Assuring Critical Infrastructure Delivery

Critical infrastructure programmes face an escalating crisis, pressure brought about by our changing environment.

In NSW, the 2019-20 Black Summer bushfires destroyed 2,448 homes and burned 5.5 million hectares¹, followed by floods that saw Lismore’s waters peak at 14.4 metres; over 2 metres above previous records². The state endured 213 continuous days of flood operations from August 2022 to March 2023.

In Tasmania, emergency services struggled with 5 ageing radio networks while facing increasing operational demands from fires, floods and storms. The Forcett, Lake Repulse, and Bicheno fires burned 110,886 hectares, causing widespread property damage and evacuations. With unpredictable weather extremes there is a trend³ of increasing rescues required in Tasmanian national parks.

Environmental impacts have driven major European projects over schedule by 20-30%, but in Australia, these disruptions can be three times worse. With some regions like NSW’s Mid-Coast LGA requiring disaster recovery support 13 times in just 6 years⁴.

Traditional project management approaches have proven inadequate. Whether battling natural disasters in NSW or managing complex multi-agency transitions in Tasmania, the challenge remains consistent: how do you maintain programme momentum when everything around you is in chaos?

In this environment, traditional project management is not enough.

The Solution: A Data-Driven Project Control Office

What programmes need is a disciplined, schedule-led, data-driven Project Control Office (PCO) that transforms reactive crisis management into proactive programme control. A PCO doesn’t just track progress; it creates resilience by:

Establishing a single source of truth through integrated scheduling and data analytics
Predicting and quantifying disruptions before they become critical blockers
Enabling evidence-based recovery through real-time performance insights
Maintaining stakeholder confidence with transparent, predictive reporting

At Amalgamotion, we’ve proven this approach works. Our interactive PowerBI LGA Disaster Reporter tool exemplifies our capability, transforming complex disaster data across NSW Local Government Areas into actionable intelligence that supports programme planning and risk mitigation. This is just one example of how we package data-driven insights into practical tools that drive better decisions.

The PCO Framework in Action

A PCO integrates governance, scheduling, demand management, assurance, performance reporting, and collaboration into a unified system. At Amalgamotion, our Programme Delivery Services Framework structures this approach across eight dimensions (Note: this is the wheel), each anchored by scheduling disciplines linked with industry best practices, like PMI’s PMP methodology:

Programme Governance
(Integration, Stakeholder, Change Control)

Governance processes tied to schedule baseline, ensuring all approvals, change requests, and stakeholder engagements are assessed against schedule impact.

Programme Management Framework
(Scope, Quality, Change)

Scope and quality controlled by referencing their effect on the master schedule. Risks and issues logged with clear links to schedule outcomes.

Programme Scheduling & Tracking
(Schedule Management)

The backbone of delivery: establishing baselines, mapping dependencies, reforecasting with real-time inputs, integrating vendor schedules, and applying schedule risk modelling.

Demand Management
(Cost, Resource, Procurement)

Resource and financial planning synchronised with schedule milestones to ensure the right people, skills, and materials are available when needed.

Performance Measurement & Reporting (Monitoring & Controlling, Data Analytics)

KPIs and reporting driven by schedule health. Data analytics overlays performance trends on schedule forecasts to provide predictive insights.

Programme Assurance & Optimisation
(Quality, Risk)

Assurance reviews assess programme health through schedule variance and risk exposure. Optimisation strategies focus on schedule recovery and risk-adjusted forecasting.

Communication & Collaboration
(Internal and External Stakeholder)

Stakeholder updates and escalation pathways structured around schedule progress, making timelines the shared language of delivery.

Training & Support
(Enablement and Resource Development)

Training and capability uplift ensure teams can interpret, manage, and adapt schedules effectively, embedding scheduling discipline into delivery culture.

Case Examples: Critical Infrastructure Across Australia

Our PCO approach has been proven across multiple state-wide critical communications programmes, each with unique challenges but common success factors. A summary of 2 case studies is provided in the next section.

