FI17144

Request

Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, I would like to request the following structured data regarding the council’s corporate Project Management Office (PMO) or equivalent change/transformation delivery functions. 

To assist you and keep this request within the statutory cost limit, please provide short answers to the following 5 distinct points: 

1. PMO Structure: Does the council currently operate a centralized corporate PMO, or are project management functions completely decentralized across individual service directorates? 

2. Staffing Headcount: What is the total current headcount (expressed as Full-Time Equivalents / FTE) of dedicated project managers, programme managers, and PMO analysts directly employed or contracted by the council? 

3. Software Tooling: What specific Project Portfolio Management (PPM) software, work management platforms, or enterprise dashboard tools (e.g., Smartsheet, Microsoft Project, Monday.com, Jira, Excel) are officially mandated for tracking corporate project risk, budgets, and milestone delivery? 

4. Annual Budget: What was the total operational budget allocated specifically to the corporate PMO or central transformation team for the most recent financial year broken into staffing and other costs? 

5. LGR Transition Governance (If Applicable): If the council is currently undergoing or actively preparing for Local Government Reorganisation (LGR), has a temporary or dedicated "Shadow Council" or "Joint Transition Committee" PMO function been established? If yes, who is the appointed Interim Programme Director or Senior Responsible Officer (SRO) leading that transition? 

6. What is your total annual spend on external consultants, suppliers or technology companies in relation to project management office support.

Response

  1. No, project management functions are decentralised across individual services.
  2. DDC has 6 FTE dedicated project and programme managers.
  3. The Microsoft suite is utilised for project management activities.
  4. Zero as we have neither a corporate PMO or central transformation team.
  5. Dover District Council has established an Internal LGR project team to co-ordinate the preparatory work required for LGR. This is being led by the Deputy Chief Executive and supported by the Continuous Improvement Manager. No appointments have been made in respect of Programme Director or Senior Responsible Officer.
  6. The information you have sought is available on the Council’s website as part of the payment to suppliers data at https://www.dover.gov.uk/Corporate-Information/Financial-Information/Payments-to-Suppliers/Payments-to-Suppliers.aspx.