Client Overview

FCDO Services is a critical delivery partner in supporting the UK’s global interests. During a period of significant organisational change, including redesigned business functions, new people values and a stronger regional operating model, FCDO Services required a more integrated planning capability to support future delivery.

Russam recognised that this requirement extended far beyond systems implementation. The creation of Secure Global Services demanded a business change programme that would strengthen organisational capability across people, process, standards and technology, while delivering measurable operational value.

The Challenge

FCDO Services required a step-change in how it managed project planning, resource allocation, governance, and reporting.

Key objectives included:

• Improving the quality, consistency, and visibility of project planning
• Enabling better decision-making through enhanced data and reporting
• Strengthening programme governance and control frameworks
• Increasing operational efficiency within a leaner operating model

The Themis programme was therefore designed as a long-term capability-building initiative, rather than a standalone systems implementation.

Russam’s Approach

Russam deployed a Programme Team with eleven members with deep expertise in business transformation, programme delivery and complex change within secure public sector environments. Our team brought practical experience across organisational design, governance, operational improvement and technology-enabled change.

We supported FCDO Services with specialists aligned precisely to each work package, ensuring delivery against programme objectives while also providing robust challenge on timescales, deliverables and implementation priorities. This enabled accelerated deployment without compromising the quality or sustainability of the outcome.

Programme Delivery

The Themis programme was delivered through four structured phases:

1. Business Case & Programme Initiation
   Development, approval, and mobilisation of the programme
2. Design Phase
   High-level business and technical design, including setup of a cloud-based Microsoft Project Online environment
3. Proof of Capability
   Validation using live project data, alongside technical and security approvals for Microsoft 365 and Project Online cloud access
4. Full Implementation
   • Production system configuration
   • Resource planning capability
   • Enhanced project controls and governance frameworks
   • Process documentation and training
   • Development of Power BI reporting dashboards

The programme was delivered on schedule and within approved budget.

Results

Russam enabled FCDO Services to embed a significantly more robust project and programme planning capability across the organisation.

Key outcomes included:

• Higher-quality, standardised project schedules aligned to the Project Process Map and 6SCP commercial stages
• Stronger governance through defined control gates and mandatory project management plans
• Enhanced visibility across projects, programmes, and portfolios

The implementation of Microsoft Project Online and Power BI provided leadership with real-time insight into:

• Performance and delivery progress
• Risks and dependencies
• Cost and resource allocation

Benefits Delivered

The Themis programme delivered measurable benefits across organisational, team, and individual levels:

• Improved resource planning and forward visibility, enabling increased delivery capacity
• Real-time performance insights, supporting proactive decision-making
• Enhanced workforce utilisation through better scheduling and allocation
• Reduced non-billable overhead, minimising waste and rework
• More effective recruitment and workforce planning, including contractors and training needs
• Improved understanding of project profitability and cost-to-deliver
• Shift from reactive to proactive planning, supported by scenario modelling tools
• Increased responsiveness to client requirements and change requests
• Stronger supply chain planning and visibility
• Alignment with corporate strategy, target operating model, and UK government digital priorities

Summary

Russam provided the expertise, capacity, and strategic challenge required to deliver a complex, organisation-wide business transformation programme.

By embedding a sustainable planning capability, FCDO Services achieved:

• Greater control and governance
• Improved decision-making
• Enhanced operational efficiency

The Themis programme has created a scalable platform for long-term performance improvement and future growth.