01
Distressed Program Delivery
Scope, schedule, issues, risks, decisions and workstream dependencies required a unified recovery structure.
Client Story | Public Sector Education
Large Western U.S. Public School District
PeopleSoft ERP, HCM and Payroll recovery, interim CIO leadership, governance restoration, controls improvement and vendor remediation.
Executive Option stabilized a highly visible, eight-figure enterprise program while protecting operational continuity and restoring executive and stakeholder confidence.
Industry
Public Sector Education
Engagement
ERP, HCM & Payroll Program Recovery
Enterprise Platform
Oracle PeopleSoft
Leadership Model
Project Manager, Interim CIO & Executive Advisor
Executive Summary
Immediate recovery leadership restored control across a distressed PeopleSoft program.
A large Western U.S. public school district required immediate program and executive leadership for a distressed Oracle PeopleSoft implementation affecting Human Capital Management, Payroll, Finance, enterprise data, vendors, daily operations and public confidence.
Executive Option assumed direct recovery accountability. Mike N. Del Prado served first as Project Manager and later as Interim CIO and Executive Advisor. EO established an integrated recovery structure connecting scope, schedule, issues, risks, vendors, data, testing, controls and executive decisions while protecting the district’s continuing operations.
The Challenge
Payroll continuity, data quality and public confidence were exposed to material risk.
The district needed to determine what had failed, what could be recovered and how decision-making and accountability would be restored—without disrupting payroll, HR, Finance or other essential operations.
Functional, technical, data, operating-model and delivery weaknesses crossed organizational boundaries. The recovery required coordinated leadership across HCM, Payroll, Finance, IT, auditors, executive leadership and multiple implementation partners.
02
Payroll & Operational Risk
Changes had to be evaluated and implemented without compromising payroll continuity or essential district operations.
03
Data & Control Weaknesses
Data validation, access governance, change control and application-control practices required improvement.
04
Vendor & Confidence Risk
Vendor accountability, executive visibility and stakeholder confidence needed to be restored quickly and transparently.
Executive Option’s Approach
Integrated recovery across governance, operations, technology, controls and vendors.
EO connected technical remediation to business-process, operating-model and governance causes rather than treating the implementation as an isolated technology problem.
01
Recovery Governance
Established a recovery structure linking scope, schedule, issues, risks, data, testing, vendors, controls and executive decisions.
02
Direct Executive Leadership
Provided project-management, interim-CIO and executive-advisory leadership with direct accountability for priorities, escalation and delivery performance.
03
Cross-Functional Coordination
Coordinated HCM, Payroll, Finance, IT, auditors, district leadership and implementation partners through one decision and reporting model.
04
Data, Testing & Controls
Strengthened data validation, change control, access governance, application controls, testing discipline and ITGC/ITAC practices.
05
Vendor Remediation
Clarified vendor obligations, strengthened accountability and negotiated remediation services and continued implementation support.
06
Executive & Public Communication
Maintained clear communication with executive leadership, governing stakeholders and other audiences regarding progress, risk and decisions.
Results
Program Scale
Eight-Figure
Vendor Recovery
$1M+
Operational Priority
Continuity
Program stability, accountability and executive confidence were restored.
EO stabilized a highly visible enterprise program, strengthened operational and control disciplines, improved vendor accountability and positioned the district for continued modernization.
A distressed PeopleSoft ERP, HCM and Payroll program was stabilized through direct recovery and executive leadership.
More than $1 million in remediation services and continued support was secured from the implementation partner.
Essential operations were protected while technical, process, data and governance weaknesses were addressed.
Executive Visibility Improved
Leadership received clearer reporting on scope, schedule, risk, decisions, vendors and recovery performance.
Controls Strengthened
Data validation, change control, access governance and ITGC/ITAC practices were improved.
Vendor Accountability Restored
Obligations, escalation, remediation and continued support were addressed through disciplined oversight and negotiation.
Modernization Path Established
The district gained a more stable, controlled foundation for continued enterprise-system modernization.
Additional Engagement Impact
Recovery improvements extended beyond immediate technical remediation.
The engagement strengthened how the district governed decisions, managed vendors, validated data, communicated risk and coordinated mission-critical enterprise work.
Restored clearer decision authority,
ownership and escalation
Improved coordination across HCM,
Payroll, Finance and IT
Strengthened data-validation and
application-control practices
Improved vendor oversight, remediation
and delivery accountability
Increased executive visibility into
program status and material risk
Protected operational continuity while
recovery decisions were evaluated
Services Delivered
Integrated enterprise recovery and executive leadership.
The engagement combined program recovery, project and executive leadership, PeopleSoft expertise, governance, controls, data validation, testing, vendor remediation, stakeholder coordination and operational stabilization.