Answers provided by Dave
Condensed Questions and answers
This version combines similar questions while retaining their intent, reducing redundancy, and streamlining the list.
How can project benefits be aligned with strategy, and how do they fit with OKRs and BAU for a cohesive portfolio view?
Strategic projects are inherently designed to enable outcomes and objectives aligned with the strategic plan. Project benefits for strategic projects should be planned in the business case and mapped to strategic objectives. For tactical projects, which might lack direct links to strategy, effort should still be made to suggest benefits that align with strategic goals. OKRs should drive projects, not the other way around; workloads, including BAU workloads must align with OKRs to ensure progress and achievement of objectives, and they may additionally have KPIs for management of their performance.
What are the key standing agenda items and metrics for effective governance and ensuring a strategy is fit for purpose?
Governance agendas offered in BIG include items like:
- Directions/Constraints: Strategic priorities and external requirements.
- Day-to-Day Controls: Progress updates, value tracking, and status checks.
- Exceptional Controls: Handling risks, issues, or escalations.
- Outputs: Actions, decisions, and necessary escalations
Metrics should assess progress, demonstrate value, and reduce risks. A fit-for-purpose strategy aggregates value, aligns with goals, and adapts to opportunities and threats.
What advice can help introduce governance in organizations with ad-hoc project management, and how can leaders and decision-makers be encouraged to adopt it?
The BIG proposition is that delivering strategy requires a systematic approach to managing Governance. To gain leadership buy-in, address their specific needs and demonstrate how systematic governance alleviates pain points and aligns with their goals. Success requires a senior leadership sponsor, although aspects of governance can also be introduced tactically at project or program levels.
What role do project managers and non-decision-makers play in promoting governance frameworks, especially in large, multi-department organizations?
Project managers can contribute by integrating governance practices into their workflows and showcasing their value through outcomes and efficiency. Non-decision-makers should focus on peer-to-peer persuasion, linking governance principles to organizational needs. In larger organizations, governance helps bridge gaps caused by long chains of command and greater dependencies, ensuring clarity and consistency across departments.
How does BIG integrate with other P3M models like Praxis or P3O, and can it work with OKRs in practice?
BIG integrates well with P3M methods by providing a framework that connects workloads—including projects, programs, and portfolios—to purpose, vision, and strategy. It supports OKRs by establishing a central information backbone for governance and accountability through Objectives, Targets, Challenges, and their related Key Results. These measures ensure that every effort aligns with and contributes to strategic outcomes.
How can governance avoid becoming bureaucratic and instead empower individuals and teams to achieve strategic goals?
The BIG goal is to deliver greater strategic outcomes with agility, efficiency, and effectiveness. Governance should connect individuals and teams to strategic goals, providing clarity and direction while avoiding unnecessary administrative burdens, not creating compliance hoops.
What are value streams, and how do they connect strategy, benefits, BAU, and transformation efforts?
Value streams are the series of processes that deliver value to customers, serving as a bridge between strategic objectives and tangible benefits. They ensure alignment between strategy, benefits realization, and operational or transformation efforts, maximizing value for stakeholders.
How do governance challenges differ between large and small organizations, and how do we balance “staying in business” objectives with visionary goals?
Smaller organizations benefit from shorter chains of command, making decisions faster and with less information loss. Larger organizations face challenges with dependencies, complex processes, and inertia. Governance should ensure “staying in business” objectives are prioritized alongside innovation by providing a balanced framework that is responsive to opportunities and threats.
How should we prioritize initiatives to maximize value, balance resources, and align with strategy?
Prioritization involves evaluating value, effort, constraints, and risks. Decision models, from simple ratings to sophisticated analyses, help allocate resources effectively. It’s not always about picking the highest priorities but finding a mix of initiatives that maximize value within constraints. Cross-functional collaboration and analysis is essential to overcome silos and competing interests.
What is the best way to define and cascade clear, measurable objectives, evaluate a strategy’s effectiveness, and tailor strategic objectives for different organizations?
Objectives should be clear, aligned, and measurable, acting as stepping stones to achieving strategic goals. A structured approach—from defining purpose, vision, and strategy to setting objectives (recognising this can also be bottom up or iterative) ensures alignment and clarity. Tailored strategic objectives reflect stakeholder aspirations and organizational context. Evaluating strategy involves assessing its alignment with vision, risk tolerance, and stakeholder agreement.
How do vision and mission contribute to short- and long-term planning and strategy delivery?
Vision and mission lead to the blueprint for strategy, guiding both short-term and long-term planning, out of which emerge strategic objectives. These artefacts may be embedded in the strategic process from which actionable objectives are derived.
