Public sector project delivery is under increasing pressure. Whether it’s NHS transformation, Net Zero initiatives, or levelling-up programmes, government-backed projects must deliver on time, within budget, and with demonstrable public value.
For PMOs supporting these efforts, having the right Project Portfolio Management tool in place is a critical first step to achieving those goals.
If you are one of the many public sector teams trying still trying to manage projects in Excel, and you are ready to make that shift, then you have come to the right place.
The bottom line is not all tools are created equal. The needs of a government PMO differ significantly from those of private sector organisations.
So, what should you look for in a PPM tool for government projects?
Government projects tend to operate within a high-compliance environment. They’re subject to public scrutiny, internal and external audit, and must often report against multiple funding streams.
When we add cross-departmental delivery teams, hybrid delivery models, and changing political priorities, the complexity multiplies.
Therefore, a good PPM tool for the public sector has to do more than simply manage tasks and timelines.
Here’s what it needs to support:
If you are evaluating PPM tools for public sector work, look for the following features:
The best tools will align with public sector methodologies like PRINCE2, MSP (Managing Successful Programmes), and the Government Functional Standard for Project Delivery.
Many central PMOs — including those within the NHS, local councils, and arms-length bodies — favour tools that can be customised to reflect these standards.
Given the sensitivity of public sector data, ensure the tool complies with UK data protection laws, supports secure access controls, and offers robust hosting options (ideally UK-based or government-accredited cloud providers).
PPM tools rarely operate in isolation. Whether you’re syncing with Microsoft Teams, feeding into Power BI dashboards, or integrating with finance and HR systems, interoperability is key.
Individual project delivery is important, but it’s portfolio performance that drives strategic outcomes. A PPM tool must help PMOs manage dependencies, monitor resource allocations, and surface portfolio risks — not just track project Gantt charts.
Several PPM tools have gained traction across UK government bodies, often via
procurement frameworks like G-Cloud:
Many PMOs know the pain of legacy spreadsheets and disconnected tools. Yet securing investment in a PPM platform can still be a challenge.
Focus your case on:
These benefits resonate not only with delivery teams, but also with sponsors, finance leads, and governance boards.
While the right PPM software can unlock major efficiency gains, it’s only as effective as the organisation’s willingness to use it consistently.
Embedding the tool into your ways of working — with the right training, user engagement, and change support — is critical for success.
Public sector PMOs play a crucial role in enabling accountable, high-impact delivery.
Choosing a PPM tool that understands the unique pressures of government work is a smart investment in future success.
Bestoutcome’s cloud-based Project, Programme & Portfolio Management (PPM) tool—PM3—has become a key enabler for public sector delivery across the NHS and government bodies.
Two prime examples are:
These case studies demonstrate how PM3 helps public-sector PMOs move from fragmented systems to centrally led, outcome-driven delivery.
Health Education England (HEE), a central NHS agency tasked with workforce planning and training, supports over 2 500 staff across 34 sites and oversees a broad portfolio of initiatives. In 2015, HEE required a robust PPM system to:
Initial rollout began with ~10 users, quickly scaling to >150 within 3 years (prweb.com).
The PM3 platform delivered standardised governance, enabling consistent
assurance and metadata across regional hubs.
PM3’s flexibility allowed HEE to configure workflows, stage gates, and dashboards
aligned with NHS standards.
Feedback from Anderson John, Portfolio Assurance Manager:
PM3 enabled HEE to centralise portfolio oversight across regions, embed governance standards, and maintain a sustainable and scalable PMO function.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) employed spreadsheets and disparate systems to compile RAID logs, project plans, and board-level highlight reports. This manual, fragmented approach resulted in:
Significant PMO analyst and project manager time used for admin (publicsectorfocus.com, getapp.com)
PM3 was deployed across MHRA’s PMO for unified project planning, risk logs, and
automated dashboards.
Training was provided via an LMS and workshops—part of PM3’s comprehensive
delivery package (assets.applytosupply.digitalmarketplace.service.gov.uk).
The core switch involved centralising all PMO processes on PM3, accessible to project teams and stakeholders alike.
MHRA Conservatively estimates saving one project manager-day and one PSO-
day per month, per major project—approximately 20 person-days saved monthly on top 10 programmes (publicsectorfocus.com).
Portfolio-level reporting now delivered up to 2 days earlier, thanks to automated dashboards and live data (publicsectorfocus.com).
These efficiency gains translated into better resource allocation and stronger insight into delivery progress.
Across both case studies, several impactful themes emerge:
PM3 creates a single, cloud-based project register with live status updates—replacing outdated, error-prone spreadsheets. This centralisation improves consistency, accuracy, and enables real-time decision-making.
Configurable phase-gate workflows aligned to NHS assurance frameworks ensure PMOs can standardise governance, facilitate better oversight, track benefits and risks, and reduce audit friction.
The administrative burden of manual reporting is significantly reduced. Both of these case studies emphasise saving staff time and accelerating reporting cycles, freeing up capacity for strategic work and delivery oversight.
PM3’s intuitive interface shows only relevant data to each role and is easily adjusted to match existing processes—critical for high user adoption and successful PMO embedding across departments.
Bestoutcome consistently highlights the following PM3 strengths in both deployments:
These features echo MHRA’s measurable efficiency gains and HEE’s sustained tool rollout across a national portfolio.
The public sector must balance value for money, transparency, and compliance—PM3 supports this by:
If you’re planning PM3 (or a similar PPM deployment), consider these insights:
These public sector transformations spotlight why PM3 is a trusted partner for government PMOs:
If your organisation needs to demonstrate fast ROI, enhance assurance capability, and reduce waste, PM3 offers a compelling, proven solution that does more than manage projects—it delivers public value.
Our products help you deliver successful change programmes and projects by always focusing on the overall business outcomes. Find out how our products can help you.
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