Portfolio Dependency Management Review Consultant

Rate: £800 - £1,000 per day
Contract Length: Up to 3 months
Engagement Type: Outside IR35
Location: Birmingham (some on-site required)
Overview
An opportunity has arisen for a highly experienced independent consultant to undertake a strategic review of dependency management across a large and complex corporate transformation portfolio within a major public sector organisation.
Operating in a highly scrutinised and politically sensitive environment, this organisation is delivering a wide-ranging Improvement and Recovery Plan (IRP) aligned to its wider corporate strategy. With multiple programmes running concurrently at varying levels of maturity, effective dependency management is critical to ensure successful delivery, minimise risk, and drive sustainable transformation.
This engagement will provide an independent, strengths-based assessment of current approaches, alongside clear, actionable recommendations to improve the identification, management, and governance of dependencies across the portfolio and wider organisation.
Scope of the Assignment
You will conduct an independent review focusing on:

Evaluation of current dependency management processes, tools, templates, and adoption across the portfolio
Assessment of how programmes identify and manage inter- and intra-dependencies
Review of how dependencies are escalated, reported, and governed at portfolio level
Analysis of the Portfolio Management Office (PMO) approach, including future optimisation plans
Identification of best practice benchmarks and maturity gaps
Development of a scalable framework to support improved dependency management across the wider organisationThe review will primarily involve desktop analysis alongside stakeholder engagement at all levels, including senior leadership.
Key Deliverables

Regular progress updates to senior stakeholders (including PMO leadership and executive level)
Draft report outlining findings, insights, and initial recommendations
Final report covering:
Areas of good practice
Short-term and long-term improvement recommendations
Practical roadmap for implementation
Key enablers required to increase organisational maturity
Candidate Profile
We are seeking a senior consultant with:

Proven experience delivering and reviewing complex transformation programmes within local government
Strong expertise in portfolio and programme management, including dependency management best practice
Demonstrable experience conducting organisational or portfolio-level reviews and assessments
Ability to assess strategic impacts of dependencies across large-scale change initiatives
Excellent stakeholder engagement skills, with experience operating at Director and executive level
Strong track record of delivering actionable recommendations that drive measurable improvementEssential:

Extensive local authority experience
Prior delivery of major transformation/change programmes within councils
Independence (must not have previously worked with this organisation)
Additional Information

Full-time initially (approx. 4-6 weeks), with potential for part-time continuation up to 3 months
Relevant data, documentation, and stakeholder access will be provided
This role requires someone who can operate autonomously, quickly assess complex environments, and deliver high-impact outcomes

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