When you’re running lean projects, experienced delivery matters. Fractional project leaders bring structure, insight, and risk awareness right when it’s needed most.
Across the project delivery landscape, we’re seeing more projects being launched at the business unit level – outside of formal portfolio processes, and usually without the rigour that typically comes from centralised PMO methods and oversight.
These lean, business-led projects may move fast at first but without proper support, risks compound, scope drifts and progress stalls. Fractional support can help avoid these pitfalls by providing targeted oversight and guidance – de-risking delivery without the commitment of a full-time hire.
Such projects are lean by design: often funded through OpEx, scoped locally and assigned to leaders already running at capacity. The intention is clear – move quickly and avoid the overhead. It’s a logical approach in a constrained economic environment, especially when traditional delivery resources are tied up elsewhere and there is little appetite to bring in project management resources.
Lean projects: Speed, autonomy … and risk
However, speed and autonomy come at a hidden cost. Without the project setup or delivery discipline that would be provided with greater oversight by a centralised PMO, these projects are exposed to greater risk. Operating on a ‘best endeavours’ basis, they rely heavily on goodwill and the variable capacity of those involved. One week, a project lead might have a few hours to progress the work; the next, no time or focus at all. As a result, they can drift in time frames and ultimately fail to deliver on the speed promised by going lean in the first place.
What’s more, without the expertise of an experienced project manager, early warning signs or issues may go unnoticed – and undermine the benefit when it’s delivered.
BAU projects are often result in the need for project recovery, when the initiative has drifted off-course and a senior delivery professional is brought in to recover the project. By this time, it has typically already absorbed more time and resources than it should have. Ultimately, the cost of recovery outweighs the cost of getting it right in the first place. This isn’t to say all BAU projects are ‘bad’, or that you shouldn’t attempt this delivery model.
There is a way to get the best of both worlds, and that’s where a fractional project executive can add value: a senior delivery expert engaged part-time or on an “as needed” basis to provide targeted oversight, structure and strategic input.
While it’s not a replacement for a PMO or a substitute for a full team, this kind of support can augment the PMO’s reach or fill the gap entirely, depending on what the environment demands.
Where fractional support fits in
We’re seeing two common scenarios where the ‘ractional model is proving valuable.
The first is within business-led projects – work that is scoped and funded at the business unit level, often using operational expenditure rather than funds from the capital project budget. These projects typically don’t justify a full delivery team, yet they still need real delivery thinking. A fractional project executive can offer just enough structure to help shape scope, manage risk and sequence the work in a way that delivers value without delay. It can also provide mentoring support for the leader running the project, which is particularly critical when delivery isn’t their day job.
The second is within established PMOs that are under pressure to demonstrate or refresh their value. We recently worked with a PMO team that was struggling to gain executive support for a new tooling investment. To leadership, it appeared to be a request for better reporting – a nice-to-have rather than a priority in a tight budget cycle.
With the support of a fractional project executive, however, the case was reframed from addressing pain points, to delivering strategic value. When the PMO was able to demonstrate a direct link between the investment and outcomes such as better sequencing across the portfolio, clearer prioritisation and a stronger return on the total investment, the team was able to secure the funding – and start reshaping how the PMO was perceived by the business.
In both cases, the model is the same. You bring in senior capability at the point of need, not as a permanent fixture.
Why it’s worth considering
With delivery budgets under pressure and headcount one of the most precious resources, many organisations are looking for new ways to keep the work moving without sacrificing quality or oversight. The fractional project executive helps achieve that goal.
Engaging a fractional project executive gives organisations access to senior delivery capability when it’s needed the most, without taking on a full-time hire. It’s a scalable, cost-effective way to reduce delivery risk and uplift internal capability and protect each and every investment – whether small and tactical, or large and strategic.
This is a model built for constraints, however it’s also a model that builds resilience – offering organisations a smarter way to manage delivery when budgets are tight, and the risks of going it alone are just too high.
If you’re making do without the support you’d normally expect, or you’re watching work build up without the resources to support it, a fractional project executive might be right for you. Not sure? Let’s brainstorm it together.
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