NatWest Markets
Financial Services
Project Recovery | SAFe Turnaround
From Failing Critical Programme to Predictable Delivery in Six Weeks
How we rescued NatWest Markets' critical VaR platform programme - stabilising delivery, eliminating integration risks, and transforming stakeholder confidence through hands-on recovery leadership.
6 Weeks to Stability
45% Predictability Improvement
200+ Coached
Integration Risks Eliminated
Programme Recovered
At a Glance
Client: NatWest Markets (Investment Banking Division)
Industry: Financial Services - Capital Markets
Challenge: Recover failing VaR platform programme with regulatory implications
Duration: 9-month recovery engagement
Services Delivered
→ Project Recovery (failing SAFe implementation)
→ Delivery Transformation (structure and cadence redesign)
→ Expert Team Augmentation (Partner as RTE, Front-End Developer, Solutions Architect)
→ Coaching & Training (200+ engineers, product managers, stakeholders)
Key Results
◘ Delivery stabilised within six weeks
◘ Predictability improved by 45%
◘ Stakeholder trust restored from critical to confident
◘ Major technical and commercial integration risks eliminated
◘ 200+ people coached in lean-agile execution and dependency management
◘ Successful handover to internal team with sustainable delivery capability
The Starting Point: A Critical Programme in Crisis
When we were called in, NatWest Markets' Value at Risk (VaR) platform programme was in serious trouble. This wasn't just another struggling project - it was a critical, highly-visible programme with regulatory implications and executive-level scrutiny.
Why VaR Mattered:
The VaR (Value at Risk) platform is fundamental to capital markets operations. It calculates market risk exposure across trading portfolios, informing regulatory capital requirements and risk management decisions. Getting it wrong has serious consequences: regulatory sanctions, inaccurate risk reporting, and potential trading restrictions.
The Crisis State:
The programme was failing on multiple fronts. Budget was significantly overrun. Timelines had slipped repeatedly. The SAFe implementation that was supposed to bring predictability had instead created confusion. Leadership confidence had evaporated. The programme's RAG status was permanently red.
Delivery Unpredictability:
Nobody could reliably say when anything would be delivered. Sprint commitments were routinely missed. Dependencies blocked work constantly. Teams couldn't coordinate effectively. Planning sessions felt pointless because plans never survived contact with reality.
Governance Breakdown:
Visibility into actual progress was poor. Reporting was inconsistent and often inaccurate. Business and risk stakeholders couldn't get clear answers about programme health. Trust between technology, business, and risk functions had broken down completely.
Cultural Problems:
Team morale was terrible. People were burned out from constant firefighting. Blame culture had taken hold - teams pointing fingers rather than collaborating. Best engineers were looking for exits. Nobody wanted to be associated with a failing programme.
The Stakes:
This wasn't a programme that could be cancelled or delayed indefinitely. Regulatory requirements were driving timelines. Risk management depended on the new platform. The business case had been approved at the highest levels. Failure would have serious reputational and regulatory consequences for NatWest Markets.
What Was Needed:
Not just process improvements or additional resources - the programme needed fundamental recovery. Someone had to stabilise the chaos, eliminate critical risks, restore stakeholder confidence, and create a path to successful delivery. That's why we were brought in.
How We Delivered: Stabilise, De-Risk, Transform
Project recovery isn't about implementing a perfect framework - it's about stopping the bleeding, fixing what's broken, and creating momentum toward success.
Week 1: Emergency Triage
The Challenge:
We needed to understand the real situation, not the reported situation. Failing programmes often have layers of optimistic reporting hiding deeper problems.
What We Did:
Our Partner embedded immediately as both Scaled Change Consultant and Release Train Engineer. This dual role was critical - strategic oversight combined with hands-on delivery leadership. We conducted rapid assessment through direct observation, stakeholder interviews, and technical review.
What We Found:
The SAFe implementation was superficial - teams were doing ceremonies but not embracing principles. Dependencies were invisible until they caused blockers. Integration problems were systematic, not isolated. The biggest risk wasn't any single issue - it was the compounding effect of multiple unaddressed problems.
Immediate Actions:
We stopped pretending everything was fine. We created honest, transparent reporting of programme health. We identified the three critical risks that could kill the programme if not addressed immediately. We established clear ownership and accountability for recovery actions.
