Strategy Survival Guide
Strategy Survival Guide
Strategy Survival Guide
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• Be clear about the monitoring and evaluation arrangements: part of the implementation planning<br />
process should consider what success might look like. A plan might specify success criteria and key<br />
issues and mechanisms for monitoring and measuring progress; alternatively a plan could be clear<br />
about the need for the lead Department to design a monitoring and evaluation framework within a<br />
specified timetable.<br />
• Document agreements: the process of putting together an implementation plan, and securing<br />
agreement from key stakeholders, will be critical in ensuring that conclusions are put in to practice.<br />
The outcome of this process should be written up and shared with stakeholders as a document<br />
through which further progress can be monitored and chased.<br />
It is important to start thinking about implementation very early in the strategy development process. Working<br />
to achieve buy-in from those responsible for implementation during the strategy development process will<br />
make actual implementation much easier. Ideally, there would be someone on the project team who will be<br />
responsible for implementation and for designing the implementation plan.<br />
Similarly, designing an implementation plan can take time. Sufficient resources should be allocated to do the<br />
task properly. Unless it is factored into the project plan, key team members may have left before<br />
implementation is considered.<br />
Strengths<br />
• Helps ensure that the project is implemented in an effective and timely manner.<br />
• Connects general conclusions to specific actions.<br />
• Process for agreeing a plan can help achieve stakeholder buy-in.<br />
• Holds stakeholders to account to deliver specific tasks.<br />
• Sets a framework for monitoring and evaluation.<br />
Weaknesses<br />
• Stakeholders can get immersed in the detail to the exclusion of getting to grips with the bigger<br />
picture.<br />
• It can be easy and tempting to agree a plan that is too bland to have any real meaning...<br />
• ...But a detailed implementation plan can lead to difficult negotiation. There is a risk that some<br />
aspects may be fudged.<br />
References<br />
The Policy to Successful Delivery website within the Office of Government Commerce Successful<br />
Delivery Toolkit site provides additional guidance on delivery planning.<br />
The online Prime Minister's Delivery Unit (PMDU) Toolbox also provides information on how the Prime<br />
Minister's Delivery Unit works, tried and tested ways of working to help strengthen delivery and<br />
communication between PMDU and departments. It includes guidance on the production of delivery plans.<br />
This was produced for PSA target owners but it provides information that may prove helpful in the<br />
development of implementation plans.<br />
The Risk Support Team at HM Treasury provides guidance on managing risks to the public.<br />
<strong>Strategy</strong> <strong>Survival</strong> <strong>Guide</strong> – <strong>Strategy</strong> Skills<br />
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