The most common reason for implementing a Task Force is when a project or programme needs recovery. In this particular case, the Task Force is acting in a specific role, just as firefighters. However, there are some situations when a Task Force is implemented as a precautionary measure.

The “traditional approach” to managing the on-time, on-budget and on-specification project/programme delivery is sometimes falling short during a crisis situation.

This article is shortly describing some hands-on approaches that I use to recover the management of business-critical and large-scale, complex and parallel projects.

The business perspective will be predominant when discussing different aspects involved with a Task Force. At the end of this article, you will have a better understanding of how to implement and work with a Task Force.

I will consider five major areas for the successful implementation of a Task Force:

1. Governance: defining clear roles, responsibilities, and general business output
2. Timetable: implementing specific actions to be delivered within agreed deadlines
3. Activities: planning and recovering both individual projects, as well as the overall programme
4. Functional Location: supervising the on-site project and/or programme recovery operations
5. Financial and Operational Management: implementation of specific processes, financial practices and overall control gates

What is a Task Force ?

A “Task Force” is a small group of people that brings together a special set of skills to fix specific business issues. Individuals are selected either from within the business organizations or are brought in from the outside.

A Task Force possesses a large set of diverse and hands-on technical, managerial, and entrepreneurial skills as well as a proven, multi-disciplinary approach.

Sometimes, the Task Force may have the name of a “Special Projects Team“, “Recovery Programme“, “Rescue Team” working either with the PMO (Project Management Office) and in particular cases directly with C-level business executives or the Investment Committee.

Whatever the name, a Task Force is created to solve specific issues and is a time-limited operational structure.

1 – The Task Force Governance

2 – The Task Force Timetable

Political barriers such as the need to achieve consensus on every decision will likely jeopardise not only the delivery timetable but also the business output that is expected from the Task Force itself.

3 – The Task Force Activities

4 – The Task Force Functional Location

5 – The Task Force Financial and Operational Management

Conclusion

In this article, we quickly analysed when and how to best use the strong delivery capacity of a Task Force.

Task Force’s team members usually perform with high efficiency if the business organization itself is clearly communicating on the needed business outputs. Finally, the main purpose of a Task Force is to ensure a smooth transition to the “business as usual“.

A Task Force will usually act somehow beside the usual business processes and will need an “agile approach” to stabilize a crisis situation.

Takeaway message about the Task Force

About my experience for this article:

I am internationally certified in the management of complex projects, associated risks, and portfolio management. For over 25 years I successfully delivered or recovered cost-reduction and corporate transformation programmes for various business structures, different sizes, and diversified industries.

In practice, I apply a unique methodology crafted to the particular situation of the company I temporarily assist.

You can find more about my skills and my experience here: https://elena.debbaut.solutions/ or by following the link to Elena Debbaut’s business presentation.

This article was first published in Mach 2018.

You can find the full, original version of this article (2500 words, 8 minutes reading) by following this link: https://www.consultingteam.solutions/how-to-effectively-use-a-task-force-for-the-recovery-of-a-failed-project-or-programme

Doctrinal context. This task-force approach is applied within the Execution Framework and can be combined with the reinterpretation of Kotter’s 8-step model for change under governance.

• Contributeur

Elena Debbaut

Partenaire – Restructuration Opérationnelle

https://elena.debbaut.solutions/

ed@consultingteam.solutions

Elena Debbaut is a strategic execution expert to boards and executive teams. She leads and advises on complex transformations when governance barriers, internal politics, or structural fragmentation prevent organizations from executing critical decisions.

Specialities:

• governance-constrained transformation
• operational restructuring
• strategic recovery & execution