Clarent Advisory Limited
Clarent Advisory Limited
Delivering Clarity | Driving Performance | Restoring Outcomes
Delivery Governance Advisor

Restoring control in
complex project
delivery

Is your project portfolio truly under control — or just being reported as such? Clarent Advisory helps leaders strengthen delivery visibility, financial control and governance which keep complex portfolios on track — through tried and tested frameworks and experience-based diagnosis.

If your organisation has a project which is drifting off course, I provide clear, actionable recovery plans that restore confidence, stability, and decision-making clarity.

Explore Services
Let's discuss your delivery challenges

If you're dealing with projects that feel off track, lack financial clarity, or need stronger governance, I offer short, focused advisory conversations to identify practical next steps and recovery options.

Book a 30-minute advisory conversation
No obligation. An opportunity to explore the challenges you're facing and the options available to address them.
10+ Years Governance leadership across complex technology portfolios at Datacom
$30M Programme Financial Control Financial forecasting, third-party management and revenue recognition
NZ, AU & Asia International Delivery PMO establishment and portfolio governance in distributed environments
Why Clarent

One clear purpose,
proven in practice

Three pillars for building stronger delivery, or recovering it fast:

Restore Delivery Control Strengthen Delivery Governance Build Capability & Insight

Six offerings, one underlying purpose: giving leaders the confidence that their portfolio is genuinely under control — not just reported as such. Whether the need is to restore control once things have drifted, or build stronger foundations before problems emerge, every engagement is grounded in the same practical, evidence-based approach.

What Sets Clarent Apart

What sets Clarent apart isn't any single framework or methodology — it's the breadth of real, hands-on delivery leadership behind every engagement. Over a decade leading governance and PMO capability inside a large, complex delivery organisation means I've built PMOs, restored financial control on multi-million dollar programmes, coached and mentored delivery leaders, and been the person accountable when a programme was genuinely at risk — not just advised from the outside.

That experience shows up as judgement: knowing quickly what's actually wrong versus what's simply being reported; being direct, honest and constructive even when that's an uncomfortable conversation; and translating complexity — financial, governance, or stakeholder — into a clear, practical path forward. Clients don't just get a diagnosis. They get someone who has stood in their shoes, made the calls, and knows what actually works.

Portfolio Architecture

Three pillars. Six offerings. One outcome: delivery you can trust.

Clarent Advisory Restoring delivery control when it drifts off course — and strengthening visibility, governance and capability to keep it that way 1. Restore Delivery Control clarity · control · recovery Project & Programme Recovery Financial Analysis & Forecasting 2. Strengthen Delivery Governance structure · visibility · consistency PMO Establishment & Uplift Portfolio Reporting & Dashboards 3. Build Capability & Insight insight · support · uplift AI-Enabled Delivery Insights Coaching & Fractional Leadership
What I Do

Restoring control, clarity, and
confidence in complex project delivery

Six practical offerings, each grounded in the same purpose: helping leaders strengthen — or restore — the visibility, financial control, and governance that keep delivery on track. All are backed by hands-on recovery and PMO establishment experience.

Project & Programme Recovery
Restoring control, fast.
When projects drift off course — costs rising, milestones missed, stakeholder confidence falling — I quickly identify the underlying causes and develop practical recovery strategies that restore clarity, control, and confidence in delivery.
Financial Analysis & Forecasting
Exposing the real numbers.
Many projects can tell you what they've spent. Far fewer can tell you what they will ultimately cost — a project reporting "green" may still be heading over budget if the underlying financial management hasn't been rigorously applied. I help organisations establish reliable forecasting, earned value management and revenue recognition to provide full financial transparency — so leaders can make decisions with confidence, before budget overruns surface too late.
PMO Establishment & Uplift
Building lasting structure.
When delivery feels inconsistent across the portfolio — and there's no PMO, or one that isn't yet earning trust — leaders lack confidence in what they're being told versus what's actually happening. Drawing on experience establishing and scaling PMO capability across complex technology organisations, I help organisations build practical governance frameworks that improve visibility, accountability, and delivery outcomes. Whether creating a PMO from the ground up or uplifting an existing function, the focus is always on governance that enables delivery, not bureaucracy.
Portfolio Reporting & Dashboards
Delivering trusted visibility.
When reporting is fragmented across sources, leaders lose trust in what they're being shown — and can waste time trying to understand the true delivery health. I create clear, trusted portfolio reporting that gives leaders genuine confidence in what they're seeing. Turning project and portfolio data into meaningful insights that highlight emerging risks, financial performance, delivery trends, and opportunities for action — before issues become problems.
AI-Enabled Delivery Insights
Lightening the reporting load.
Whether it's a single project manager buried in manual status reporting and RAID logs, or portfolio leaders wanting to spot patterns across dozens of projects, most organisations are sitting on more delivery data than they realise — and it's not always clear where AI can genuinely help versus add risk. I apply AI in practical, risk-aware ways to strengthen project governance, reduce manual effort, improve reporting quality, and surface deeper insights across project portfolios. From automating routine delivery activities to identifying risks, trends, and opportunities for intervention, I help organisations turn project data into meaningful insights that support faster, more informed decision-making.
Coaching & Fractional Leadership
Senior guidance without headcount.
When a project or programme manager needs guidance — or a delivery team needs senior oversight — a full-time hire isn't always justified. I provide experienced governance leadership, mentoring, and coaching to project and programme teams. Whether supporting emerging delivery leaders or providing senior oversight across a portfolio, I help strengthen capability, improve decision-making, and build confidence — without the cost or commitment of a full-time senior hire.
Client Buying Lens

Do you recognise your delivery challenge below? Chances are, I've seen it before — and know how to help.

