Readiness Governance Kit · For PMO & Transformation Offices

Not spreadsheet police. The thing that keeps delivery from quietly collapsing.

For PMOs and transformation offices tired of being treated like status-report enforcers while they're actually trying to keep complex delivery from collapsing under vague decisions, weak sponsorship, and fake green status.

A PMO isn't spreadsheet police. It's what keeps complex delivery from collapsing under vague decisions and fake green status.

Most governance reduces to status theatre: forums that admire problems, dashboards that stay green, decisions that never quite get made.

This kit makes governance a delivery function, not a reporting function: forums that move decisions, status that's earned, sponsorship that's assessed, and escalation that's clean.

What’s inside

Reframe & Decision Forums
Fake-Green Detector
Decision Authority & Escalation
Sponsorship & Risk
30-Day Reset Plan

Reframe Governance

From Spreadsheet Police to Delivery Partner

Govern to move the work, not to monitor it.

Spreadsheet-police move	Delivery-partner move
Collect status.	Convert status into decisions.
Track RAG colours.	Test whether green is earned.
Chase updates.	Anticipate what sponsors will need.
Police the template.	Protect the promise.

Governance-That-Moves-Decisions Map

Forum	Real purpose	Should decide	Shouldn't become
Working / delivery
Leadership / steering
Sponsor / exec

Test the Truth

Fake-Green Status Detector

Green should be earned with evidence — not used as decoration to avoid a hard conversation.

Green that's real	Green that's hiding something	How to test it
Backed by proof of movement.	“Green” but the same risks recur.	“What evidence makes this green?”
Risks named and owned.	No risks listed at all.	“What would have to be true for this to be amber?”
Decisions moving.	Decisions quietly stuck.	“What decision is this status avoiding?”

Where on the current portfolio is green most likely hiding something — and what would you ask to test it?

Move Decisions

Decision Authority & Escalation

Delivery stalls when no one's sure who decides. Make authority explicit and escalation clean.

Decision	Who decides	Who inputs	Escalation trigger

Escalation Pathway Standard

Level	Escalate when	With
Team	Within team authority, just needs action.	Owner + next step.
Leadership	Cross-team or material impact.	Options + recommendation + date.
Sponsor / exec	Scope, budget, or trust at risk.	Decision needed + consequence of delay.

Protect Delivery

Sponsorship & Portfolio Risk Truth

Weak sponsorship is a top cause of failed delivery. Assess it like a risk.

Sponsorship signal	Strong	Weak
Decisions	Makes them on time.	Defers or disappears.
Visibility	Engaged before crisis.	Only at escalation.
Air cover	Backs the team publicly.	Distances under pressure.

Portfolio Risk Truth Review

Which initiatives look healthy on paper but feel fragile — and why?

Where is weak sponsorship the real risk, regardless of status colour?

Protect Delivery

30-Day Governance Reset Plan

Week	Focus	Outcome
Week 1	Reframe the forums	One forum redesigned to move decisions, not admire them.
Week 2	Test the green	Fake-green detector run across the portfolio.
Week 3	Clarify authority	Decision authority and escalation made explicit.
Week 4	Assess sponsorship	Weak sponsorship named as a tracked risk.