Most technology programmes don’t fail because of the technology. They stall in the long, dark middle stretch, where priorities collide, sponsors move on and teams lose sight of where they’re heading.
I’ve spent more than 20 years working in that stretch. This blog is where I write about how to get through it.
Who I am
I’m Andrew Scott, a programme and operations leader based in Abu Dhabi. My career has run through IT operations, project management and digital transformation across healthcare, financial services and insurance.
For four years I led business applications operations at a large healthcare institution, heading a team of technology specialists responsible for systems that clinicians and patients relied on around the clock. Earlier in my career I was Head of IT for a financial software provider, and I’ve delivered solutions from the consultancy side as well as from inside the organisation. Today my work sits at the intersection of cybersecurity and digital transformation.
What you’ll find here
Lighting Up The Tunnel covers the practical side of transformation: PMO design and governance, IT service management, AI in operations, cybersecurity programmes, and the leadership that holds them together. Every article aims to leave you with something you can use on Monday morning, whether that’s a framework, a question for your team or a mistake to avoid.
Who it’s for
CIOs, PMO leads, transformation directors and the programme managers working alongside them. Also anyone who has been handed a programme halfway through and asked to get it back on track.
Why “Lighting Up The Tunnel”
Every major programme reaches a point where the light at the end disappears. Budgets tighten, timelines slip and confidence drains away. The name comes from something I learned early: when the exit is out of sight, light the next few metres and keep moving. These articles are my attempt to light those metres for whoever comes through next.
Start here
If you’re new to Lighting Up The Tunnel, these are the best places to begin.
- Most PMOs Report What Is Happening. The Best Ones Change What Happens Next.
Why the PMO’s real value in a transformation is translation, and how to spot the moment it loses the room. - Resistance Is the Data
The people pushing back on your programme usually see its flaws first. How to treat resistance as intelligence instead of obstruction. - Your AI Rollout Will Be Won or Lost One Layer Below the Steering Committee
Licence counts tell you the tool is live. Middle managers decide whether it changes anything. - Medical Device Cybersecurity Is a Governance Problem, Not a Technical One
The frameworks already exist. What’s missing is a named owner for every device still in service. - The Pre-Mortem series
Live programmes and public incidents, tested against five fixed questions before the outcome is known.
Get in touch
I post weekly on LinkedIn, so that’s the best place to follow the conversation. For speaking, advisory work or collaboration on transformation, PMO and AI adoption, use the contact page.