Senior programme assurance and delivery leadership

Independent Programme Assurance

Independent Programme Assurance provides sponsors and senior leaders with confidence that programmes are well governed, risks are understood, and decisions are supported by appropriate evidence. Our role is to provide objective challenge while remaining grounded in delivery reality.

We test key assumptions early, validate them where they hold, and surface issues that need attention before they become material risks to delivery, cost, or outcomes.

Support can include:
• Governance and risk review
• Investment and business case assurance
• Decision support for sponsors and boards
• Independent challenge at key stage gates

Senior Programme and Delivery Leadership

We provide senior programme and delivery leadership for complex initiatives where experience, judgement, and calm decision-making are critical. This includes interim leadership roles or targeted support at key points in the programme lifecycle.

Our role is to help sponsors and teams maintain momentum, resolve ambiguity, and manage delivery pressures while remaining focused on outcomes, timelines, and what is realistically achievable.

Support can include:
• Interim programme and delivery leadership
• Programme mobilisation and reset
• Stakeholder and sponsor engagement
• Managing delivery risk, dependencies, and priorities

Delivery Readiness and Go-Live Support

We support organisations through critical readiness and go-live stages, ensuring operational, technical, and organisational considerations are aligned before decisions are taken to proceed.

Support can include:
• Readiness and assurance reviews
• Go-live decision support
• Operational and organisational readiness
• Post-implementation review

When delivery confidence really matters

We are typically engaged at moments where activity is high, scrutiny is intense, and leaders need confidence in what will actually land.

• Programmes under scrutiny from boards, regulators or funders, where assurance needs to stand up to challenge
• Complex, multi-supplier environments where accountability has blurred and risks are hard to see clearly
• Recovery situations where confidence needs to be rebuilt quickly and credibly
• Readiness checkpoints ahead of go-live, transition, or major funding decisions
• Situations where independent challenge is required, not reassurance

In each case, our role is to provide clear, independent assurance that leaders can act on with confidence.

What we provide

Our work is focused on helping senior leaders regain clarity, confidence, and control at critical points in a programme’s lifecycle.

We combine independent challenge with practical, experience-led assurance. We are not there to manage delivery or produce volume paperwork. Our role is to provide clear, evidence-based insight that leaders can trust, act on, and defend.

Three Oaks Consulting is led by Stephen Wiseman, bringing over 30 years’ experience supporting complex transformation and assurance in high-stakes, regulated environments.