THE P.E.A.K. SYSTEM
FROM SCOPE TO HANDOFF
Phase 1
Project Initiation
Agree on the work
​Define the purpose, scope, success measures, sponsor, and decision makers. Establish what is included, what is excluded, and who can approve changes.
Phase 2
Project Planning
Build a usable plan
​Connect milestones, tasks, dependencies, resources, and owners. Record risks and establish a reporting schedule so the team can see what must happen next.
Phase 3
Project Execution
Coordinate delivery
​Keep workstreams connected through clear assignments, regular reviews, and a shared record of decisions. Escalate barriers to the people who can resolve them.
Phase 4
Project Monitoring & Controlling
Make decisions with evidence
​Review progress against scope, schedule, and budget. Track risks, issues, and proposed changes; make tradeoffs explicit and record the decisions that follow.
Phase 5
Project Closure
Leave the team ready
​Confirm deliverable acceptance, document lessons, and transfer working files and responsibilities. Identify remaining actions and the owners who will sustain the work.
Where we help
Program management
Connect related projects to shared program goals. Align workstreams, partner responsibilities, and reporting requirements.
Project delivery
Turn an approved priority into a working plan with milestones, dependencies, and named owners. Maintain decision and action logs as implementation progresses.
​Engage Altus when work is stalled or ownership is unclear.
PMO establishment
Define how projects enter the portfolio, who makes decisions, and what leaders need to see. Establish practical templates and a consistent review rhythm.
​Engage Altus when every project is managed differently.
Risk & handoff
Make risks, issues, and changes visible before they derail delivery. Confirm acceptance and transfer documentation and responsibilities.
​Engage Altus when a launch needs stronger oversight or a clear transition to operations.
Clarity before the next milestone
A SHARED PLAN. VISIBLE DECISIONS. CLEAR OWNERS.
For government agencies, nonprofits, educational institutions, and other organizations, delivery depends on people knowing what is expected and who can act. Agree on the governance, tools, and reporting needed for your situation.
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What program and project management services does Altus provide?
Altus runs programs, delivers projects, builds PMOs, and manages risk and handoff for government agencies, nonprofits, and schools in DC, Maryland, and Virginia. The job is simple to describe and hard to do: turn an approved priority into a plan with milestones, dependencies, and named owners, then carry it all the way to acceptance and day-to-day operations.
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What is the PEAK framework?
PEAK is the Altus project governance framework. It answers the questions that sink projects before they surface: who decides, who owns each milestone, what could go wrong, and who takes over when the project ends. PEAK covers initiation, planning, execution, monitoring and controlling, and closure, and works alongside standard PMBOK practices rather than replacing them.
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Can Altus set up a PMO for a government agency or nonprofit?
Yes. A PMO should help leaders decide, not bury staff in paperwork. Altus defines how projects enter the portfolio, who approves them, and what leaders see each week or month, then delivers intake criteria, decision rights, templates, and a review rhythm sized to the team that has to run it.
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Can Altus step into a project that is already underway or off track?
Yes. Altus starts with what exists: the current plan, the commitments already made, open issues, and how decisions actually get made. Early on, every open item gets an owner and a due date, untracked risks get named, and leaders get an honest read on the schedule.
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Do we need new project management software to work with Altus?
No. Altus works in the tools you already pay for, including Microsoft 365, Excel, SharePoint, and Teams. New software comes up only when reporting needs clearly require it.
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What do we keep when the engagement ends?
A scope and milestone plan, a record of roles and decisions, a risk register, issue and action logs, status reports, and handoff documentation. Each one is built for your team to keep running after Altus steps back.
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How does Altus measure project management success?
Measures are agreed on day one. Typical ones: milestone status leaders can read in seconds, risks closed before they become issues, decisions made on time, a clear owner for every workstream, and a clean handoff to operations.
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What results has Altus delivered?
A county workforce agency had 1,157 participant files and no single view of compliance. In seven weeks, Altus cataloged every file into one compliance view, flagged 44 participants with no contact in 12 or more months, and delivered 11 recommendations, including three quick wins for the first 30 days.
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What is the difference between a project, a program, and a PMO?
A project delivers a defined result. A program coordinates related projects toward shared goals. A project management office establishes common governance, reporting, and working practices across projects.
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Let’s discuss the work ahead.
​Email info@altuswfs.com with your project, timing, and main challenge, or schedule a conversation above. Explore Management Consulting for strategy and process questions, and Training & Development for team capability.
What you take forward
Agree on the deliverables at the start. Leave with practical tools your team can use to manage the work.
Plan
Scope & milestones
Roles
Owners & decisions
Risks
Issues & actions
Tools
Reports & handoff