Health Charity Performance and Monitoring

Overview

dandolo was commissioned by a national health promotion charity to develop and implement a performance monitoring framework to monitor its progress towards developing and delivering its new 25-year vision. Our primary objective was to provide independent assurance to the Board that the organisation was on track to develop and deliver on its strategic vision. dandolo developed a performance monitoring framework that captured key indicators to measure and provide regular reports to the Board. We played an important role in working closely with the organisation to measure its progress, identify emerging risks early and improve effectiveness of its strategy development and delivery.

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Approach

We carefully managed three key complexities throughout the project.

• Developing a comprehensive and fit-for-purpose performance monitoring framework required a whole-of-organisation approach. This complexity meant that we had to understand the key functions across the organisation and all the conditions necessary for it to deliver on its vision.
  
  • We consulted with staff across the organisation to understand the conditions for success and capture these as key indicators within the framework. We then tested the indicators with the relevant areas within the organisation, to ensure they were fit-for-purpose and captured key elements without being too cumbersome or likely to complicate ongoing reporting.  
• Our monitoring and reporting had multiple purposes. In the performance monitoring framework, we needed to include detailed monitoring on strategy development, monitoring how the organisation was setting itself up to deliver the strategy and providing high-level advice on strategic alignment. Our reporting also had multiple audiences – both the Executive and the Board.
  
  • We navigated this complexity through clear reporting to the Board that stepped out the focus of that session’s Board report and provided concise and clear assessments of progress, with associated implications for the Board. We shared emerging risks and highlighted areas that required additional focus or effort with the Executive early, to allow them time to act and ensure there were no surprises.  
• Developing the performance monitoring framework at the same time as the strategy was being developed required an iterative, collaborative and pragmatic approach. The organisation engaged dandolo early in its development process to ensure it remained on track to deliver on its objectives. This mitigated potential delivery risks but also increased potential risks around the performance monitoring framework becoming outdated as development of the vision and strategy progressed.
  
  • We continually reviewed and iterated our processes to ensure they remained fit-for-purpose and valuable to the organisation’s needs. We regularly checked in with the Executive to ensure our reporting was focused on the right areas and planned a structured time for review once the vision and strategy were finalised.

dandolo developed a comprehensive performance monitoring framework and delivered an independent report to each six-weekly Board meeting over 12 months in 2024. We used the performance monitoring framework to report on the organisation’s progress throughout the year.

This project required a flexible and iterative approach. However, there were three key components of our methodology and approach to delivering the project that ensured we delivered the most value to the organisation.

• Investing time and effort upfront in establishing relationships and developing the framework. We consulted with key contacts across the organisation early in the process to communicate the purpose and approach for the project. Establishing good working relationships with key stakeholders early on streamlined processes, as we could quickly gather information and test findings throughout the project. It also meant we were not solely reliant on our primary contact within the organisation, thereby minimising the burden on them. We used these early engagements to develop and test the performance monitoring framework, which helped establish relationships and ensure the framework was fit-for-purpose.
• Establishing cycles of reporting with consistent processes. We provided regular six-weekly reports to the Board which required careful project management to ensure we were meeting required timelines. Early in the project we developed a project plan that set out key activities in this six-weekly cycle. As a result, we delivered each Board report on time.
• Incorporating regular check-ins with relevant Executive members and the CEO, in addition to our day-to-day counterpart. It was important to engage regularly with the Executive, particularly the CEO, given our reports were ultimately going to the Board. We embedded regular touch points with relevant members of the Executive and CEO to test findings early and raise emerging risks.

The processes outlined above built a strong foundation to create the space for the dandolo team to gather the data required for reporting and to provide strategic advice to the Executive and the Board.

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Outcomes

Through regular monitoring and reporting throughout the project, we:

• Produced several reports to the Board that identified emerging risks and focused discussion to resolve concerns
• Provided advice to the Executive and the Board on the draft strategy that resulted in an updated strategic plan that was more specific and included clear targets
• Provided additional independent oversight and accountability to ensure the client remained on track with delivering its vision and strategy.

dandolo’s input has been impactful in providing independent assurance to the Board that operational delivery was on track and sharpening the organisation’s strategic plan to better set it up for success.