NSW Critical Communications Enhancement Programme (CCEP)

Environmental disruptions threatened access to multiple sites across NSW during Black Summer bushfires and subsequent floods. Amalgamotion implemented:

Proactive Risk Assessment: Reviewed every access track and site history across weather prone difficult to access sites
Integrated Vendor Management: Ingested vendor schedule data and built dynamic reforecasting
Quantified Risk Impact: Linked live risk registers directly into scheduling models
Predictive Analytics: Applied data analytics to test recovery scenarios

Despite unprecedented disasters, the programme maintained delivery momentum through proactive, schedule-led decisions. Further details are available here.

Tasmanian Government Radio Network (TasGRN)

Consolidating 5 legacy emergency networks into 1 unified system for 8 agencies presented different complexities. Our PCO approach delivered:

Multi-Vendor Integration: Consolidated scheduling across 6 vendors enabling transparent risk management and program governance
Schedule-Driven Quality: 240 vehicle audits completed in 12 weeks across 70+ vehicle types
Operational Readiness: 15,000+ documents transitioned systematically, with SIT/SAT testing across 14 scenarios and 75 KPIs
PowerBI Reporting: Created “a common view at all levels” preventing misalignment across all stakeholders

As Richard Dodds, TasGRN Project Director noted: “Amalgamotion’s deep and rich Critical Comms rollout knowledge and experience is highly unique, unparalleled and difficult to obtain in the AU telco industry.”

Common Success Factors

Across both programmes, our PCO approach demonstrated that whether facing natural disasters (NSW) or complex multi-agency transitions (Tasmania), the fundamentals remain consistent: scheduling discipline, risk quantification, and data-driven governance deliver results.

Why This Matters Now

NSW’s disaster frequency is accelerating with 35+ disaster declarations in FY 2023-24 alone⁵, and the atmosphere now holding 5% more moisture than historical averages, causing 7-28% more rain during extreme events⁶. The 2022 floods resulted in 5,309 damaged properties and $432.4 million in agricultural losses⁷. The traditional approach of hoping for the best is no longer viable. Programmes need built-in resilience, and that comes from:

Scheduling discipline that maintains control through disruption
Data-driven insights that replace assumptions with evidence
Proven frameworks that have been tested in real-world crisis situations

Amalgamotion’s Offering

Based around our proven methodology we provide tailored programme recovery and control support approach combining:

Scheduling leadership to establish, protect, and adapt the programme baseline
Data analytics tools like our PowerBI Disaster Reporter to track performance and identify risks early
Delivery assurance to keep governance tight and risks visible
Stakeholder alignment to maintain trust and confidence

Our ecosystem of scheduling tools and processes has been proven on NSW Government programmes. But tools alone aren’t enough as real success comes from our people: experienced professionals with the expertise to apply the framework effectively, and the culture to collaborate, challenge, and adapt.

Conclusion

Disruption is unavoidable. But with the right PCO, it doesn’t have to derail your programme. Amalgamotion helps organisations stabilise, re-plan, and move forward with confidence, driven by scheduling discipline, strengthened by data, and delivered through the expertise and culture of our people.

References

1. Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience – Black Summer Bushfires NSW 2019-20:
https://knowledge.aidr.org.au/resources/black-summer-bushfires-nsw-2019-20/

2. Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience – Flood New South Wales 2022:
https://knowledge.aidr.org.au/resources/flood-new-south-wales-2022/

3. Climate Council – NSW Floods Statement 2025:
https://www.climatecouncil.org.au/climate-council-statement-on-nsw-floods

4. Great Walks Australia – Authorities urge hikers to be better prepared
https://www.greatwalks.com.au/news/authorities-urge-hikers-to-be-better-prepared

5. NSW Government – Natural Disaster Declarations FY 2023-24:
https://www.nsw.gov.au/emergency/recovery/natural-disaster-declarations/fy-2023-24

6. Climate Council – Climate Change and Extreme Weather 2025:
https://www.climatecouncil.org.au

7. Australian Bureau of Statistics – Impacts of Flooding December 2022:
https://www.abs.gov.au/articles/impacts-flooding-december-quarter-2022