Recover stalled, unclear or high-risk programmes with experienced delivery leadership.
CATO's Transformation Recovery Office gives sponsors an independent diagnosis of a programme that is stalled, unclear or carrying more risk than planned, and a clear basis for deciding whether to continue, reset or rescope it. Where recovery is the chosen course, experienced delivery practitioners can support the reset.
Independent diagnostic, with recovery support if agreed
Typically about 2 weeks, depending on scope
Optional; if agreed, typically 1 to 6 months
Programme health assessment and a recommended course
Is a programme late, expensive, unclear or at risk of failure?
Programmes in difficulty rarely fail all at once. Milestones slip, costs grow, reporting shows progress while issues build, and the people accountable lose a clear view of what is really happening.
The Transformation Recovery Office is designed for chief executives, chief operating officers, chief information officers, chief financial officers, transformation sponsors, government executives and boards who need an independent view before deciding what happens next.
Delivery keeps slipping
Milestones keep moving, costs are rising and the plan no longer reflects what the programme can realistically deliver.
Reporting is no longer trusted
Status reports show progress while issues build, and sponsors or the board no longer have confidence in the picture they receive.
Scope or objectives have drifted
The programme's objectives, scope or expected benefits have become unclear, and teams are working to different assumptions.
Governance is not working
Decisions stall, escalations go unresolved and accountability for the programme's outcome has become blurred.
The programme has become politically difficult
Sponsors, suppliers and delivery teams disagree on the problem or the way forward, and the disagreement is holding decisions back.
When another route fits better
If direction, priorities or the operating model need to be settled before major change begins, the Strategy & Operating Model Sprint is designed for that. For one focused question, an expert call through Expert Access may be enough.
What the diagnostic answers.
The diagnostic gives sponsors an independent view of programme health by answering four connected questions, so that delivery, governance and stakeholder issues are considered together.
It draws on programme plans, reporting and documentation, and on interviews with the people closest to the work. The emphasis in each area is agreed during scoping.
Where does the programme really stand?
Progress against plan, schedule, cost, scope, dependencies and delivery risk, compared with what current reporting shows.
Is governance giving the right view?
Whether sponsorship, decision rights, reporting and escalation let the people accountable see problems and act in time.
Where do stakeholders disagree?
How sponsors, delivery teams, suppliers and affected business areas see the programme, and where their views of the problem differ.
What is a realistic way forward?
Whether the programme should continue, be reset or be rescoped, and what recovery would need in governance, planning and delivery capacity.
How the engagement works.
An initial diagnostic, typically about 2 weeks, gives sponsors an independent view and a recommended course. Recovery support follows only if you choose to proceed, and is scoped and agreed separately.
Scope and access
Agree the programme, the questions the diagnostic must answer, who will be interviewed and the plans, reports and documents it will draw on.
Review and interview
A health check of plan, schedule, cost, scope, risks and reporting, alongside interviews with the sponsor, delivery leads and other key stakeholders.
Report and recommend
Findings are presented to the sponsor with a recommended course: continue, reset or rescope. Where recovery is recommended, a recovery plan sets out the way forward.
Recovery support, if agreed
If you choose to proceed, recovery support is scoped separately and can include a governance reset, a revised delivery roadmap and an embedded specialist.
Typically about 2 weeks, depending on the programme's size and access to people and documents.
Optional. If agreed, typically 1 to 6 months, scoped separately once the diagnostic is complete.
A senior practitioner from CATO's network, selected for experience in programme direction, transformation leadership, PMO leadership, change or delivery assurance, with CATO oversight throughout.
Document and reporting review, stakeholder interviews and findings presented to the sponsor.
How the engagement is governed.
The diagnostic provides an independent assessment. Scope, reporting and decision-making responsibilities are agreed at the start, with CATO oversight throughout.
Independent of the programme
Led by a practitioner from outside the programme team, so the assessment is not tied to existing plans, positions or reporting lines.
Reports to the sponsor
Findings and recommendations go to the sponsor or governance body agreed at the start, with CATO oversight throughout.
Scoped before work begins
The programme, questions, participants, access and outputs are agreed at the start.
