Paul McDougall

Executive summary

Paul is the Lead Advisory Partner with BDO in Canberra. 

With more than 25 years’ experience in professional services, Government and the private sector, Paul is highly experienced in working closely with clients to help manage risk across their business and critical programs to successfully deliver desired outcomes.

Paul brings expertise in internal audit, governance, risk management (including IT risk), business process improvement, project management and assurance, and portfolio management.

Expertise

• Program assurance and management
• Internal audit including outsourced, and co-sourced arrangements
• Governance, risk and compliance management
• Portfolio, program and project management (including setup/execute PMOs)
• Program reviews over complex programs involving technology
• Business process improvement
• Government and public sector
• Education sector
• Health and social services sector

Experience

Program assurance and advisory

• Led ongoing program assurance and advisory services to many of the largest Federal ICT Transformation Programs across the Department of Health and Aged Care, Department of Education, Department of Employment and Workplace Relations and Services Australia
• Led ongoing project advisory and assurance services for Child Care Reform. This included ongoing advice to the SRO and Secretary, an independent member on the Deputy Secretary Governance Board and execution of assurance activities (health checks, deep dives into risk areas, gateway reviews).

Internal audit, risk and compliance

• Led the delivery of outsourced, and co-sourced internal audit arrangements for agencies including the Department of Social Services, IP Australia, Queensland Treasury, Austrade and the previous Department of Immigration and Citizenship (now Home Affairs)
• Co-established an assurance function over a major policy Department’s Administered Portfolio of Programs. This included re-establishing a Governance Committee, establishing a risk-based approach and provision of ongoing support to programs reporting to the Committee
• Led large risk, compliance engagements for Home Affairs and Queensland Treasury.

Portfolio, program and project management delivery

• Led program delivery and support services over a 12-month period to implement reform agenda including program management, scheduling, risk and issue management, assurance, compliance, stakeholder and data analytics
• Led establishment, execution and transitioned a Divisional PMO for 18 months to oversee the delivery of more than 25 major Government projects and election commitments
• Led the establishment of a whole agency portfolio office overseeing IT and business projects and programs (50 projects) and associated governance oversight committees
• Led the establishment and execution of a Departmental Portfolio Office overseeing more than 500 projects and programs at a major Federal Government Department. This was a two-year engagement to establish the foundations, build capability, transfer knowledge to the internal team and drive the maturity of program delivery across the Department.

Strategic reviews / ICT transformation assurance

• Led a strategic, high-profile review for the Department of Employment (later published online) over the failed upgrade of a major system supporting student loan data. This complex review focused on root causes across multiple agencies from a people, process and technology perspective and identified a roadmap of accepted actions.
• Led strategic review of Australian Apprenticeship Management System (AAMS) for the Secretary, Department of Education (published online). This was a point in time review that led to recommendations for the project and broader Department to mature governance, project and contract management practices.
• Led a governance review on behalf of the Departmental Executive over the governance and project management arrangements of the Department’s administered portfolio of more than $100b worth of programs. This review was endorsed by the Executive Board and led to a program of maturity across the Department.

Qualifications and affiliations

• Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAICD)
• Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA)
• Prince 2 Practitioner
• Federal Gateway Reviewer
• Bachelor of Business Informatics