BIG Bo(o)k Club – Kick off Session

The BIG CIC in the form of Veronica Edward-Smith and Alex Shapley hosted the initial meeting of the BIG Book Club on the 7th October.

What is it?

Multiple purposes and benefits.

• • To encourage people to engage more closely with BIG both conceptually, and as an organisation.

• • To create additional ongoing value for paying members.

• • To increase people talking about BIG concepts in their workplaces.

• • To reduce barriers to uptake of exams.

• • To create additional buzz / promotional opportunities around the conference/ learning day/merch anything else we have going on at any given time.

• • Can get feedback on BoK and use cases.

• • Potential to morph / spin off into study groups and BoK re-writing.

Introduction, Origins and Evolution of Business Integrated Governance (BIG)

Veronica welcomed everyone and David explained BIG’s development starting from portfolio, program, and project management data integration challenges. Initially focusing on creating a common data model for a client, the concept evolved to emphasize governance and decision-making needs rather than just data collection. The framework expanded beyond projects and programs to include product management and business-as-usual workstreams, ultimately linking strategy to delivery in organizations. The BIG Body of Knowledge Version 2 was published publicly about two years prior to the session, involving contributions from approximately 150 people.

David went on to explain the BIG CIC key milestones and the history of community engagement. He explained that the core P3M Data Club began in late 2018, focusing on the integration of project and program data. Over time, the scope broadened to include strategic governance across various business units. The BIG framework has been supported by collaborations with practitioners and organizations such as Adrian Dooley and the Praxis website. Recent years have focused on sharing content widely, including planning a virtual conference to disseminate BIG concepts and case studies freely to stakeholders and volunteers. 

Book Club and Conference Overview

Veronica explained that the BIG BoK Club aims to provide a friendly, accessible learning environment to explore the BIG framework in depth. The program covers the first eight chapters of the BIG BoK, supplemented with articles, blogs, and a YouTube channel. The upcoming conference, scheduled for November 5, 2025, will feature sessions on BIG fundamentals, case studies (referred to as the “Frankenorg” session), readiness assessments, and talks on benefits, strategy, and risk by notable speakers. Tickets are affordably priced, with full membership options including exam access and event participation. She continued on to explain how to access it.

BIG Framework Components and Principles

Alex spent an interactive part of the session talking about the content scope for the BoK Club.

Overview

BIG is method-agnostic, focusing on governance structures, accountability nodes, information flow, and data integration rather than specific project management methodologies. The framework emphasizes clear accountability, fair responsibility, and delivering pertinent information to the right stakeholders while protecting sensitive data. Business support functions such as PMOs play a crucial role in sustaining BIG as an operational framework, ensuring consistent terminology and integration across projects, programs, portfolios, and business-as-usual activities.

Governance and Accountability

BIG requires up-to-date organizational structures with clearly defined accountability nodes responsible for decision-making. The framework recognizes the importance of fair accountability, ensuring individuals are empowered to fulfil their roles effectively. This approach addresses common organizational challenges, such as siloed PMOs and inconsistent terminology.

Information and Data Management

A core BIG component is managing information as a single source of truth, enabling decision-makers to access balanced, relevant data efficiently. This approach avoids overwhelming users with excessive reports and focuses on delivering actionable insights tailored to governance needs.

Leadership and Assurance

Successful BIG implementation requires ongoing leadership at all organizational levels, not just senior management. Leadership commitment ensures the framework remains active, evolves over time, and delivers continuous value. Assurance processes are embedded to verify that governance activities meet expectations and support decision-making.

Challenges and Adoption

Participants discussed challenges in gaining recognition and adoption of BIG, especially given the prominence of established frameworks like PRINCE2 and the Praxis framework. Emphasizing real-world pain points and demonstrating BIG’s value through case studies and examples can aid in broader acceptance. Accreditation through bodies like APMG International was suggested as a means to increase credibility and uptake.

Book Club Format and Future Plans

The book club sessions are scheduled monthly, focusing on one chapter per meeting with time allocated for discussion and debate. The club encourages participation even without prior reading, offering chapter summaries and supplementary materials. Feedback and peer support are integral to the club’s approach, aiming to facilitate practical understanding and application of BIG principles.

Additional Resources

The BIG ecosystem includes a YouTube channel featuring presentations, exam discussions, and conference extracts to support learning. The website provides access to the BIG Body of Knowledge in various formats, including full PDFs and chapter-wise downloads with previews.

BIG Examinations and Membership

The session outlined the BIG examination levels:

Level 1: A simple multiple-choice exam designed to introduce BIG concepts, accessible to those with general management experience.

Level 3: A presentation-based exam where candidates demonstrate understanding and application of BIG, either through real or hypothetical scenarios. Currently, BIG is not accredited by external examination boards due to cost considerations. Membership offerings include access to the book club, conference, resources, and exams, with a focus on providing value and fostering community learning.

Access Session Recording

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