Human-Centred Board Assurance for
Complex Delivery Environments
FEATURED PAPER
By David Baiyeshea PhD, MCIOB, Stuart Hosking-Durn FICPEM,
Jonathan Campbell FCIOB FIHEEM MAPM CIWFM
United Kingdom
Abstract
Project and programme management practice is often described through the language of scope, time, cost, risk and benefits. These remain necessary, but they are not sufficient. In complex delivery environments, particularly in health, estates, infrastructure and resilience-related settings, programme failure is rarely caused by technical deficiency alone. It often emerges where formal plans, board reports, professional expectations, stakeholder confidence, operational readiness and human capacity begin to drift apart. This article argues for a more integrated notion of programme stewardship: a form of delivery leadership that combines governance discipline with human judgement, relational awareness and board-level sense-making. Drawing on project delivery practice, psychological contract theory, emergency preparedness, resilience and response, and estates and facilities leadership, the article proposes a practical model for board assurance built around Alert, Advise and Assure. The paper positions dashboards not as cosmetic reporting tools, but as instruments of organisational truth-telling, escalation and decision support. It further explores how budget confidence, inconsistency identification and lived stakeholder experience should be surfaced alongside conventional performance measures. The article contributes a practitioner-oriented framework for programme leaders, senior responsible owners, estates leaders, emergency planners and boards seeking to govern delivery in environments where progress is necessary, risk is dynamic and human trust is central to success.
Keywords: programme management; project management; board assurance; psychological contract; emergency preparedness; estates and facilities; programme dashboards; risk management; public sector delivery; programme stewardship
- Introduction: why programme assurance needs a human-centred turn
Project and programme management has matured significantly as a professional discipline. It has developed methods for planning, governance, benefits realisation, risk management, change control, financial control and assurance. The UK Government Functional Standard for Project Delivery, for example, sets expectations for the direction and management of portfolios, programmes and projects across government (Cabinet Office, 2025). The PMBOK Guide similarly frames project delivery around integrated domains of performance and value creation (Project Management Institute, 2021). These frameworks matter because complex work cannot be governed through enthusiasm alone. Yet in practice, the hardest programme questions are often not only methodological. They are questions of truth, trust, timing and judgement.
This article argues that programme leadership is increasingly a matter of stewardship. Stewardship does not replace programme management; rather, it deepens it. It asks whether the board is receiving a truthful picture, whether risks are being interpreted rather than merely listed, whether budgets reflect delivery reality, whether people believe the programme is being governed fairly, and whether escalation routes are sufficiently clear when conditions change. In practice, this means the programme board becomes not just a governance forum, but a site of sense-making.
The implication for programme leadership is important. A dashboard may show green, yet key stakeholders may have quietly lost confidence. A budget may appear balanced, yet it may depend on assumptions that no one has tested. A milestone may be reported as complete, yet the operational environment may not be ready to absorb the change. A risk register may be up to date, yet it may fail to explain the consequence of the risk for patients, staff, users, service continuity or organisational reputation. These are not marginal issues. They are often the places where delivery problems begin to accumulate.
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How to cite this paper: Baiyeshea, D., Hosking-Dunn, S., Campbell, J. (2026). Programme Stewardship: Human-Centred Board Assurance for Complex Delivery Environments; PM World Journal, Vol. XV, Issue VII, July. Available online at https://pmworldjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/pmwj166-Jul2026-Programme-Stewardship-Human-Centred-Board-Assurance.pdf
About the Authors
David Baiyeshea, PhD
United Kingdom
David Baiyeshea, PhD, MCIOB is a project and programme management practitioner, researcher and author whose work sits at the intersection of project leadership, organisational behaviour, psychological contracts, governance and delivery assurance. He is the author of reflective project management books including Beyond the Wheel: The Evolution of a Project Manager, and his peer-reviewed research includes work on psychological contracts and evolving employment realities. David also sits on the Board of Project 6. His professional interests include human-centred programme leadership, board reporting, stakeholder confidence, strategic alignment, public value and the practical realities of delivering change in complex organisational environments. Location: United Kingdom. He can be contacted at davidbaiyeshea@outlook.com or www.davidbaiyeshea.com.
Stuart Hosking-Durn, FICPEM
United Kingdom
Stuart Hosking-Durn, FICPEM, serves as the Director of Operations at Airedale General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, where they oversee both the RAAC and New Hospital Programmes. Stuart has more than 25 years experience across operational leadership, resilience, emergency planning, patient flow, complex discharge and security, with experience spanning Healthcare, nuclear, construction and international multi-site service delivery.
Stuart has progressesd from hands-on operational roles to tactical and strategic leadership and regularly presents and teaches at local, regional and national conferences, as well as Universities, for undergraduates and postgraduate audiences. As a Fellow of the Institute of Civil Protection and Emergency Management, his professional interests include crisis management, incident commander training, authentic and servant leadership, defensible decision-making and the development of resilient organisational capability. His work emphasisies the importance of competence, judgement and practical readiness in complex programme environments where ambiguity, competing demands and delayed decision can affect safety, continuity, cost and delivery outcomes. He can be contacted at stuarthd@icloud.com
Jonathan Campbell, FCIOB, FIHEEM
United Kingdom
Jonathan Campbell, FCIOB, FIHEEM, MAPM, CIWFM, Director of Estates & Facilities, Airedale NHS Foundation Trust, CIOB Client Champion. Jonathan has nearly three decades of experience spanning acute, mental health and community healthcare environments. His career reflects a sustained commitment to developing high‑quality, resilient and patient‑centred estates that enable safe and effective care delivery.
Jonathan serves as the estates and facilities management lead for the New Hospital Programme, playing a central role in shaping the Trust’s future clinical estate. He also oversees the RAAC Remediation Delivery Programme, ensuring the Trust’s infrastructure remains safe, robust and compliant. In addition, he provides strategic oversight of the Trust’s wholly owned subsidiary, supporting effective governance and operational performance.
An accomplished leader in capital planning and estates strategy, Jonathan’s expertise covers strategic planning, operational oversight and transformation of estates and facilities functions to meet evolving organisational and regulatory requirements. He is a strong advocate for the impact of the physical environment on patient recovery and staff wellbeing. He can be contacted at umnauk@hotmail.com
