1 Greg Edit Problem Definition

Step 5: Strategic response

The Strategic response is the third column of the ILM. It is the strategic option recommended as the preferred response to an identified problem(s). It is made up of one or more strategic interventions.

A strategic intervention is a high-level strategic action that could be taken as a response to an identified problem. A valid strategic intervention must have the potential to deliver some or all of the identified KPIs and their target measures. To ensure it is sufficiently high level, its implementation must also allow more than one possible solution.

Therefore a strategic intervention needs to pass three tests; it needs to:

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  deliver some of the identified KPIs, their measures and targets;
  
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  allow more than one possible solution; and
  
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  be a valid response to the problem(s).
  

Start by saying something like: ‘The purpose of a strategic intervention is to deliver some of the KPIs that have been identified but to remain sufficiently high level so as not to lock us into a specific project option.’ So, how can we intervene?

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  change the demand – stop, slow, divert or increase it;
  
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  improve productivity – improve its productivity or effectiveness; and
  
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  change supply – treat it, fix it.
  

If you are only having one workshop, direct the group to select the strongest combination of interventions from this candidate list and connect them to the relevant benefits they relate to. A minimum of four and a maximum of eight strategic interventions is likely as you try to determine the best strategic response. Ultimately you will select a combination of one to four interventions to form the strategic response.

If you are having a series of workshops, developing the list of candidate interventions will be as far as you will need to go in this first workshop.

Key questions

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  What strategic interventions will best respond to the problems and deliver the benefits?
  
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  What is our response to the cause aspect of the problem statement?
  
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  How will we remedy or rectify what is broken?
  
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  Is it in our power/influence to respond to this? Have we got the right people here to answer this? Do we need to invite others into this conversation if we are genuinely going to deliver on the proposed KPIs?
  
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  Does this align with the purpose of our organisation(s)? Have we got the right people here to answer this?
  
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  Do we need to involve another organisation and develop a joint response?
  
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  Have we canvassed ways to change demand, improve productivity and change supply?
  
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  Will this deliver on the KPIs, their measures and targets?
  

Weightings

If you are only having one workshop you will need to weight the interventions in the same way as you weighted the problems and benefits. If time is short it is often useful to at least rank the interventions at this stage.

If you have more than one workshop then weightings will be discussed in a subsequent workshop.

Step 6: Changes and assets

The items in the Changes and Assets columns form the solution. This is often the area that the group is most comfortable with.

Changes are the things that must be done by the business if the expected benefits are to be delivered. Changes provide the detail of how the strategic response will be put into effect. Assets are any physical item that must be acquired to enable the identified changes to occur. Examples of these are hospitals, pipelines, plants or computer systems. A change must align with at least one strategic intervention.

Key questions

In all circumstances the questions that this section aims to answer is:

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  What changes are needed to the way we operate? What do we need to do differently?
  
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  How will we undertake or implement the strategic interventions we identified?
  
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  Do these changes align with our strategic interventions?
  
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  Will these changes deliver the benefits and KPIs?
  
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  Is this approach feasible?
  
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  Are there any orphaned interventions?
  

No asset can exist without at least one change to support it. Questions around the Asset column should include:

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  What do we need to build, buy or lease to implement our changes and therefore contribute to our strategic intervention?
  
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  What changes and assets do we need to deliver the benefits and KPIs?
  

Most investments have between six and eight changes and up to four assets. It is recommended to not go beyond this number as adding further changes and assets makes the map complex to evaluate.

Weightings

Weighting are not required for changes and assets.

Step 7: Finalise the workshop

At the end of the workshop, try to tell the investment story by reading across the map.

Ask the participants:

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  Does our title and subtitle reflect the story that we have articulated on this map?
  
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  Was this the story that we expected/wanted to tell?
  
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  What outcome did we achieve at the end of this workshop? Validate the idea has merit, go back and do more work before proceeding or stop the investment.
  
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  Is this the most compelling story for investment and is it validated by evidence?
  
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  Does the map accurately reflect the discussion we had?
  
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  Do I have licence to do some wordsmithing to sharpen the statements?
  

Reiterate the feedback process

At the close of the workshop, advise participants that within 24 hours (or on the following day) they will be provided with ILM version 0.1. Your email message should contain your observations of strengths and weaknesses of each element of the map. They will be asked to provide suggested changes within 24 hours and ensure they copy in the other participants. There is no point in circulating this draft to people who were not present in the workshop as their comments would lack context – they will be free to make comment when this iteration of the ILM has been completed. Within a further 24 hours you will update the ILM based on participant feedback and distribute version 1.0.