I’ve spent the last 5 years running a P3M (Portfolio, Programme & Project Management) managed service for the Ministry of Justice. During that time, we have won national awards for our work and deployed over 60 Triad Consultants across 100+ projects/programmes worth a staggering £600m. And ten of these were on the UK Government’s major project portfolio.
Here are five things that I have learned about leading a successful P3M-managed service.
- Aspire to be a trusted partner
True partnership begins with transparency and trust. Maintaining open and honest communication ensures that expectations are clear, and that challenges are surfaced early. It’s my job to act as a single point of accountability for the client, allocating resources and resolving issues. And it’s our consultant’s job to blend into the client’s team.
Operating as an extension of the client’s team fosters a collaborative environment where shared goals drive performance. This one-team approach allows us to fully manage the service and consistently deliver outcomes that matter, ultimately positioning ourselves as a “Trusted Partner” in the client’s success.
Key Enablers:
- Operate as an extension of the client’s team, with a one-team approach.
- Open, honest communication.
- Efficient resource utilisation.
- Transition from a supplier to a strategic partner.
- Assign a dedicated person to fully manage the service.
- Deploy T-shaped consultants
T-shaped consultants integrate seamlessly in a client environment. Clients respect them for their subject-matter expertise (the vertical bar of the “T”), and they bring a broad knowledge of other disciplines (the horizontal bar) with them, enabling them to learn on the job quickly. Just what you need for multi-supplier environments and leadership in high-profile programmes.
Key Enablers:
- Unified delivery across portfolios.
- Strategic oversight from portfolio to project level.
- Active utilisation management to optimise resources.
- Embedded teams are indistinguishable from client staff.
- Scalable and flexible service model.
- Deliver Governance and Assurance
Robust governance frameworks underpin delivery excellence. Aligning with standards like GovS 002 and the Teal Book ensures delivery is not only efficient but also compliant and future-ready.
Key Enablers:
- Single point of accountability.
- Regular 1:1s for well-being and performance assurance.
- Proactive issue resolution.
- Structured governance aligned to public sector standards.
- Empower your teams
Avoid micro-management by trusting your professionals to take ownership and make informed decisions. Managing by exception allows leaders to focus on strategic priorities while enabling autonomy at the operational level.
Key Enablers:
- Avoid micro-management.
- Trust your team.
- Manage by exception.
- Share in success and learn together in failure.
- Regular team catch-ups and 1:1s.
5. Exceed client expectations
Clients expect us to help them achieve their goals. But our aim is to exceed them. At Triad, we drive collaboration across disciplines and stakeholders to unlock collective intelligence. Knowledge transfer is embedded into our service model, ensuring clients gain lasting capability—not just short-term delivery.
Key Enablers:
- Drive collaboration.
- Make knowledge transfer part of the service.
- Deliver added value.
- Champion best practice.
- Foster innovation and continuous improvement.
A different approach
In my experience, successful managed services do more than deliver. They transform. They elevate how organisations think about delivery, assurance, and partnership. When you lead with trust, integrate with purpose, and deliver with integrity, you create a service that’s not only efficient but resilient. You build a team that’s not just capable but empowered. And you foster client relationships that go beyond contracts to become collaborative partnerships.
If you have a question for Mark or the Triad team, please get in touch.