Offering Who What's Happening What They're Feeling Why Clarent
Project & Programme Recovery Project / Programme Sponsor Project or programme slipping, costs rising, stakeholder confidence falling. Under pressure, needing an independent, credible voice fast. Track record stabilising genuinely at-risk programmes — from an international vendor transition to a stalled digital platform rescue.
Financial Analysis & Forecasting Project / Programme Sponsor (or CFO / Finance Lead) A project may be reporting "green," but the underlying financial management — earned value, third-party cost tracking, forecasting — hasn't been rigorously applied. Anxious — worried about being blindsided by a number that surfaces too late. Acted as Financial Controller on a $30M programme, resetting forecasting, third-party cost management and revenue recognition mid-delivery.
PMO Establishment & Uplift CEO / COO or senior delivery executive Delivery feels inconsistent across the portfolio; there's no PMO, or one that isn't earning trust. Uncertain — lacking confidence in what they're being told versus what's actually happening; projects managed and reported inconsistently, making it hard to get a clear, believable view of the portfolio. Built and embedded full PMO frameworks from the ground up, including a companywide delivery knowledge base and governance model.
Portfolio Reporting & Dashboards PMO / Portfolio Lead Reporting is fragmented and inconsistent across sources; leaders don't trust what they're being shown. Frustrated, and exposed when challenged on numbers they can't fully stand behind; concerned about blind spots from missing information. Designed and built a companywide Power BI dashboard used as the single source of truth for portfolio health and profitability.
AI-Enabled Delivery Insights CIO / Transformation Lead Sitting on plenty of delivery data, but reporting is still manual; unsure where AI genuinely helps versus adds risk. Curious but cautious — wary of governance and data-quality pitfalls. Combines deep delivery governance grounding with a practical, risk-aware read on where AI adds real value versus hype.
Coaching & Fractional Leadership Delivery Leader (or CEO needing senior cover) Team is stretched; a PM or programme manager needs senior mentoring, but there's no case for a full-time hire. Stretched thin, carrying too much personally. Over a decade leading and mentoring project and programme managers — steps in with senior judgement immediately, no ramp-up required.
How I Work

Flexible engagement,
pragmatic delivery

My engagements are typically focused on restoring control, improving financial visibility, and enabling more confident decision-making across project and programme portfolios.

Experience, Perspective & Approach

Joanna Razzell

Joanna Razzell
Joanna Razzell
Delivery Governance Advisor
Auckland, New Zealand
LinkedIn Profile

After nearly 11 years leading project governance and PMO capability at New Zealand’s largest technology services company — most recently as General Manager of Delivery Assurance — I now work independently, helping organisations restore control, clarity, and confidence across their project portfolios.

My strength lies in cutting through complexity, particularly in project financials, to give leaders a clear picture of delivery performance, financial position, and what needs to change. I combine strong governance foundations with emerging AI capability to help organisations reduce manual effort, improve reporting quality, and unlock better decision-making from their project data.

My background spans senior leadership roles across project delivery, practice management, and general management, giving me a broad perspective on what drives successful outcomes across governance, commercial alignment, capability development, and organisational culture. I am known for being direct, honest, and constructive, and for quickly becoming a trusted adviser through balanced judgement, calm leadership, and deep delivery experience.

I work flexibly — from short diagnostic reviews through to fractional governance leadership engagements. Whether you need an independent assessment of a troubled programme, stronger financial visibility, improved governance maturity, AI-enabled portfolio insights, or experienced guidance across a delivery portfolio, I'd welcome the opportunity to help.

Qualifications & Certifications
Bachelor of Engineering (Electrical & Electronic), First Class Honours
University of Auckland
PRINCE2 Foundation & Practitioner
Project management certification
Professional Scrum Master
(PSM I)
Scrum.org
Certified SAFe 5 Agilist
Scaled Agile Framework
Areas of Expertise
Project Governance Programme Recovery Financial Forensics Financial Forecasting Earned Value Management Portfolio Reporting PMO Establishment Delivery Assurance AI-Enabled Governance Coaching & Mentoring
Selected Experience
  • Established and scaled PMO capability across Datacom Professional Services.
  • Established the Kuala Lumpur PMO and recruited its successor leadership.
  • Led governance and financial oversight across large-scale, multi-year technology programmes.
Get in Touch

Let's discuss your
delivery
challenges

Whether you're looking to improve an underperforming programme, gain greater financial clarity, or strengthen governance across your portfolio, I'd welcome an initial conversation.

No obligation. An opportunity to explore the challenges you're facing and the options available to address them.

Independent Perspective
Practical Advice
Actionable Recommendations
Email enquiries@clarentadvisory.co.nz
Phone +64 22 528 7650
LinkedIn linkedin.com/in/joannarazzell