Making continuation a decision
Investment reviews asked whether work was on track. They rarely asked whether it was still worth doing. I redesigned them so that continuing an investment became a choice someone had to make.
Advisory
Portfolio and product operating models
Decide which investments to continue, redirect or stop, and who owns the intended benefits.
For: Leaders whose portfolio reviews report progress without resolving priorities or accountability.
In practice
Giving benefits an owner
The product lifecycle tracked work until it shipped. What the work was meant to achieve was assumed, not checked. I redesigned the lifecycle so that every intended benefit has an owner and gets revisited.
What the work includes
Connect investment decisions with priorities, product ownership and implementation through portfolio governance and product operating models.
- An account of current decision rights and review practices
- Proposed changes to funding, priorities or accountability
- An implementation sequence and measures to review
Carry the decision into practice.
Where useful, the work continues into implementation: translate an agreed change into everyday responsibilities and practices, and review whether the intended behaviour and benefits follow.
- An implementation and adoption plan
- A regular review of progress and unresolved decisions
- A review of benefits, observations and remaining questions
Agreeing the work
We review the question and available evidence with the sponsor, identify gaps and agree how findings will be discussed. Duration, data access and client participation are agreed during scoping.
Describe the decision you’re facing.
A few lines are enough: what’s being decided, by whom, and by when.