Traditional project governance models often fall short when applied to national-scale initiatives. McKinsey reports that nearly 70% of large-scale transformations underperform, while the OECD finds that only one in three national reforms fully succeeds.
In 2017, I was entrusted with leading one of Vision 2030’s most ambitious missions: women's economic empowerment to increase women’s workforce participation from 17% to 30% by 2030. This bold target was not only met but exceeded, reaching 35.4% by the second quarter of 2024, seven years ahead of schedule.
This achievement reflects both the determination of the Saudi government and the application of a sophisticated project management model rooted in agile governance and cross-sector collaboration. In this article, I reflect on leading large-scale national initiatives and how advanced project leadership techniques helped deliver measurable socio-economic impact.
Women’s economic empowerment, like most mega-national projects, required strategic coordination across multiple government bodies and sectors. This included legal reform, education, labour policies, transportation, childcare, and entrepreneurship. Managing this complexity demanded more than task coordination and resource management; it demanded ecosystem leadership. We had to align institutions with diverse priorities, activate a broad network of stakeholders, and drive change in a manner that was both inclusive and rapid.
Leading Vision 2030 initiatives embraced a stakeholder-centric model where each actor became a co-owner of change. Through in-depth stakeholder mapping, we identified influence pathways and policy dependencies that traditional approaches would have missed. We worked closely with each entity to define their role in the larger system, set mutual expectations, and ensure they had the support needed to contribute meaningfully. This shifted the dynamic from seeking buy-in to fostering shared ownership.
Aligning diverse efforts required a performance system that was not only unified but also transparent. Cross-sector OKRs linked every partner’s actions to national outcomes. Real-time dashboards ensured that progress was visible and actionable. But the numbers alone weren’t enough. We had to mediate between conflicting goals, build trust across institutions, and create space for constructive negotiation. Over time, a shared accountability culture emerged, one where success was defined by collective progress.
Our governance structure had to reflect the complexity of the challenge. We formed Ecosystem Governance Boards comprising senior leaders from across sectors. These boards were more than advisory; they had real decision-making power. Rotational leadership ensured that no single ministry dominated, while a neutral Program Delivery Office maintained momentum and continuity. Strategic foresight and scenario planning allowed us to adapt proactively, rather than reactively, to external disruptions.
Transparency wasn’t just about optics; it was integral to how we governed national initiatives. We opened up data, invited scrutiny, and welcomed feedback. Whether it was quarterly progress reports or open townhalls, the aim was to make everyone feel they had a stake in the process. Platforms like Qiwa and Taqat allowed job seekers and employers to contribute insights that shaped real-time decisions. The openness wasn’t always comfortable, but it was necessary to build credibility and sustain public trust.
Agile governance reshaped how national initiatives were executed, combining flexibility with clear accountability.
Delivery units embedded in ministries became the engines of action. With access to data, authority to escalate issues, and backing from executive sponsors, these units could solve problems in real time. In the women’s empowerment initiative, our delivery unit flagged a slowdown in the uptake of one of the programmes. Within weeks, we had convened stakeholders, identified the cause, and redesigned the outreach model. That kind of responsiveness wasn’t just helpful—it was vital.
We didn’t wait for perfection; we piloted. Some things worked, others didn’t, but everything taught us something. We launched targeted subsidy programs, experimented with flexible work policies, and explored digital platforms that could enable gig opportunities for women. Along the way, we learned that childcare access was a critical barrier and responded with new funding mechanisms for daycare providers. Iteration became a habit, not a fallback.
Traditional budgets are too slow for the pace of transformation. We used dynamic, performance-based funding that could shift based on what was working. Some initiatives received short-term funds for rapid testing, while others scaled only after proving their impact. Innovation sandboxes gave us the freedom to experiment outside normal regulatory boundaries. The result was a culture where resource allocation followed outcomes, not just plans.
Today, with women comprising over 35% of Saudi Arabia’s workforce, we’ve not only met our goals - we’ve reframed what’s possible. And while the numbers are impressive, they don’t tell the full story. Behind the success was a complex web of relationships, trial and error, and adaptive leadership.
Delivering national-scale change in a fast-moving world demands more than control. It requires:
Vision 2030 has shown that when systems are designed for learning and leaders are empowered to act, transformation becomes both real and lasting.
Mega projects leadership is no longer about managing timelines and deliverables. It’s about orchestrating change across multiple stakeholders. Blending agile governance frameworks with ecosystem-level stakeholder alignment is fundamental to delivering national-scale impact in a volatile, complex, and interconnected world.
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