Course Methodology

This course relies on individual and group exercises to help participants learn all the essential skills to propose, select, and manage initiatives. It also relies on several case studies and presentations by participants, followed by thorough analysis throughout the five days. 

Course Objectives

By the end of the course, participants will be able to:

• Articulate the importance of aligning proposed initiatives with organizational vision, mission, goals, objectives, and targets.
• Generate aligned initiatives using creativity and innovation tools and techniques.
• Establish a framework of criteria that allow the selection of aligned initiatives.
• Evaluate initiatives using financial and non-financial models to select the right ones.
• Utilize project management tools to plan and monitor the progress of initiatives. 

Target Audience

This course benefits all managers, supervisors, and executives involved in strategic planning and performance improvements. It also benefits those measuring organizational improvement results to meet a company’s vision.

Target Competencies

• Strategic planning
• Creativity
• Aligning initiatives with strategy
• Evaluating projects
• Project planning and management
• Performance management

Strategic Planning and Alignment of Initiatives

• Vision, mission, goals, objectives, KPIs, targets, and initiatives
• Strategic alignment
• Strategy maps
• Differences between projects and initiatives

Proposing Initiatives

• Benchmarking as a tool to recommend initiatives
• Brainstorming
• Reverse brainstorming
• Removal technique
• Provocation technique

Initiatives Criteria

• Understanding criteria for initiatives
• Common mistakes in criteria setting
• Developing effective criteria
• Criteria weighting and scoring models
• Ensuring the alignment of initiatives’ criteria with stakeholders’ interests

Evaluating Initiatives

• Differences between financial and non-financial evaluations
• Challenges with non-financial evaluations
• Initiatives fit alignment scenarios
• Lewin’s force field analysis as a tool
• Capital budgeting as a tool to select initiatives

Managing Initiatives (Project Management Skills)

• Planning initiatives
• Managing initiatives’ constraints
• Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)
• Critical Path Method (CPM)
• Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT)
• Gantt chart
• Schedule compression techniques
• Resource planning and leveling
• Initiatives budgeting and establishing baselines
• Schedule and cost variances
• Tracking performance (KPIs)