Effective Project and Programme Management (PPM) in the Public Sector

by Jeroen Boomsma - Portfolio Director IT Services
by Harry Daniels - Head of Delivery Centres of Excellence
| minute read

In summary:

  • Helping government bodies manage complex transformation through scalable, strategic project and programme management tailored to their needs.
  • By embedding skilled teams and supporting knowledge transfer, we strengthen internal capability and build delivery confidence.
  • From Defra to digital innovation, our PPM expertise ensures measurable impact, greater efficiency, and long-term public value.

The UK government is responsible for delivering some of the most complex and transformative portfolios, programmes and projects in the world. These range from upgrading national digital infrastructure and progressing net-zero targets to improving vital public services. 

In 2023–24, the Government Major Projects Portfolio (GMPP) included 227 major programmes and projects, with a total whole life-cycle cost of over £834 billion. Given the scale of these investments, effective PPM is essential to deliver outcomes efficiently and achieve maximum value for citizens and taxpayers alike. As Karina Singh, Government Head of Function for Project Delivery, noted: “Effective project delivery is essential for achieving government goals and maximising value for taxpayers.” 

Meeting the challenge: public sector modernisation 

Delivering transformation in the public sector is not without its challenges. Government departments and agencies are under pressure to: 

  • Modernise outdated legacy systems.
  • Respond to evolving citizen needs and expectations.
  • Deliver within increasingly constrained budgets.
  • Coordinate governance across diverse delivery organisations.

Projects often encounter barriers such as fragmented delivery models, underdeveloped business cases and limited internal capacity. Without effective planning and execution, transformation efforts risk delay, overspend, or failure to deliver promised benefits. 

This is where strategic, integrated PPM expertise becomes critical - enabling clarity of purpose, stakeholder alignment and delivery at pace and scale. 

An integrated approach to delivery 

At Sopra Steria, we work alongside government clients to help them navigate this complexity with a pragmatic and adaptive approach to delivery. Our experience supporting large-scale transformation across government departments and Arm’s-Length Bodies (ALBs) has shown that success depends on tailoring delivery models to the unique context of each organisation and programme. 

Key elements of our approach include: 

People with the right expertise 

We deploy experienced professionals across programme, project and PMO functions, supported by a wider network of subject matter experts. Our teams complement internal capabilities and help build capacity over time. 

We take a deliberate approach to capability building, embedding knowledge transfer and skills development into every engagement. Through coaching, mentoring and co-delivery, we help build internal capacity so organisations can manage transformation confidently in the future. 

Tailored delivery models 

We shape delivery methods - whether Agile, Waterfall or hybrid - based on the programme’s maturity, pace and risk profile. We also focus on embedding governance, effective decision-making and strong performance oversight from the outset. 

We work in close partnership with project sponsors and Senior Responsible Owners (SROs), supporting them in setting strategic direction, maintaining focus on intended outcomes, and ensuring that governance and accountability structures are clear and effective from the outset. 

Focus on public value 

Our work is grounded in transparency and long-term value. We align closely with the Government Project Delivery and National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority’s best practice (The Teal Book) and help ensure every project is underpinned by a clear business case, risk-managed delivery and measurable benefits to citizens. 

Rather than applying a one-size-fits-all framework, we partner with clients to create delivery models that reflect their strategic goals, operational realities and constraints. 

A client success story: modernising Defra’s legacy estate 

In 2023, Sopra Steria was selected to support the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) with its Legacy Application Programme (LAP) as Client-Side delivery partner - a multi-year transformation initiative aimed at modernising and securing over 2,000 legacy applications. 

Many of these systems underpin critical services in agriculture, the environment and rural affairs - yet had become increasingly costly to maintain, vulnerable to cyber threats and incompatible with cloud-first ambitions. 

Working in close partnership with Defra, we contributed to: 

  • Establishing a strategic portfolio management framework to assess risk and prioritise actions.
  • Designing a phased roadmap for rationalisation, decommissioning and application migration projects.
  • Implementing delivery structures and controls to track progress and support effective governance. 

 

The team’s strength and experience have been recognised by the LAP Programme Director, Jahangir Khan: “We are grateful to have had the insight and specialist knowledge of Sopra Steria’s team to support us in our ambitions to stabilise and enhance legacy applications across the Defra Group. Such experience has been vital in helping us to reduce the risks of cyber-attack or operational failure. The team managed several complex migration and remediation projects successfully on time and within budget.” 

The future of PPM in government transformation 

As government digital ambitions grow - from AI and automation to green technology and smarter infrastructure - so too must its delivery capability. Project delivery needs to be simpler, more productive and more adaptive to change. 

At Sopra Steria, we are committed to being a trusted partner in this mission. Our scalable PPM solutions help departments: 

  • Reduce delivery risk.
  • Improve programme outcomes.
  • Align change initiatives with policy priorities.
  • Ensure value for money and public trust. 

 

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