Programme Advisory Retainer
Senior delivery oversight without a full-time hire
The situation you’re in
You have one or two accounts that are too important to leave to chance but don’t justify a full-time senior programme director on each one. The delivery teams are competent, but they’re operating without a senior safety net — nobody checking the blind spots, stress-testing the plan, or having the honest conversations with client stakeholders before small issues become formal escalations.
You’ve seen what happens when these accounts go wrong. The cost of recovery — in fees, in management attention, in client trust — is vastly higher than the cost of preventing the problem in the first place. You need a programme advisory retainer — experienced eyes on the account regularly, not just when the fire alarm goes off.
Outcome: Ongoing senior oversight that catches risks early, keeps your most critical accounts on track, and gives leadership confidence without the cost of a full-time hire on each one.
What You Get
What this engagement delivers
Monthly Executive Reviews
A structured review of each account’s delivery health, risks, and upcoming milestones — designed to surface what’s actually happening, not what the weekly status says.
Delivery Risk Oversight
Continuous monitoring of leading indicators across your critical accounts — identifying patterns and risks that the day-to-day team may be too close to see.
Governance Health Checks
Periodic reviews of whether the delivery governance in place is actually working — including whether AI tooling is being adopted effectively or just adding noise. Governance should catch real problems, not create paperwork.
On-Demand Troubleshooting
Direct access to senior delivery expertise when issues arise between reviews — a phone call or working session to diagnose and resolve before things escalate.
Stakeholder Communication Support
Guidance on how to position difficult messages with client stakeholders — re-planning, scope changes, timeline adjustments — before they become confrontational.
Mostly Remote, High-Impact
Designed to work without being on-site full-time. Structured touchpoints, async reviews, and targeted interventions — maximum oversight with minimal overhead.
A typical 3–6 month engagement
Month 1: Baseline
I conduct an initial deep-dive into each account — reviewing the current plan, governance, risks, team dynamics, and client relationship. This produces a baseline health assessment and identifies any immediate actions needed.
Months 2-5: Ongoing Advisory
Monthly executive reviews per account, supplemented by on-demand support when issues arise. I review delivery artefacts, attend key steercos as an observer or advisor, and provide written recommendations after each review cycle.
Month 6: Review & Decision
We assess whether ongoing advisory is still needed, whether the accounts have reached a stable state, or whether a different intervention (such as a governance playbook or recovery engagement) is warranted. The retainer can be renewed, adjusted, or closed down.
This service is for you if…
You’re managing 1-2 high-value accounts where delivery risk has direct commercial or relationship consequences.
Your delivery teams are capable but would benefit from senior oversight and an experienced external perspective.
You want the assurance of a senior programme director on your critical accounts without the commitment and cost of a full-time hire.
You’ve been through a programme recovery before and want to prevent it from happening again on your current accounts.
How recovery and governance connect
After a Red Programme Triage & Recovery or a Delivery Governance Playbook engagement, the Advisory Retainer provides the ongoing assurance layer that keeps your most important accounts on track.
Need senior delivery oversight for a critical account?
Let’s discuss how ongoing advisory can protect your most important client relationships and keep delivery on track.