Keeping government programs on track: The capabilities that matter most 

Every year the Commonwealth invests billions of dollars in programs designed to strengthen Australia’s defence capability, modernise digital services, deliver infrastructure and improve public outcomes. These investments are expected to provide value for money while navigating changing governments, evolving policy priorities, constrained budgets and intense public scrutiny. 

Despite these pressures, many programs do succeed. The Digital Transformation Agency’s Major Digital Projects Report found that around 60 per cent of major digital projects are progressing as planned, reflecting the capability that already exists across government. Yet a significant proportion continue to encounter delays, changing requirements and delivery challenges. 

While governance frameworks and rigorous project management methodologies are obviously important foundations, the programs that remain on track are usually distinguished by disciplined leadership, clarity of purpose and the willingness to adapt without losing sight of the outcome.

Ascertain the non-negotiables 

A useful analogy to use when considering best practice techniques to delivering complex programs is the search that takes place when looking to buy a house. It is easy to become overwhelmed when trying to weigh up the importance of all the variables like price, location, size, aspect and a range of features like pools or entertaining areas. The breakthrough often comes not by listing all the things that are desirable, but from deciding what you refuse to compromise on, the non-negotiables. 

This strategy of identifying what is out of scope is also valuable in major program delivery. When teams are clear about the outcome they are trying to achieve, and also understand what they are not prepared to trade away, decision-making becomes significantly easier. Instead of debating hundreds of variables, they can focus on the handful that genuinely determine success. 

This applies particularly to long-term capability programs, Defence platforms for example, that can remain in service for 50 years or more.  For these long-term projects technology, geopolitics and government priorities evolve continuously so trying to lock every decision in place from the outset is unrealistic.  

Successful programs establish a clear destination while allowing enough flexibility to adjust the path as circumstances change. This requires leaders to continually distinguish between what is essential and what is simply a nice to have.

Ownership cannot be delegated 

A decline in integrity is a key driver of insider threat. When integrity and professional excellence are embedded across an organisation, the likelihood of these Another consistent theme across successful programs is active stakeholder ownership. Funding a program is one thing, but having teams that are bought in and invested drives it forward. Assigned stakeholders responsible for delivery need to stay engaged to make informed decisions, escalate and resolve competing priorities and stay closely connected to delivery. 

The turning point for programs that fail can be as small as a key stakeholder failing to attend regular governance meetings. Without the right people in the room scope can quickly drift, small compromises can accumulate and suddenly the program has moved well beyond its original intent. 

When decision-makers are embedded with delivery teams, issues that might otherwise take weeks to resolve can often be addressed within hours. More importantly, teams gain immediate clarity about what is genuinely important and where sensible trade-offs can be made. 

Openness creates better decisions 

EComplex programs also fail because critical information isn’t made available to those that need it. Organisations that build cultures of openness, with effective knowledge sharing and document management processes in place, can identify problems while they are still manageable rather than waiting in the dark until they appear as missed milestones or budget overruns. 

Leaders need to be able to see the early warning signs of delays such as stakeholders becoming frustrated, governance attendance declining, difficult conversations being avoided or risks no longer being openly discussed. Creating an environment where these conversations happen requires trust across agencies, delivery partners and industry. 

During the preparations for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, multiple organisations were procuring increased amounts of critical goods and services from the same supply chains, yet very little information was being shared between the demand organisations. Once procurement activity was viewed collectively, hidden risks quickly emerged enabling mitigations to be considered. Without open information sharing, those vulnerabilities would only have become visible when the consequences were far more severe.

Agility still requires discipline 

The most experienced program leaders make decisions about where effort delivers the greatest value. They also know how to manage risk to a necessary degree without the program getting bogged down in so much process and red tape that they lose sight of the outcome they set out to achieve. 

Successful teams are also flexible and recognise that budgets and political settings shift and interdependent projects create new constraints. Rather than treating plans as fixed and becoming wedded to the original strategy, they take change in their stride, continually revisit assumptions and recalibrate priorities. 

Capability is ultimately about people 

Finally, another crucial mark of successful programs is that of the right people. Programs remain on track because experienced people are prepared to challenge assumptions, engage openly with one another, stay focused on the intended outcome and make difficult decisions when circumstances change. 

Those traits and capabilities are becoming increasingly valuable in government especially as they are easily transferable, whether the program involves defence capability, digital transformation, infrastructure or public service reform. 

Keeping complex programs on track ultimately depends on people who can exercise sound judgement, adapt as circumstances change and keep everyone focused on the outcome the program was set up to achieve. 

Published on consultancy.com in September 2026

About SPA Australia

SPA Australia (Systems Planning & Analysis, Australia) is a leading provider of integrated legal, commercial, consulting and analytics services to government.      

Our multidisciplinary approach, trusted advice and leading-edge technology and analysis help clients deliver measurable outcomes.    

In 2025, SPA Australia acquired Proximity, a highly regarded professional services firm specialising in government legal, consulting, and commercial advisory services.    

Our parent company, SPA, has more than 3,000 employees in 30 locations within the US, UK and Australia. In Australia, more than 130 employees are based across Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide, where our local teams deliver sovereign capability backed by global expertise