Weeks 2-6: Rapid Stabilisation
The Challenge:
Six weeks to demonstrate the programme could be saved. If we couldn't show measurable improvement quickly, stakeholders would lose patience and the programme might be cancelled.
Eliminating Integration Risk:
The biggest technical risk was late-stage integration failures. Teams building in isolation meant problems discovered far too late. We introduced continuous deployments into a shared integration environment. Every commit from every team went into this environment automatically. Integration problems surfaced within hours, not months. This single change eliminated the major technical and commercial risk that was threatening the programme.
Restructuring Delivery:
The existing team structure and cadences weren't working. We redesigned both. Teams were reconfigured around the product, not technical layers. We adjusted sprint cadence and Programme Increment timing to fit the actual work patterns. Dependencies were made visible and managed proactively through daily coordination.
Transparent Governance:
We replaced optimistic reporting with honest transparency. Programme boards got real data: what was done, what was blocked, what risks existed. We introduced outcome-based flow metrics - not just velocity, but actual progress toward business outcomes. Business and risk stakeholders could finally see real programme health.
Results After Six Weeks
Delivery had stabilised. Teams were consistently meeting commitments. Predictability improved by 45% - not perfect, but dramatically better. Integration failures dropped from weekly crisis to occasional manageable issue. Most importantly, stakeholder confidence shifted from "this will fail" to "this might actually work."
Months 2-6: Sustainable Transformation
The Challenge:
Stabilisation isn't success - we needed sustained improvement and capability building so the programme could succeed after we left.
Team Augmentation:
Beyond our Partner's recovery leadership, we embedded two critical specialists. A Front-End Developer joined to strengthen delivery capacity and quality in a key technical area. A Solutions Architect provided technical leadership to ensure architectural decisions supported both immediate delivery and long-term platform sustainability.
Coaching at Scale:
We coached 200+ engineers, product managers, and stakeholders in lean-agile execution and dependency management. This wasn't simply classroom training - it was hands-on coaching in real situations. How to manage dependencies. How to make integration problems visible early. How to coordinate across teams. How to commit realistically and deliver consistently.
Building Internal Capability:
From the beginning, our goal was to make ourselves unnecessary. We identified internal leaders who could sustain the recovery. We pair-coached them through facilitating planning sessions, managing dependencies, and resolving impediments. We documented decisions and approaches so knowledge stayed with NatWest after we left.
Sustained Improvement:
Predictability continued improving beyond the initial 45% gain. Quality improved as continuous integration caught problems early. Team morale lifted as people experienced success instead of constant failure. The programme moved from red to amber to green in programme boards.
Months 7-9: Successful Handover
The Challenge:
Ensuring the programme could continue successfully without us - true recovery means the organisation owns and sustains the improvement.
What We Did:
We gradually transitioned leadership to internal team members. Our Partner moved from leading to advising. The Front-End Developer and Solutions Architect worked themselves out of their augmentation roles by building internal capability. We conducted formal handover with clear documentation of approach, outstanding risks, and recommendations.
Final State:
By the time we transitioned out, the programme was delivering predictably within revised targets. Integration was no longer a crisis point. Governance was transparent and trusted. The internal team had both the capability and confidence to sustain delivery. What had been a failing programme was now a recovering success story.
Measured Business Outcomes
Programme Stabilised Within Six Weeks
The bleeding stopped. Within six weeks, we demonstrated the programme could be recovered. This was critical - stakeholders needed proof fast. We delivered it. Chaos became order. Crisis became confidence. This early proof secured continued support and investment.
Predictability Improved by 45%
Before recovery, teams missed the majority of their commitments. After stabilisation, predictability improved by 45% - meaning nearly half again as many commitments were consistently met. Planning became meaningful. Stakeholders could rely on forecasts. This predictability was sustained throughout the remainder of the programme.
Stakeholder Trust Restored
Perhaps the most important result. Trust between technology, business, and risk functions had completely broken down. Through transparent reporting, honest communication, and consistent delivery, we rebuilt that trust. Stakeholder sprint reviews shifted from hostile interrogations to collaborative problem-solving sessions.
Major Integration Risks Eliminated
Late-stage integration failures were the biggest threat to programme success. Introducing continuous deployments into shared integration environment eliminated this risk entirely. Problems surfaced early when they were cheap to fix, not late when they were catastrophic.