Handled confidentially
Interview input, programme documents and findings are handled confidentially, in line with the agreed terms of the engagement.
Decisions stay with you
The diagnostic informs the decision on the programme's future. Your sponsor and governance bodies make that decision and remain accountable for the programme.
No assumed outcome
The diagnostic is an honest assessment, not a promise of recovery. Recovery support is not assumed; it is agreed separately if you choose to proceed.
CATO works through a curated network of experienced practitioners. We assess the client's issue, identify suitable expertise, and structure the engagement. If the proposed advisor is not the right fit, CATO can identify another suitable practitioner from the network.
An independent view and a clear way forward.
The diagnostic ends with written findings and a recommended course. If recovery support is agreed, CATO helps put the agreed plan into practice. The exact form and level of detail are confirmed during scoping.
Programme health assessment
An independent view of where the programme stands on plan, cost, scope, risk and governance, compared with current reporting.
Stakeholder findings
What sponsors, delivery teams and other stakeholders see as the main issues, and where their views differ.
Recommended course
A clear recommendation on whether to continue, reset or rescope the programme, with the reasons and the decisions sponsors need to make.
Recovery plan
Where recovery is the recommended course, a practical plan setting out priority actions, governance changes and a revised delivery roadmap.
Governance reset
Putting agreed changes to sponsorship, decision rights, reporting and escalation into practice.
Recovery delivery support
Experienced practitioners work with the programme team on the recovery plan and track progress against the revised roadmap with the sponsor.
Embedded specialist (optional)
Where useful, a senior specialist from CATO's network works within the programme for an agreed role and period.
Where this sits in CATO.
The Recovery Office is a defined engagement, delivered through CATO Advisory & Delivery and drawing on the Strategy, Transformation & Delivery practice.
Advisory & Delivery
The Recovery Office is delivered through CATO Advisory & Delivery, which can also structure longer-term delivery support where it is needed.
Strategy, Transformation & Delivery
CATO's wider practice across strategy, operating models, transformation, programme recovery and delivery governance.
If you want senior delivery expertise available as issues arise after the diagnostic or recovery, Advisory Desk provides ongoing, retained access.
Common questions.
What is CATO's Transformation Recovery Office?
It is a defined engagement for programmes that are stalled, unclear or carrying more risk than planned. It starts with an independent diagnostic of programme health, governance and stakeholder alignment, which gives sponsors a recommended course: continue, reset or rescope. Where recovery is the chosen course, CATO can provide recovery support, scoped and agreed separately.
How do you recover a failing transformation programme?
Start with an honest, independent view of where the programme really stands, rather than relying on existing reporting. Then decide whether it should continue, be reset or be rescoped. If recovery is the chosen course, the usual priorities are clear governance and decision rights, a realistic plan and roadmap, and the right delivery capability. The Recovery Office follows that sequence: diagnose first, then agree any recovery support.
How long does the Recovery Office take?
The initial diagnostic typically takes about 2 weeks, depending on the programme's size and how quickly people and documents are available. Recovery support is optional. If agreed, it typically runs for 1 to 6 months and is scoped separately once the diagnostic is complete.
Does CATO guarantee that a programme will be recovered?
No. Recovery depends on many factors, including decisions, funding and capacity within your organisation. The diagnostic gives an honest view of the programme and a clear basis for deciding its future, which may be to continue, reset or rescope it. If recovery support is agreed, it is designed to help put the chosen course into practice.
How is the Recovery Office different from the Strategy & Operating Model Sprint?
The Transformation Recovery Office is for a programme already under way that is in difficulty and needs an independent diagnosis and an informed decision about its next steps. The Strategy & Operating Model Sprint is for decisions that come before or alongside major change: direction, priorities, the operating model, roles and an execution roadmap.
Who leads the work?
The work is led by a senior practitioner from CATO's curated network, selected for experience in programme direction, transformation leadership, PMO leadership, change or delivery assurance. CATO oversees the engagement throughout. If the proposed advisor is not the right fit, CATO can identify another suitable practitioner from the network.
Need an independent view of a programme in difficulty?
Tell us about the programme and what concerns you. CATO will help define the scope of the diagnostic and identify a suitable practitioner to lead it.