsistent quality management. These issues affect delivery performance and highlight the need for structured assurance to maintain alignment with project objectives and quality standards. It critiques the current approach in which quality responsibilities are shared between the Project Management Office and the Project Manager. In practice, this arrangement reduces oversight effectiveness, as delivery and quality priorities often conflict.

The chapter introduces the role of the Project Assurance Manager as a dedicated function that provides independent oversight and supports quality delivery across the project lifecycle. It defines the role, required qualifications, and scope of responsibility. It also explains how project assurance can be practically integrated across each phase of the project lifecycle, from initiation through to closing for continuous quality management.