200+ People Coached in Lean-Agile Execution
We didn't just fix the programme - we built organisational capability. Engineers learned dependency management. Product managers learned outcome focus. Stakeholders learned how to support agile delivery. This capability extended beyond the VaR programme to benefit other initiatives.
Sustainable Handover Achieved
The ultimate test of project recovery: can the organisation succeed without you? Yes. We transitioned leadership smoothly to internal team. They sustained and continued improving delivery after we left.
Secondary Benefits
Regulatory Confidence Maintained
Throughout the recovery, we maintained regulatory compliance and stakeholder confidence with regulators. A failing programme could have triggered regulatory intervention. A recovering programme demonstrated control and capability.
Budget Control Restored
While budget had been overrun before our engagement, we brought spending under control. Clear prioritisation and predictable delivery meant no more emergency budget requests or scope thrash.
Team Morale Transformation
From burned-out and defeated to energised and proud. People wanted to work on the programme again. Retention improved. The programme became a learning opportunity rather than career risk.
Reputational Recovery
The VaR programme went from cautionary tale to success story within NatWest Markets. This restored confidence in technology delivery capability more broadly.
In Their Words
"The VaR programme was in absolute disarray following a previous Big Four consultancy's tenure. Budget overrun was significant, and timelines were completely unravelling. A colleague recommended Agilicist, and their team immediately diagnosed the systemic flaws. They didn't just sell a framework; they worked within our context, and fixed what was fundamentally broken at the governance level. We achieved stability within six weeks and absolute confidence in delivery within three months. The major integration risk that was threatening the timetable was entirely eliminated through continuous deployment. The uplift in internal capability is their enduring legacy - genuine, measurable recovery."
- NatWest Markets Programme Leadership
Immediate Hands-On Leadership
Our Partner embedded as both strategic advisor and operational leader (RTE). This combination was essential. Strategic thinking without operational execution doesn't recover failing programmes. We led from the front, not from the sidelines.
Focus on Critical Risks First
We didn't try to fix everything. We identified the three things that could kill the programme and eliminated them first. Integration risk was priority one—solving it changed everything. Prioritization is essential in recovery situations.
Transparent Governance
We replaced optimistic reporting with honest transparency. This felt scary initially but built trust rapidly. Stakeholders appreciated honesty over false reassurance. Transparency enabled better decisions and collaborative problem-solving.
Technical Expertise Alongside Process
Embedding a Front-End Developer and Solutions Architect meant we could solve technical problems, not just process problems. Project recovery often requires both. We provided both.
Coaching Not Just Consulting
We coached 200+ people in real situations, not classroom theories. Hands-on learning in actual programme context built capability that lasted. People learned by doing with expert guidance.
Sustainable Capability Bulding
From day one, our goal was successful handover. We built internal capability continuously. By the time we left, the internal team owned the programme and could sustain success. Recovery without sustainability isn't recovery - it's dependency.
Critical Success Factors
Project Recovery
Full programme recovery leadership. Rapid stabilisation of failing SAFe implementation. Elimination of critical technical and commercial risks. Transformation from red to green programme status.
Delivery Transformation
Restructured teams, cadences, and governance. Introduced continuous integration practices. Implemented outcome-based flow metrics. Created transparent, trusted reporting.
Expert Team Augmentation
Partner as Scaled Change Consultant and Release Train Engineer (dual role for strategic and operational leadership). Front-End Developer for strengthened delivery capacity. Solutions Architect for technical leadership and architectural sustainability.
Coaching & Training
Hands-on coaching for 200+ engineers, product managers, and stakeholders. Lean-agile execution, dependency management, and coordination practices taught through real programme work.
Similar Transformations
Facing Similar Challenges?
If your organisation is dealing with:
Programme with red RAG status and executive scrutiny
Budget overruns and repeated timeline slips
SAFe or agile implementation that isn't delivering results
Technical risks threatening programme success
Stakeholder confidence eroding or already lost
Regulatory or compliance implications adding pressure
We can help. The NatWest Markets recovery required immediate stabilisation, systematic risk elimination, and capability building - all under intense pressure with regulatory implications.
Book a free consultation to discuss:
Your specific programme challenges and risks
What genuine recovery requires (beyond process fixes)
How we've turned around failing programmes before
Whether your programme can be saved or should be stopped
We'll give you honest assessment - even if the answer is difficult.