Setting culture and process for a large complex project
CLIENT
Botanic Garden and State Herbarium, South Australia
SECTOR
Museums, Zoos and Historic Sites
DATE
November – December 2023
Challenge
The Gardens had secured a very significant public event – a 7-month showing of the international artist Dale Chihuly’s glass artworks, with associated programming and destination marketing,
With significant partners, a challenging BAU and an internationally renowned artist, the Executive team requested advisory support for project inception: to get a programme of work up and running, and build a methodology for success in readiness for a contracted Creative Producer approx 3 months’ later.
Response
Briefings with Director and Deputy Director, Public Engagement: context and plan for 4 days on-site
On-site workshops with Senior Leadership Team and key staff:
Outputs, timelines, dependencies – framing as now until “Closing date + 6 months”
Stakeholders
“Pre-mortem”
1:1s with Board Chair, Senior Leadership Team, key staff, Chihuly Studio, SA Tourism Commission
Review and advice on draft Creative Producer position description
Check-ins and reviews with Director and Deputy Directors of Public Engagement and Living Collections
Results
Private advice to the Board Chair and Director on
Assurance on strategic risk – no un-mitigated issues, critical path on track
Some issues within wider internal and external climate that would benefit from attention
Considerations for creative direction, commercialisation, balanced scorecard objective-setting, capability building, reputational risk and planning for project legacy
Attuned to the intersection of project needs and existing processes, people and culture, delivered:
Understanding, agreement, and resolution for a significant ‘make or break’ function that was missing
Role/ accountability matrix, including as-yet-unrecruited roles and project roles for existing staff talent
Schedule of owners and tasks until the Producer could be appointed
Stakeholder management and Risk management tools
Governance and leadership structure and workflow
Decision-making framework, using ‘preliminary decisions’ methodology, and a tracker tool
Client Testimonial
Director and Board Chair expressed that the assurance, advice and rapid project inception were useful. Four months after the assignment the appointed Creative Producer fed back:
This inception work enabled a quick start: project information and tools were laid out.
It was very helpful that a rhythm of project activities was already running with roles clear
The tools and report were an excellent reference point / checklist over the first few months
Having decision, stakeholder and risk tools ready was useful; it was more nimble than having Plans.
