Assurance Manager SEO

Role summary

When working within a project, the Assurance Manager provides an independent assessment to confirm that the project is on track. When managing multiple projects across a department, such as a Departmental Assurance Coordinator, the Assurance Manager ensures the right level of assurance is conducted at the appropriate time in a project’s lifecycle. In both roles, this involves scheduling and delivering reviews to scrutinise whether the project can meet its objectives and benefits as outlined in the business case.

Typical role responsibilities

Responsibility	Detail
Application of assurance standards	Ensures projects or activities have the appropriate level of assurance based on their complexity. Follows local guidance on assurance activities and records them in management documents as needed. Is recognised as the authority on all assurance-related activities and provides guidance on assurance types and requirements. Is familiar with Cabinet Office guidance and its application to projects. Supports the development of project or departmental assurance strategies.
Planning	Leads various assurance activities across one or multiple projects. Leads specific project activities such as reviewing management cases in business cases at a local or department level. Provides guidance to support integrated assurance planning. As a coordinator, works with project managers or SROs to ensure they implement suitable levels of assurance in baseline and future planning activities. Sources review teams.
Results/Actions	Ensures that agreed actions are implemented and that lessons learned are recorded and applied to future change initiatives. As a coordinator, provides analysis to senior managers about the outcomes of assurance reviews and makes recommendations for improvement.
Reporting	Leads the timely and accurate reporting of integrated assurance plans and milestones to support departmental or board-level assurance activities.
Digital and data	Uses data analytics and digital tools to evaluate project performance and assure alignment with business objectives.

Entry route

Project delivery professional

Suitable for individuals with substantial assurance experience or relevant experience from a different area within a project environment.

Non-project delivery professional

Suitable for individuals with relevant skills gained in a non-project environment.

Technical competencies

Help with competency levels

None: No knowledge and no experience.

Awareness: Basic knowledge and limited or no experience. You understand how it can be applied. You can describe the benefits and importance. You may have applied it in a low complexity project under supervision or assisted others in delivering it.

Working: Working knowledge and practical experience. You have a good understanding of this competence. You have applied this independently in low complexity projects and/or under supervision in more complex projects.

Practitioner: Detailed knowledge and significant experience. You have a deep understanding of this competence. You have applied this independently in medium and/or highly complex projects. You advise and may supervise others in the delivery of this competence. You can adapt your approach to meet the requirements of the project.

Expert: Expert knowledge and experience. You are considered an expert within government and in the wider profession. You have applied this competence in multiple complex projects. You have been responsible for developing unique variations to suit specific situations. You champion capability development in this area.

Competency area	Level
Risk and issue management The ability to systematically identify and monitor risks and issues, planning how to mitigate or respond to those risks and issues and implementing the responses.	Awareness
Quality management The ability to plan, develop, maintain and apply quality management processes to ensure adherence to those standards throughout the lifecycle of the work.	Awareness
Business change and implementation The ability to integrate the solution into operations ensuring that activities are planned and completed to enable the business to implement the change and realise the benefits.	Awareness
Governance The ability to clearly define roles, responsibilities and accountabilities and establish controls and approval routes appropriate to each stage of the work to monitor progress and compliance.	Working
Frameworks and methodologies The ability to identify and amend appropriate frameworks and methodologies to enable a consistent and efficient approach to delivery at all stages of the lifecycle.	Awareness
Stakeholder engagement The ability to systematically identify, analyse and communicate with stakeholders, using appropriate channels, to ensure all those impacted by the change are engaged, taking account of their levels of influence and particular interests.	Working
Assurance The ability to establish, plan and manage reviews at appropriate points through the life cycle to provide confidence that the work can be delivered to the agreed outcomes and benefits within time, cost, quality, and other constraints.	Practitioner
Change control The ability to establish protocols to manage and document all requests for changes to scope, timescales, costs, benefits or other approved baselines for the work. This includes the capture, evaluation and approval or rejection of change requests.	Awareness
Business case development The ability to prepare, develop, commission and update business cases to justify the initiation and continuation of projects in terms of benefits, value for money and risk.	Awareness
Knowledge management The ability to identify, share and promote best practices and lessons learned to create a culture of learning and good practice that supports continuous improvement to optimise project delivery.	Awareness
Digital and data The ability to effectively leverage digital tools and data analytics for better project delivery outcomes. Combining an understanding of digital technologies with the ability to manage, interpret and utilise data to make informed decisions, improve efficiency and achieve outcomes and benefits.	Working
Sustainability The ability to incorporate environmental and social considerations into the strategic objectives of the work and to effectively identify, assess and manage these throughout the lifecycle, seeking to maximise benefits and mitigate negative impacts.	Awareness

Behavioural competencies

Help with competency levels

None: No knowledge and no experience.

Awareness: Basic knowledge and limited or no experience. You understand how it can be applied. You can describe the benefits and importance. You may have applied it in a low complexity project under supervision or assisted others in delivering it.

Working: Working knowledge and practical experience. You have a good understanding of this competence. You have applied this independently in low complexity projects and/or under supervision in more complex projects.

Practitioner: Detailed knowledge and significant experience. You have a deep understanding of this competence. You have applied this independently in medium and/or highly complex projects. You advise and may supervise others in the delivery of this competence. You can adapt your approach to meet the requirements of the project.

Expert: Expert knowledge and experience. You are considered an expert within government and in the wider profession. You have applied this competence in multiple complex projects. You have been responsible for developing unique variations to suit specific situations. You champion capability development in this area.

Competency area	Level
Visible leadership The ability to engage, motivate and coach others. To act as a role model and inspire and empower others. Aligned to the leadership Civil Service behaviour.	Awareness
Credible action The ability to promote the wider public good in all actions and to act in a morally, legally and socially appropriate manner at all times. Challenges unacceptable behaviour. Aligned to the leadership Civil Service behaviour.	Working
Working with ambiguity The ability to work in an environment of uncertainty and continual change. Able to feel comfortable making decisions and setting direction without having the full picture and re-focus as details emerge. Can apply knowledge and techniques to reduce ambiguity. Aligned to the making effective decisions Civil Service behaviour.	Awareness
Collaboration The ability to establish and develop productive relationships with internal and external stakeholders, bringing people together to benefit the project. Aligned to the working together Civil Service behaviour.	Working
Influencing The ability to influence, change and impact decisions with both internal and external stakeholders. Aligned to the communicating and influencing Civil Service behaviour.	Working
Conflict resolution The ability to recognise, anticipate and effectively deal with existing or potential conflicts at an individual, team or strategic level. Aligned to the working together and leadership Civil Service behaviours.	Working
Inspiring others The ability to create and present a compelling vision and set clear direction, that motivates others to work towards a common goal. Aligned to the leadership Civil Service behaviour.	Awareness
Resilience The ability to adapt to changing circumstances and adverse situations whilst remaining calm, reassuring others and maintaining performance. Aligned to the delivering at pace Civil Service behaviour.	Working
Innovation The ability to think of, research and apply new ideas and ways of doing things. Encourages and supports innovations from others, is willing to experiment and follow ideas through to implementation. Aligned to the changing and improving Civil Service behaviour.	Working
Culture change The ability to plan, lead and effect positive cultural change, securing commitment and buy-in, and promoting a positive long term vision. Recognises when broader culture change is necessary to deliver a project. Aligned to the seeing the big picture, and changing and improving Civil Service behaviours.	Awareness

Typical qualifications and professional memberships

Job titles for recruitment

This role profile is for an assurance manager at SEO grade. This is the typical job title for this role.

Hiring managers should refer to the standardised job titles framework for guidance on which titles to use for recruitment.

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